Configuration Review

DOMAIN CONTROLLER BUILD REVIEW

Secure the foundation of your Active Directory environment. Your domain controllers (DCs) are the authoritative source for identity and access in your organisation. If compromised, they give attackers the keys to your entire network.

WHY DOMAIN CONTROLLER SECURITY MATTERS

Domain controllers manage authentication, authorisation, policy enforcement, and directory services across your network. A weak or misconfigured DC can:

Enable unauthorised access to sensitive systems
Allow privilege escalation through poor group policy or trust relationships

Undermine logging, monitoring, and incident detection
Become a pivot point for attackers to move laterally and compromise more systems

A compromised domain controller doesn't just affect one system; it can affect everything.

WHAT WE ASSESS

Our Domain Controller Build Review is a technical audit focused on ensuring your controllers are deployed securely and hardened appropriately. Key areas of focus include:

Operating System & Patching

OS version, patch level, and supported lifecycle
Hardening in line with CIS, NCSC, and Microsoft baselines
Removal of unnecessary roles, features, and services

Access Control & Privilege Management

Administrator group memberships
Role-based access control (RBAC) enforcement
Use of secure administrative hosts
Remote access and session policies

Authentication & Identity Services

Kerberos, NTLM, and LDAP configurations
Password policy and lockout settings
Time synchronisation (NTP) accuracy
Secure channel enforcement and signing requirements

Network Configuration & Segmentation

Placement within network architecture (e.g., perimeter vs internal)
Firewall rules, port exposure, and segmentation from non-admin systems
DNS role configurations and recursion settings

Logging, Monitoring & Audit Readiness

Audit policy coverage (including Advanced Audit Policy)
Event forwarding and centralised logging
Alerts for privilege use and configuration changes

Change Management & Baseline Integrity

Build documentation and deployment consistency
GPOs applied at domain and OU levels
Monitoring of unauthorised changes to system state

WHO NEEDS A DOMAIN CONTROLLER REVIEW?

This review is ideal for organisations that are:

Deploying new domain controllers or rebuilding infrastructure

Completing a security hardening or compliance project

Preparing for an external audit or certification (e.g., ISO 27001, NIS2)

Recovering from a security incident or insider breach

Operating hybrid environments (e.g., Azure AD + on-prem AD)

BUSINESS BENEFITS

Prevent Privilege Escalation

Through hardened admin controls

Reduce Attack Surface

Of your most critical infrastructure

Ensure Audit Readiness

By aligning to best-practice standards

Enhance Resilience

Through proper role separation and patch management

Protect Against Lateral Movement

With strict access boundaries and logging

Secure by Design, Not by Assumption

Misconfigurations often go unnoticed until it's too late. Our Domain Controller Build Review gives you confidence that your environment is secure from the ground up, not just after something goes wrong.