3 Steps to Better Group Management

Group management in Active Directory is so much more than just making sure that memberships are correct. There’s an entire lifecycle process devoted to improving the management of groups — and the security they represent. But for many of you, there simply isn’t enough time (yet) to devote to implementing an entire group lifecycle. So,…

AD Squatter

Are Users “Squatting” in Your Active Directory?

While they’ve been around for decades, in recent years we’ve all been introduced to squatters — people who move into an empty house that isn’t theirs and then take full advantage of the benefits of having a place to stay. They obtain utilities, setup mail delivery, maybe even meet the neighbors — all the while…

Six Degrees of IT Separation

Six Degrees of IT Separation

We are all well aware of the theory that every person is separated from everyone else by only six people. In fact, one 2013 study showed that this separation was just a little over 3.5 people. Although not as widely recognized, there is also a degree of separation between the people in IT who establish…

Temp Security

Temp Employees: A Forgotten Threat

In some ways, there is no greater threat to security than a temp employee. At first glance, the previous statement might not make much sense. After all, the temp has comparatively the least amount of privileges, and they have those privileges for only a short period of time. In reality, however, the accounts created for…

Cloud vs. On-Premises

SharePoint Security: More than just a “cloud vs. on-premises” discussion

Whenever the topic of moving to the cloud comes up, it’s inevitable that the topic of security also arises. And rightly so: the cloud can create a host of security risks concerning who has access to services and data, from both an IT and an end-user perspective. A recent article on SharePoint adoption cited the…

Uncovering Risk

Uncovering the Risk in Your Security

If you were asked, “Is your environment secure?” you’d probably respond with something like “more or less.” After all, we IT professionals are pretty logical, and while we make a solid effort, there are areas of our network environments that are in less-than-desirable shape. You have a lot on your plate, and you just don’t…

AD Group Management | 7 Bad Habits to Avoid

Managing Active Directory (AD) is not an easy task, but someone has to do it. If this “someone”, is you, then you should always keep in mind that human beings make mistakes and have bad habits, even if they are AD gurus. To minimize the risk of such bad habits from happening on your watch,…

IT-Business Collaboration

Managing Groups: IT Shouldn’t Do It Alone

It seems that any tasks that are “tech-related” fall into the hands of IT. It’s been that way as long as I can remember. Managing groups in Active Directory is no different: It is something that IT takes care of — mostly because groups exist within a system (Active Directory) for which most users haven’t…

AD Group Cleanup

A Case of IT Paralysis

When I was a kid, I remember playing in my room for hours on end, playing with new toy after new toy. Of course, being a kid, I never put anything away, so the number of toys just sitting around kept growing and growing. When my parents finally saw that my floor was riddled with…

Is Help Desk a Secure Approach?

Is the Service Desk a Secure Approach?

In today’s IT support model, the service desk/help desk often represents the focal point for all users to bring their needs and issues to IT. Need your password reset? Call the service desk. Need to be added to an AD group so you can get your job done? Call the service desk. Need your last…