Network Security
Vulnerability Management
Privileged Access Management
Endpoint Security
Threat Hunting
Unified Endpoint Management
Email & Collaboration Security
Contents:
Understanding JIT Administration
Just-in-time (JIT) administration is a privileged access management system practice for controlling how long certain privileges are active for an organization’s employees and close partners.
This method works alongside a precise definition of what permissions are given (called Just Enough Admin, or JEA). Microsoft has been promoting this approach since 2014. In Server 2016, it was incorporated into Active Directory (AD) to make it easier to use.
Basically, in an AD environment, JIT works by putting user accounts into groups. These groups either directly have the privileged access rights needed or are part of other groups that do.
It follows a principle called AGDLP (Account, Global, Domain Local, Permissions), which breaks the connection between users and permissions at a specific time to limit standing privileges.
Privileged accounts have unrestricted access to important company servers, applications, and databases. They can also control user profiles by adding, removing, or managing them. Because of this, there’s a risk that these privileged accounts might be misused.
To deal with security concerns, it’s important to have a method for identifying users with too many permissions. One effective way to do this is by checking Active Directory Users and Computers along with privileged groups to compile a list of all highly privileged accounts and users.
What Is Active Directory?
Active Directory (AD) is like a big organized database and a set of tools that help people connect to the things they need to use for their jobs.
The database stores important information about your organization, like who works there and what computers are available. It also keeps track of who can do what, like which users have privileged access to certain files or programs.
For example, it might have a list of 100 privileged accounts with details like job titles and phone numbers, along with their passwords and what they’re allowed to do.
The services part of the Active Directory group controls a lot of what happens in your computer system. They check to make sure people are who they say they are when they log in (authentication), usually by asking for a username and password. They also makes sure files and programs are made available to privileged account.
Active Directory Services
Active Directory consists of various services. The primary one is called Domain Services (domain admins), but there are also others like Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS), Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Certificate Services (AD CS), Federation Services (AD FS), and Rights Management Services (AD RMS).
Each of these services adds more features to Active Directory to help manage directories, privileged users and privileged groups better.
- Lightweight Directory Services, or AD LDS, shares the same foundation as Domain Services but can run multiple instances on one server. It stores directory data using the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.
- LDAP is a protocol used to access and manage directory services over a network. It stores objects like usernames and passwords and shares that information across the network.
- Certificate Services create, manage, and share certificates, which are used for secure internet communication.
- Federation Services enables single sign-on (SSO) for users to access multiple applications across different networks with just one login.
- Rights Management Services control how information is accessed and managed. AD RMS encrypts content like emails or Word documents to restrict privileged access to authorized users.
Implementing JIT Administration in Active Directory
Here are a few factors to consider when implementing JIT Administration in Active Directory.
Prerequisites for implementing JIT Administration in an AD environment
Couple of prerequisites to consider for active directory just in time administration include:
- Have a working active directory: Make sure your Active Directory is set up properly and is working as it should. This means you have all the necessary components like domain controllers, domains, and forests in place.
- Use an identity management system: Get a system that helps manage user account and who can access what in your Active Directory. This system should support JIT Administration, which means it can control who gets privileged access and when.
- Set up roles and permissions: Decide what different people in your organization should be able to do in Active Directory. Create roles that match these jobs and give them the right permissions. This helps organize who has access to what.
- Use a privileged access management (PAM) plan: Get a system that helps manage access to sensitive parts of Active Directory. This system should work with JIT Administration, so it can give temporary privileged access management feature only to people who need it for specific tasks.
- Create security rules: Make clear rules about who can get temporary privileged access and how long they can have it. Also, set up ways to keep track of who gets access and when. Make sure everyone who manages Active Directory knows and follows these rules to keep everything secure.
Following these steps will help make sure JIT Administration works smoothly and securely in your Active Directory setup.
Best Practices for Managing and Monitoring JIT Access
Listed below are some of the best practices to consider when managing and monitoring JIT Access.
1. Audit AD events: Keep an eye on changes in Active Directory, like when user accounts or permissions are altered. This helps catch any unauthorized actions, like someone trying to get more access than they should. You can check these changes using tools like Windows Event Viewer PowerShell, or other software that gives more detailed reports.
2. Configure AD alerts: Set up alerts for anything unusual happening in Active Directory, such as failed logins or strange changes to important stuff. Alerts help you respond quickly to potential problems. You can set these up using tools like Windows Task Scheduler PowerShell, or other programs that can send alerts through email or text.
3. Use AD tools: Besides the basic Windows tools, you can use other software to keep an eye on and improve Active Directory security. These tools can help you find and fix problems, follow best practices, and make sure everything is running smoothly. Some popular ones include AD Audit Plus and BloodHound.
4. Apply AD policies: Put rules in place to control what people can do in Active Directory, like how strong their passwords need to be or who can access certain things. This helps prevent common security issues. You can set these rules up using tools like Group Policy in Windows PowerShell, or other software that makes it easier.
5. Review AD reports: Look at reports that give you insights into how secure your Active Directory is and where there might be problems. Reports help you understand how well you’re doing with security, find and fix any issues, and show that you’re following the rules. You can generate these reports using tools like ADReport or ADAudit, or use built-in Windows tools.
Manage Access Easily With Heimdal®
Access Management gets easier when you use the tools that suit your organization’s style. Finding the right solution makes the difference between efficient access management and inefficient access management.
Heimdal®’s Privileged Access Management solution is a fully customizable and modular solution that you can make your own, by adapting it to the specific needs of your organization. Our solution will help your company by:
- Automatically scanning and identifying all privileged accounts;
- Enabling just-in-time access to avoid standing privileges;
- Identifying and removing all hard-coded credentials;
- Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), one-time passwords, digital tokens, and other security protections;
- Accessing ongoing monitoring and behavioral analytics to shut down suspicious behavior.
Heimdal® Privileged Access Management
- Automate the elevation of admin rights on request;
- Approve or reject escalations with one click;
- Provide a full audit trail into user behavior;
- Automatically de-escalate on infection;
Conclusion
The main difference between organizations with Just in Time access and those without is the level of risk they’re willing to accept.
Organizations with JIT privileges are more likely to have streamlined operations, lower overall risks, and less damage in case of a breach.
It’s about how much risk and potential damage a company is okay with, and those with JIT privileges tend to fare better in terms of security and impact if attacked.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is JIT in Active Directory?
Just-In-Time (JIT) in the context of Active Directory (AD) refers to a security technology that enables temporary elevation of privileges for users. This approach is part of the broader Privileged Access Management (PAM) strategy, aiming to minimize the attack surface by ensuring that administrative privileges are granted only when necessary and only for a specific duration.
Why to use JIT?
We use Just-In-Time (JIT) to minimize security risks by granting privileges only when needed and for the shortest time necessary.
What is Active Directory Administration?
Active Directory Administration involves managing and maintaining the Active Directory (AD) service in a Windows Server environment, which includes managing user accounts, computers, security groups, organizational units, and policies to ensure secure and efficient access to network resources.
Cristian is a Content Editor & Creator at Heimdal®, where he developed a deep understanding of the digital threat landscape. His style resonates with both technical and non-technical readers, proof being in his skill of communicating cybersecurity norms effectively, in an easy-to-understand manner.
