Auditing Delegated Access in Active Directory

Active Directory is the foundation of identity and access management and the focal point of administrative delegation in a Microsoft Windows Server based IT infrastructure.

Administrative authority for vital aspects of IT management (such as user account and security group management) is delegated in Active Directory.

The need to audit who has what administrative access for vital IT management functions must thus be an essential component of every organization's IT security apparatus.

Active Directory security audits thus constitute an integral part of an organization's IT security audit requirements and processes, and of an organization's controls aimed at demonstrating regulatory compliance.

This section helps IT administrators and managers understand the challenges in auditing delegated administrative access in Active Directory and shows them how to accurately audit delegations in Active Directory.