RE: ADS Password Storage Protection

["Roger A. Grimes" <roger () banneretcs com>]

Should be set at domain-level for Active Directory accounts and in Local
Computer Policy for local accounts. 

-----Original Message-----
From: rolando_ruiz () jetaviation com [mailto:rolando_ruiz () jetaviation com]

Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 12:16 PM
To: Roger A. Grimes; security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: RE: ADS Password Storage Protection

One question I have regarding the steps below; should these setting be
applied on the client, domain controller, or both? If applied on DC, how
does it know that the user login in is who it says it is if not by
password? Does it store it elsewhere or just differently?

-----Original Message-----
From: Roger A. Grimes [mailto:roger () banneretcs com]
Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 1:37 PM
To: Ruiz, Rolando; security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: ADS Password Storage Protection

Passwords are stored in local SAM or Active Directory database (NTDS.DIT
file). To prevent Windows password hacking, follow these steps:

1. Disable the storage of the Lan Manager password hashes (can be done
by a regedit or group policy) 2. Use long passwords. Forget complexity,
go long. To make them uncrackable, go 15 characters or more. Most users
should be 12+ characters, but admin accts, 15 characters+.
3. Disable booting on anything besides the primary boot partition and
password-protect the boot up order.
4. Disable LM and NTLMv1 authentication (regedit or GPO).

Doing #1 and #2 will give you significant protection. After that social
engineering attacks and keylogging trojans are your biggest fears. But
you'll be 99% more protected than you were before.

If you're running nix boxes, convert your password hashes to
bcrypt-type, otherwise follow the same rules, #1-#3.

Roger

*****************************************************************
*Roger A. Grimes, InfoWorld, Security Columnist *CPA, CISSP, MCSE:
Security (2000/2003/MVP), CEH, yada...yada...
*email: roger_grimes () infoworld com or roger () banneretcs com *Author of
Professional Windows Desktop and Server Hardening (Wrox)
*http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764599909
*****************************************************************

 

-----Original Message-----
From: rolando_ruiz () jetaviation com [mailto:rolando_ruiz () jetaviation com]

Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 9:47 AM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: ADS Password Storage Protection

I'm looking for best practice ways of protecting access to password
storage in Active Directory. I have some immediate questions:

Where exactly are passwords kept?
Are these passwords kept in plain text?
How can I protect these passwords from being hacked? (Encryption,
restrictions, etc...)

Thank you in advanced 

________________________________

Jet Aviation Holdings, Inc.
Rolando Ruiz


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