For more than 90% of Fortune 1000 companies, Active Directory continues to be the foundation for authentication. AD is the source of authentication and authorization for all applications, users, and devices. Attackers view it as the holy grail since it allows them to gain access to the entire network by compromising Active Directory.

Attackers can move laterally and take over your entire network once they have control of AD. According to the report by security experts at Microsoft and IBM, defending AD necessitates a layered security approach that addresses credential theft, privilege management, and continuous monitoring. The 2024 Change Healthcare hack demonstrated the potential consequences of AD compromise.

In this attack, hackers turned to AD, escalated privileges, took advantage of a server that lacked multifactor authentication, and then carried out an extremely expensive cyberattack. The group paid a ransom of millions of dollars. And the attacks continue: in April 2025, another serious AD vulnerability that permits privilege escalation from low-level access to system-level control was discovered.

Since passwords are still the most popular attack vector, fixing them should be your top priority. Employees are prevented from using credentials that hackers already possess by blocking passwords that show up in compromised databases. Continuous scanning not only detects password resets but also new breaches in which user passwords are compromised.

Additionally, dynamic feedback guides users toward safe passwords that they can truly remember by displaying in real time whether their password is strong. "You don't finish Active Directory security all at once. According to John Rizzo, CTO of Specops Password Policy, "hackers continuously improve their methods, new vulnerabilities appear, and your infrastructure changes." "That means your security also requires ongoing attention and continuous improvement," he says. "Maintaining secure domain controllers requires it.

For domain controllers, patch management is essential, he continues. "Active directory security is a continuous process," according to Rizzos.