Semperis Unveils New Tool to Enhance Active Directory Account Security
Semperis has launched a new version of its Directory Services Protector platform, specifically designed to enhance the security of Active Directory service accounts against cyber threats. The Service Account Protection Essential tool addresses the significant challenges organisations encounter in managing the proliferation of service accounts, which are often targeted by attackers due to their elevated privileges and lack of oversight. Active Directory service accounts have long been a vulnerability within organisational IT infrastructure, a concern underscored by incidents such as the SolarWinds attack in 2023. As applications are onboarded and retired throughout the lifespan of an Active Directory, service accounts frequently remain, accumulating excessive permissions and becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Ran Harel, Semperis AVP of Security Products, noted that service accounts are inherently problematic and nearly ungovernable, complicating security planning for organisations.
The Service Account Protection Essential tool assists organisations in identifying both known and unknown service accounts, creating an inventory, and providing ongoing monitoring for vulnerabilities. The platform employs specialised indicators developed by Semperis’ threat research team to detect misplaced, stale, or misconfigured accounts, risky settings, and active threats. Alerts are generated upon the discovery of malicious or anomalous activity. Alex Weinert, Semperis Chief Product Officer, emphasised that service accounts are particularly appealing to attackers, as they tend to proliferate in legacy Active Directory applications and accumulate excessive privileges over time. This makes them prime targets for malicious actors, especially when linked to privileged cloud roles or groups associated with Microsoft 365. The Service Account Protection Essential tool offers organisations unprecedented visibility into their service account security posture, enabling them to reduce the overall attack surface of their hybrid Active Directory environment. The latest release also introduces process improvements for security teams managing Active Directory and Entra ID object lists, featuring new automated response mechanisms and grouping capabilities that streamline administration.
Categories: Service Account Security, Active Directory Management, Cyber Threat Mitigation
Tags: Directory Services, Protector, Service Accounts, Cyber Threats, Active Directory, Security Planning, Vulnerabilities, Monitoring, Privileges, Automation