User Account Management involves implementing and enforcing policies for the lifecycle of user accounts, including creation, modification, and deactivation. Proper account management reduces the attack surface by limiting unauthorized access, managing account privileges, and ensuring accounts are used according to organizational policies.

• Implementation: Assign users only the minimum permissions required to perform their job functions. Regularly audit accounts to ensure no excess permissions are granted.
• Use Case: Reduces the risk of privilege escalation by ensuring accounts cannot perform unauthorized actions. Implementing Strong Password Policies.
• Implementation: Enforce password complexity requirements (e.g., length, character types). Require password expiration every 90 days and disallow password reuse.
• Use Case: Prevents adversaries from gaining unauthorized access through password guessing or brute force attacks. Managing Dormant and Orphaned Accounts.
• Implementation: Implement automated workflows to disable accounts after a set period of inactivity (e.g., 30 days). Remove orphaned accounts (e.g., accounts without an assigned owner) during regular account audits.
• Use Case: Eliminates dormant accounts that could be exploited by attackers. Account Lockout Policies.
• Implementation: Configure account lockout thresholds (e.g., lock accounts after five failed login attempts). Set lockout durations to a minimum of 15 minutes.
• Use Case: Mitigates automated attack techniques that rely on repeated login attempts. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for High-Risk Accounts.
• Implementation: Require MFA for all administrative accounts and high-risk users. Use MFA mechanisms like hardware tokens, authenticator apps, or biometrics.
• Use Case: Prevents unauthorized access, even if credentials are stolen. Restricting Interactive Logins.
• Implementation: Restrict interactive logins for privileged accounts to specific secure systems or management consoles. Use group policies to enforce logon restrictions.
• Use Case: Protects sensitive accounts from misuse or exploitation.

• Microsoft Active Directory (AD): Centralized account management and RBAC enforcement.
• Group Policy Object (GPO): Enforce password policies, logon restrictions, and account lockout policies.

• Okta: Centralized user provisioning, MFA, and SSO integration.
• Microsoft Azure Active Directory: Provides advanced account lifecycle management, role-based access, and conditional access policies.

• CyberArk, BeyondTrust, Thycotic: Manage and monitor privileged account usage, enforce session recording, and JIT access.

Auditing is the process of recording activity and systematically reviewing and analyzing the activity and system configurations. The primary purpose of auditing is to detect anomalies and identify potential threats or weaknesses in the environment. Proper auditing configurations can also help to meet compliance requirements.

The process of auditing encompasses regular analysis of user behaviors and system logs in support of proactive security measures. Auditing is applicable to all systems used within an organization, from the front door of a building to accessing a file on a fileserver. It is considered more critical for regulated industries such as, healthcare, finance and government where compliance requirements demand stringent tracking of user and system activates.

• Use Case: Regularly assess system configurations to ensure compliance with organizational security policies.
• Implementation: Use tools to scan for deviations from established benchmarks.

• Use Case: Review file and folder permissions to minimize the risk of unauthorized access or privilege escalation.
• Implementation: Run access reviews to identify users or groups with excessive permissions.

• Use Case: Identify outdated, unsupported, or insecure software that could serve as an attack vector.
• Implementation: Use inventory and vulnerability scanning tools to detect outdated versions and recommend secure alternatives.

• Use Case: Evaluate system and network configurations to ensure secure settings (e.g., disabled SMBv1, enabled MFA).
• Implementation: Implement automated configuration scanning tools like SCAP (Security Content Automation Protocol) to identify non-compliant systems.

• Use Case: Examine network traffic, firewall rules, and endpoint communications to identify unauthorized or insecure connections.
• Implementation: Utilize tools such as Wireshark, or Zeek to monitor and log suspicious network behavior.

Software updates ensure systems are protected against known vulnerabilities by applying patches and upgrades provided by vendors. Regular updates reduce the attack surface and prevent adversaries from exploiting known security gaps. This includes patching operating systems, applications, drivers, and firmware.

• Implementation: Apply the latest Windows security updates monthly using WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) or a similar patch management solution. Configure systems to check for updates automatically and schedule reboots during maintenance windows.
• Use Case: Prevents exploitation of OS vulnerabilities such as privilege escalation or remote code execution. Application Patching.
• Implementation: Monitor Apache's update release notes for security patches addressing vulnerabilities. Schedule updates for off-peak hours to avoid downtime while maintaining security compliance.
• Use Case: Prevents exploitation of web application vulnerabilities, such as those leading to unauthorized access or data breaches. Firmware Updates.
• Implementation: Regularly check the vendor’s website for firmware updates addressing vulnerabilities. Plan for update deployment during scheduled maintenance to minimize business disruption.
• Use Case: Protects against vulnerabilities that adversaries could exploit to gain access to network devices or inject malicious traffic. Emergency Patch Deployment.
• Implementation: Use the emergency patch deployment feature of the organization's patch management tool to apply updates to all affected Exchange servers within 24 hours.
• Use Case: Reduces the risk of exploitation by rapidly addressing critical vulnerabilities. Centralized Patch Management.
• Implementation: Implement a centralized patch management system, such as SCCM or ManageEngine, to automate and track patch deployment across all environments. Generate regular compliance reports to ensure all systems are updated.
• Use Case: Streamlines patching processes and ensures no critical systems are missed.

• WSUS: Manage and deploy Microsoft updates across the organization.
• ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus: Automate patch deployment for OS and third-party apps.
• Ansible: Automate updates across multiple platforms, including Linux and Windows.

• OpenVAS: Open-source vulnerability scanning to identify missing patches.