Re: software to control domain administrators

From: Charles Fraser (fraserc_at_mail.montclair.edu)
Date: 05/09/05

  • Next message: Beauford, Jason: "RE: software to control domain administrators"
    Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 12:02:05 -0400
    To: LordInfidel@directionweb.com
    
    

    "If I can't trust my admin he/she shouldn't be one" is an archaic school
    of thought. In today's age of compliance and accountability that school
    of thought needs to be radically changed. There needs to be checks and
    balances. Which is why security has to be separate from operations. More
    and more enterprises are following the new school of thought that an
    employee has the computer access and permissions that it takes for he or
    she to perform their functions no more no less. Full domain and
    enterprise administrators are less and less common in favor of dividing
    responsibility so administrators can have less rights to perform their
    day to day functions. Windows offers runas and sudo capabilities which
    we utilize to reduce the number of people who require administrative
    access. I advocate a central/separate syslog/event viewer server that
    is not in the domain and the administrators have no access to
    whatsoever. Now if someone is trying to cover their tracks they can't
    because the logs are duplicated in real time to the central server. It
    should be stressed it is not a matter of trust but a matter of checks
    and balances.

    Charlie

    LordInfidel@directionweb.com wrote:

    >One of my co-workers pointed out that my response may of have come off
    >the wrong way...
    >
    >First, Always **Audit Everything**...... I was not advocating 'not
    >auditing'.
    >
    >Trustworthy Admins already do this with the explicit knowledge that they
    >themselves are subject to being audited and that their actions on the
    >network will be logged. The point I was attempting to make before is
    >that a malicious admin or one that feels threatened has the power to
    >reverse that auditing, which the auditing mechanism should reflect
    >anyways. But the problem is compounded if the admin has access to the
    >logs, then there is nothing stopping them from covering their tracks.
    >
    >I apologize if it confused anyone. The overall theme remains the same,
    >if you can't explicitly trust the people who are running your network
    >then they should not be running it.
    >
    >-----Original Message-----
    >From: LordInfidel@directionweb.com [mailto:LordInfidel@directionweb.com]
    >
    >Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 6:02 PM
    >To: Diego Teijeiro Ruiz; security-basics@securityfocus.com
    >Subject: RE: software to control domain administrators
    >
    >Probably a little late, been busy, but I did not see a response yet to
    >this.
    >
    >(assuming we are talking about NT/AD Domain Admins)
    >
    >Honestly, if you are looking for something to audit domain admins, then
    >you have bigger problems.
    >
    >Domain admins by the very nature of the account type, have complete
    >control over the domain, second to only enterprise admins. Nothing you
    >install or do will prevent them from removing or modifying it. Even
    >restricting them via NTFS permissions or GPO's does nothing since they
    >can just take ownership and modify the permissions.
    >
    >Keep in mind that spying on a domain admin can have catastrophic effects
    >if they feel threatened by it since they can easily mess up an entire
    >network.
    >
    >Basically, If you can not trust your domain admin(s), then they should
    >probably not be a domain admin and removed from that position of trust.
    >
    >JMO
    >
    >-----Original Message-----
    >From: Diego Teijeiro Ruiz [mailto:dteijeiro@azertia.com]
    >Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 5:51 AM
    >To: security-basics@securityfocus.com
    >Subject: software to control domain administrators
    >
    >
    >Does anyone know any software to control, audit, or restrict access or
    >privileges to domain administrators.
    >
    >thnx in advance
    >
    >
    >DTR
    >
    >
    >
    >-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    >Este mensaje y los documentos, que en su caso, lleve anexos, pueden
    >contener informacion confidencial y atane exclusivamente a las personas
    >a las que va dirigido. Cualquier opinion en el contenida, es exclusiva
    >de su autor y no representa necesariamente la opinion de AZERTIA. Si
    >usted no es el destinatario de este mensaje, considerese advertido de
    >que lo ha recibido por error y que cualquier uso, difusion o copia estan
    >prohibidos legalmente. Si ha recibido este mensaje por error, le rogamos
    >que nos lo comunique por la misma via o al telefono 93 207 55 11 y
    >proceda a destruirlo inmediatamente.
    >
    >This email is confidential and intended solely for the use of the
    >individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or opinions presented are
    >solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of
    >AZERTIA. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that you have
    >received this email in error and that any use, dissemination,
    >forwarding, printing, or copying of this email is strictly prohibited.
    >If you have received this email in error please notify it to AZERTIA by
    >telephone on number +34 93 207 55 11.
    >-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    >
    >


  • Next message: Beauford, Jason: "RE: software to control domain administrators"

    Relevant Pages

    • Re: Handling Sysads resignation/termination
      ... the admin is out-- what is the ... your HR department and your firm's Attorneys ... You can't protect yourself against the actions of one in a trusted position ... the breech of trust has taken place. ...
      (Pen-Test)
    • Re: Clustering and SA Role
      ... It helps if your Domain/Enterprise Administrators, Server Administrators, ... > I guess the issue is that in SQL2000 one could remove local admin group ... > legitimately getting into SQL Server. ... Trust for sure simplifies management in many ...
      (microsoft.public.sqlserver.clustering)
    • Re: Child Domain Setup Quiestion
      ... The trust created is Bidirection, Implecit, Transitive trust between domains ... There are three levels of Administration in a windows 2003 based ... 1] Enterprise Admin - have admin previlages to all the domains in the forest. ...
      (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
    • Re: Running VSTO on Terminal Server
      ... The solution is that although the Configuration tool appears to be working ... I had a net admin make the change to ... Microsoft.Web.Services.dll and again I was unable to establish trust for the ... > I also added a full trust policy at the level of the VS projects directory ...
      (microsoft.public.vsnet.vstools.office)
    • Re: ? about google toolbar
      ... Chuck,,THanks for your help-Yes I do trust ... >>install it but would not allow it. ... >Can you trust your daughter? ... running an admin ...
      (microsoft.public.security)