Active Directory Security and Attacking Kerberos Training Course

Course Title: Active Directory Security and Attacking Kerberos Training Course

Executive Summary

This intensive two-week course provides a deep dive into Active Directory (AD) security, focusing on Kerberos authentication vulnerabilities and attack techniques. Participants will learn to identify, exploit, and mitigate common AD security flaws through hands-on labs and real-world scenarios. The curriculum covers Kerberos internals, attack vectors like Golden and Silver Ticket attacks, and defense strategies including proper configuration, monitoring, and incident response. The course emphasizes practical skills to secure AD environments against both internal and external threats, including privilege escalation, lateral movement, and data exfiltration. Graduates will be equipped to proactively defend their organizations against advanced AD attacks and enhance their overall security posture.

Introduction

Active Directory (AD) remains the cornerstone of identity and access management for countless organizations worldwide. However, its complexity and ubiquity also make it a prime target for attackers. Kerberos, the primary authentication protocol used by AD, is particularly susceptible to exploitation if not properly configured and monitored. This course is designed to provide security professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand, assess, and defend against Active Directory attacks, with a specific focus on Kerberos-related vulnerabilities. Through a combination of theoretical instruction and hands-on labs, participants will gain practical experience in identifying weaknesses, simulating attacks, and implementing effective security measures. The course emphasizes a proactive approach to AD security, enabling participants to anticipate and mitigate potential threats before they can be exploited. By the end of this program, participants will be able to confidently secure AD environments against a wide range of attack vectors, including advanced persistent threats (APTs).

Course Outcomes

• Understand the fundamentals of Active Directory and Kerberos authentication.
• Identify common Active Directory security vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
• Execute and defend against Kerberos-based attacks, including Golden and Silver Ticket attacks.
• Implement robust security measures to protect Active Directory environments.
• Monitor Active Directory for suspicious activity and potential security breaches.
• Develop incident response plans for Active Directory security incidents.
• Enhance overall security posture by proactively addressing Active Directory vulnerabilities.

Training Methodologies

• Interactive lectures and discussions.
• Hands-on labs simulating real-world attack scenarios.
• Case study analysis of historical Active Directory breaches.
• Practical exercises in vulnerability assessment and penetration testing.
• Group projects focused on designing and implementing security solutions.
• Live demonstrations of attack techniques and defense strategies.
• Q&A sessions with experienced security professionals.

Benefits to Participants

• Enhanced understanding of Active Directory security principles and best practices.
• Improved ability to identify and mitigate Active Directory vulnerabilities.
• Hands-on experience with attack and defense techniques.
• Increased confidence in securing Active Directory environments.
• Valuable skills that are in high demand in the cybersecurity industry.
• Career advancement opportunities in security roles.
• Certification recognizing expertise in Active Directory security.

Benefits to Sending Organization

• Reduced risk of Active Directory security breaches and data loss.
• Improved compliance with industry regulations and security standards.
• Enhanced security posture and resilience against cyberattacks.
• More effective incident response capabilities.
• Increased employee productivity due to reduced downtime from security incidents.
• Better protection of sensitive data and intellectual property.
• Enhanced reputation and customer trust.

Target Participants

• System Administrators
• Security Engineers
• IT Auditors
• Penetration Testers
• Incident Responders
• Security Architects
• Identity and Access Management Specialists

Week 1: Active Directory and Kerberos Fundamentals

Module 1: Active Directory Architecture and Concepts

1. Introduction to Active Directory domains, forests, and trusts.
2. Understanding Organizational Units (OUs) and Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
3. Active Directory schema and naming conventions.
4. Domain Controllers and their roles.
5. Active Directory replication and site topology.
6. Active Directory security principles.
7. Lab: Setting up a basic Active Directory environment.

Module 2: Kerberos Authentication Protocol

1. Kerberos concepts: Principals, realms, and Key Distribution Centers (KDCs).
2. The Kerberos authentication process: AS_REQ, AS_REP, TGS_REQ, TGS_REP, AP_REQ, AP_REP.
3. Kerberos tickets and their components.
4. Delegation and constrained delegation.
5. Kerberos encryption types and their security implications.
6. Kerberos configuration and troubleshooting.
7. Lab: Analyzing Kerberos traffic with Wireshark.

Module 3: Active Directory Security Vulnerabilities

1. Common Active Directory misconfigurations.
2. Weak passwords and password policies.
3. Unconstrained delegation and its risks.
4. ACL vulnerabilities and privilege escalation.
5. Group Policy vulnerabilities.
6. Insecure service accounts.
7. Lab: Identifying Active Directory vulnerabilities with BloodHound.

Module 4: Attacking Kerberos – Reconnaissance and Initial Access

1. Enumerating Active Directory with tools like PowerView and ADFind.
2. Discovering privileged accounts and groups.
3. Identifying vulnerable systems and services.
4. Exploiting weak passwords with password spraying and brute-force attacks.
5. Leveraging Kerberos for initial access.
6. Setting up persistence in Active Directory.
7. Lab: Performing Active Directory reconnaissance with PowerView.

Module 5: Attacking Kerberos – Privilege Escalation

1. Exploiting unconstrained delegation for privilege escalation.
2. Abusing ACLs to gain elevated privileges.
3. Leveraging Group Policy for privilege escalation.
4. Exploiting vulnerable service accounts.
5. Performing Kerberoasting attacks to crack service account passwords.
6. Abusing shadow credentials.
7. Lab: Exploiting Kerberos vulnerabilities for privilege escalation.

Week 2: Advanced Attacks, Defenses, and Incident Response

Module 6: Advanced Kerberos Attacks – Golden and Silver Tickets

1. Understanding Golden Ticket attacks and their impact.
2. Creating Golden Tickets with Mimikatz.
3. Defending against Golden Ticket attacks.
4. Understanding Silver Ticket attacks and their impact.
5. Creating Silver Tickets with Mimikatz.
6. Defending against Silver Ticket attacks.
7. Lab: Performing Golden and Silver Ticket attacks.

Module 7: Lateral Movement in Active Directory

1. Understanding lateral movement techniques.
2. Using Pass-the-Hash (PtH) and Pass-the-Ticket (PtT) attacks.
3. Leveraging WMI and PowerShell for lateral movement.
4. Exploiting trust relationships for cross-domain attacks.
5. Using tools like BloodHound to map attack paths.
6. Implementing lateral movement detection and prevention strategies.
7. Lab: Performing lateral movement with Mimikatz and PowerShell.

Module 8: Defending Active Directory – Hardening and Monitoring

1. Implementing strong password policies and account lockout policies.
2. Enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA).
3. Hardening Domain Controllers and member servers.
4. Implementing Privileged Access Management (PAM).
5. Monitoring Active Directory for suspicious activity.
6. Using Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems for log analysis.
7. Lab: Configuring advanced security settings in Active Directory.

Module 9: Detecting and Preventing Kerberos Attacks

1. Detecting Golden and Silver Ticket attacks.
2. Monitoring Kerberos traffic for anomalies.
3. Using honeypots to detect attackers.
4. Implementing Kerberos auditing and logging.
5. Using Advanced Threat Analytics (ATA) and Azure ATP for threat detection.
6. Implementing Least Privilege Administrative Model.
7. Lab: Setting up Kerberos auditing and monitoring.

Module 10: Active Directory Incident Response and Recovery

1. Developing an Active Directory incident response plan.
2. Identifying and containing security breaches.
3. Performing forensic analysis of Active Directory attacks.
4. Recovering from Active Directory corruption and data loss.
5. Restoring Domain Controllers from backups.
6. Implementing business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
7. Case Study: Analysing real-world Active Directory attacks.

Action Plan for Implementation

1. Conduct a comprehensive Active Directory security assessment.
2. Prioritize and remediate identified vulnerabilities.
3. Implement robust security measures, including strong passwords, MFA, and PAM.
4. Configure Active Directory auditing and monitoring.
5. Develop an incident response plan for Active Directory security incidents.
6. Train employees on Active Directory security best practices.
7. Regularly review and update Active Directory security policies and procedures.