Resources

Blog

Downtime Is Dangerous: Why Identity Resilience is Now Mission-Critical for Healthcare

Beyond Access: How Healthcare IT Can Cut Costs, Shrink Attack Surfaces, and Protect Patient Data with Smart Automation

In healthcare, behind every login is a nurse, a physician, and—most importantly—a patient in need. When identity systems fail, care delivery comes to a halt. That reality has been underscored by recent breaches, where stolen credentials, dormant admin accounts, and lateral movement across hybrid systems have caused not just IT outages, but also treatment delays, patient diversions, and canceled surgeries.

Read More »

NTLM Relay Attack Prevention: A Checklist for Active Directory Security

TL;DR Active Directory environments face severe risks from an NTLM relay attack, which exploits the lack of mutual authentication in legacy protocols to intercept credentials and gain unauthorized network access. Organizations can mitigate these vulnerabilities by phasing out NTLM in favor of Kerberos, enforcing SMB signing, and implementing strict privilege

Read More »
Cayosoft joins the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association

Enhanced Windows LAPS Password View and Management

Introduction  In our commitment to provide robust Active Directory, Entra ID, and M365 security, monitoring, and recovery Cayosoft Guardian is rolling out new features designed to make your security processes more streamlined and secure. With the latest update, we’re introducing modern LAPS management capabilities directly in the product.  Feature Highlights 

Read More »

Enhanced Security and Deployment with gMSA and AD Connector

In our commitment to provide robust Active Directory, Entra ID, and M365 security, monitoring, and recovery Cayosoft Guardian is rolling out new features designed to make your security processes more streamlined and secure. With the latest update, we’re introducing Group Managed Service Account (gMSA) integration and the AD Connector feature,

Read More »

Active Directory Security Best Practices: Key NSA Guidelines

Most global businesses run hybrid AD environments, and following active directory security best practices is critical when combining on-premises and cloud services to secure both Active Directory (AD) and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). Both systems manage identity and access control, making them prime targets for attackers aiming to

Read More »

K-12 Ransomware Protection: Securing Schools’ AD & Entra ID

As K-12 schools increasingly rely on digital services and key infrastructure such as Active Directory and Entra ID for authentication and access to support education services. We continue to see an increase with being targeted by Ransomware groups and falling victim to ransomware attacks, putting sensitive data and education services

Read More »

Qilin Ransomware: How to Detect & Protect Against This Exploit

Qilin ransomware has emerged as a significant threat to organizations, particularly those relying heavily on Active Directory for managing their IT infrastructure. Qilin ransomware has adopted a new method for stealing credentials from Google Chrome browsers by leveraging Active Directory Group Policy. In this guide, we will explore how Qilin

Read More »

FSMO Roles: The Hidden Key to Resilient Active Directory

At the heart of every well-functioning Active Directory (AD) environment lies a set of unsung heroes: Flexible Single Master Operation (FSMO) roles. These specialized roles hold the keys to your AD’s resilience, stability, and recoverability. While they may not be the most glamorous aspect of AD management, understanding and safeguarding

Read More »

Mastering Microsoft 365 Governance: Active Directory Guide

TL;DR Effective Microsoft 365 governance relies on strategic Active Directory management to secure user identities, enforce role-based access control, and automate the user lifecycle in hybrid environments. By utilizing automation and centralized reporting, organizations can mitigate security risks, streamline administrative tasks, and maintain strict regulatory compliance across all group types.

Read More »

Managing Active Directory in a Zero Trust World

Applying a Zero Trust strategy to Active Directory management reduces your identity threat landscape, enhances access controls and segmentation, enforces just-in-time access, and improves monitoring and incident response. Overall, this approach strengthens your identity platform and makes it more resilient. In this blog, learn how Zero Trust strategy and principles

Read More »

Securing Active Directory Against DCSync Attacks

DCSync attacks remain a persistent threat to Active Directory (AD) security. These attacks cleverly exploit normal AD replication processes, allowing hackers to secretly extract sensitive password hashes. This access can pave the way for widespread exploits across your network. Given the prevalence of DCSync attacks, IT professionals must be equipped

Read More »

Active Directory Best Practices for Management in 2026

TL;DR Modern organizations must prioritize Active Directory best practices by transitioning from manual management to automated workflows to mitigate risks like human error and sophisticated cyberattacks. Implementing strategies such as the principle of least privilege, automated user lifecycle management, and continuous auditing ensures a secure and resilient IT infrastructure. In

Read More »

Securing SYSVOL: Threats, Protection, and Recovery

What is SYSVOL and Why is it Important? For many IT professionals, the system volume (SYSVOL) might seem like just another shared folder. However, if not properly protected, it represents a critical security vulnerability within every Active Directory domain controller. SYSVOL stores the essential files and scripts that govern user

Read More »

Active Directory Software: Top 7 Enterprise Requirements

Understanding the Complexities of Enterprise IT Security The Microsoft Digital Defense Report reveals a concerning trend: 93% of Microsoft’s ransomware incident response engagements uncovered insufficient controls on privilege access and lateral movement. This illustrates that companies need to strengthen their user management and security in 2024. The growing trend underlines

Read More »

Active Directory Authentication Explained

Getting Smart with Active Directory Authentication Let’s talk about Active Directory authentication, a key player in your IT environment’s security. In simple terms, it’s like the main gatekeeper of your organization’s IT environment, deciding who gets in and what they can do. This isn’t just about keeping bad guys out,

Read More »

Active Directory Cleanup: Top 8 Best Practices

TL;DR Regular Active Directory cleanup optimizes system performance and strengthens security by removing obsolete objects, inactive accounts, and unoptimized Group Policy Objects. Implementing automated monitoring and metadata maintenance ensures long-term regulatory compliance while reducing the risks associated with unauthorized access and replication errors. Top Best Practices for Optimal Performance |

Read More »

Active Directory Schema: Essentials & Backup Strategy

Understanding Active Directory Schema Before we dive into the backup, let’s clear up what an Active Directory schema is. Simply put, the Active Directory schema is a set of definitions that outline what kinds of objects and information about those objects can be stored in Active Directory. Think of it

Read More »

Why You Need to Recover Active Directory Forest

Essential Considerations to Recover Your Active Directory Forest Active Directory isn’t just a part of your IT infrastructure, it’s the forgotten central hub that keeps everything running smoothly. But with great power comes great responsibility – and vulnerability. It’s a primary target for attackers and any disruption will send ripple

Read More »

Enhancing IT Agility with Automated User Provisioning in Active Directory

Understanding Automated User Provisioning in Active Directory In the world of IT, manual management of user provisioning and deprovisioning feels as outdated as a floppy disk. Just imagine trying to juggle countless user profiles across diverse on-premise and cloud environments—it’s a logistical nightmare. Enter the era of automated user provisioning

Read More »

Selecting the Right Tools to Manage Active Directory in 2024

How to Choose the Best Tools to Manage Active Directory In the changing world of IT management, choosing the right tools to manage Active Directory is very important. Active Directory is the main system for managing identities and access in your organization. It needs a strong solution that simplifies operations,

Read More »

Is it Time for your Microsoft Enterprise Agreement Renewal?

Resources to Optimize Microsoft 365 (Formerly Office 365) License Management and Reduce Costs For organizations with 500 or more users or devices, that want a more manageable volume licensing program, the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) provides the ability to buy cloud services and software licenses under one agreement. These enterprise agreements are

Read More »
Avoid These Surprising Adoption Challenges of Office 365

Avoid These Surprising Adoption Challenges of Office 365

Embrace Change Moving to Office 365 can be a big task, but it’s often more complex than administrators initially believe. As recently discussed on this very blog, even the most careful IT team can run into unexpected adoption challenges of Office 365.  Reda Chouffani’s recent must-read article on this topic discusses in-depth some of these challenges. Take PowerShell, for

Read More »
Considering Hybrid? Start Here

Considering Hybrid? Start Here

How to Hybrid In some far-off future, we might all live in the cloud. But keeping one foot on the ground—so to speak—is going to be the most practical and possible solution for most enterprises for some time to come. This hybrid concept is nothing new, but adoption continues to grow enormously everywhere.  In an authoritative article for Petri, Michael

Read More »

Microsoft Office 365 Secure Score Explained in 4 Minutes

[row][column size=”2/5″] Included with FREE Analytics & Visibility Subscription [button url=”/free-microsoft-hybrid-reporting/” background=”#ff0000″ color=”#ffffff” size=”7″ center=”yes” icon=”icon: cloud-download”]Click Here for Free Subscription[/button][/column] [column size=”3/5″] [youtube_advanced url=”https://youtu.be/5GS8f8JQEiM” width=”800″ height=”600″ showinfo=”no” loop=”no” rel=”no” theme=”light” https=”yes” wmode=”transparent”] [/column] [/row] Microsoft Office 365’s Secure Score tool analyzes your Office 365 security profile, generating a cumulative score reflecting

Read More »

Faster, Easier Sign-in for Office 365 Apps

More Limber Logins Microsoft recently updated some aids for a faster, easier sign-in for Office 365 and more. That may seem like a small change—but considering how much time is spent around here signing in and out of Office 365, Azure, and connected apps, we’re welcoming the upgrade. To start, rather than navigating all the way

Read More »

Surprise Retirement of Azure AD Command File Download

Unannounced & Incomplete Not even half a year after Microsoft Ignite, the company’s cheerful promises to keep its clients better informed of upcoming changes have hit yet another snag. The surreptitious retirement of Microsoft Azure AD Commands downloadable as a file didn’t just occur without fanfare—it came without, well, much of any announcement at all. Microsoft

Read More »

Microsoft Teams Gets a Big Update

The Biggest Appdate Yet Microsoft’s collaboration tool Teams got a whole lot of new functionality this week. It’s the biggest release for the program since its launch last March. The focus this time is clearly on apps, efficiency, and centralization. Apps integrated with Teams are now more easily managed with a personal apps space and adding

Read More »
Microsoft Begins Email Address Internationalization

Microsoft Begins Email Address Internationalization

Global Economy, Global Addresses  Expected within the next few months, Microsoft will take the first steps of enabling Email Address Internationalization (EAI) support in Office 365. EAI is a broad category encapsulating any non-English typography; from diacritical marks to complete scripts, any written language may eventually be usable in Microsoft email addresses and thus Active Directories.

Read More »
January brings improved SharePoint to Office 365

January Brings Improved SharePoint to Office 365

Migrate & Administrate Efficiently Using SharePoint gets a lot easier for Microsoft hybrid enterprises this month.  Easing the way to the cloud, the SharePoint Migration Tool has been released to general availability, promising to migrate even large-scale SharePoint document libraries with a simple wizard-like tool. On top of that, dramatic improvements have been made to the SharePoint Migration Assessment Tool, which hones

Read More »

Cross-Platform PowerShell Core 6.0 Released

A More Powerful Shell As of January 10, PowerShell Core 6.0 is now available for general use in production environments. Not only is this version cross-platform, available for Windows, Linux, macOS, and a variety of less common OSes, but is also not even tied to Windows in particular, having been developed on the open source .NET Core platform.

Read More »

Building Office 365 Client Access Policies

Tuning Tenant Security and Compliance A major feature of Office 365 lies in how it allows users to access it from practically any device with an internet connection. Compliance with governmental or internal regulations, however, can oftentimes require stricter security policies than what default Office 365 supplies. With attention and a Client Access Policy, you can customize who can access which Office 365 services, from where

Read More »

A Better Buggy Beta – PowerShell Module for Teams

Scripting for Success Microsoft’s PowerShell scripting module for Teams updated to version 0.9.1 last December, but as Tony Redmond points out in a recent article, it’s still infested with both bugs and design flaws. That doesn’t stop him, however, from jumping into a variety of useful cmdlets for the module,

Read More »

Microsoft Expands Azure Hybrid Enterprise Capability

Hybrid Enterprise Momentum Not even a year after Google invested millions in hybrid storage vendor Avere Systems, Microsoft swooped in last week to snatch the company for itself.   Avere specializes in high-performance computing and storage, often a priority for large enterprises in a hybrid environment. With this purchase, Microsoft will

Read More »

WEBINAR: Advanced Office 365 License Management

FREE WEBINAR: Advanced Office 365 License Management Join us for this free online event and learn how simplify Office 365 License Management. Reduce License Costs based on Office 365 Usage, Delegate Simplified License Management, Monitor Remediation of  Tenant License Changes, and much more…  After registering, you will receive a confirmation

Read More »