In the wake of a growing number of both ransomware and sophisticated attacks, Tenable®, Inc., the Cyber Exposure company, has developed 10 foundational configuration checks for its solutions, including Tenable.io, Tenable.sc and both Nessus Professional and Nessus Essentials, that assess Microsoft Active Directory security readiness and align remediation efforts based on the threat landscape. These checks leverage Tenable’s expertise in securing Active Directory environments through Tenable.ad and are available immediately for existing customers at no extra charge.

Bad actors have set their sights on the one system that connects everything on the corporate network– from cloud, web apps, traditional IT and operational technology (OT): Active Directory. According to Frost & Sullivan, 90 percent of the Fortune 1000 use Active Directory as their primary method for authentication and authorization. Active Directory is almost always the first target for bad actors once they gain a foothold in the enterprise. The Solarwinds hack and a string of high-profile ransomware attacks that crippled critical infrastructure have highlighted the critical role that Active Directory plays in enterprise security and the problems which can occur if not expertly configured, audited and monitored for high-risk activities.

In response to this growing crisis, Tenable has launched 10 foundational checks within its solutions to help customers detect commonly exploited weaknesses in Active Directory, protecting credentials and preventing privilege escalation. Organizations can immediately use the checks to assess their exposure to a range of risks, including Kerberoasting attacks, poorly configured or managed passwords and vulnerable encryption protocols. From there, security teams can take remedial action to close these potential attack paths before they are used against them.

“We’re seeing the weaponization of Active Directory by bad actors virtually every time a new ransomware attack or hack makes the headlines. Securing Active Directory is one of the most critical steps virtually any organization should take to build stronger cyber defenses and a solid foundation for their digital business,” said Renaud Deraison, co-founder and chief technology officer, Tenable. “We’re helping to address this growing crisis with  new Active Directory checks that make it easier than ever for customers to understand what steps they must take immediately to get their Active Directory security in order and disrupt bad actors’ go-to attack paths.” 

The Active Directory Security Readiness Checks are now generally available in Tenable.sc, Tenable.io, Tenable.ep, Nessus Professional and Nessus Essentials. Customers interested in a complete Active Directory security solution are encouraged to learn more about Tenable.ad, which offers these foundational checks along with more comprehensive assessment capabilities.

For more information about the functionality, visit: https://www.tenable.com/blog/new-in-nessus-find-and-fix-these-10-active-directory-misconfigurations.