AD and authorization audit: Control, compliance and clarity with IDM-Portal
Active Directory (AD) is the central hub of many IT infrastructures. It is where user accounts, groups, and access rights are managed centrally—but this is also where potential security risks lie. Over time, permission structures can become complex and fragmented, often lacking transparency and traceability. What started out as an exception (“Give him access to the project drive for a moment…”) quickly becomes the norm that no one questions anymore. What is often overlooked is that every access means a potential risk.
At this point, the question is: Who has access to what – and why?
Many companies find this difficult to answer. This is exactly where the AD permissions audit comes in. 👉 See how we solve your problem.
Index
Why an authorization audit in AD is essential
A regular AD authorization audit creates transparency. It reveals outdated authorizations and is a must for security standards such as ISO 27001 or KRITIS. It is a structured review of the access rights assigned in Active Directory. The goal is to gain clarity about who has which permissions and whether these access rights are necessary.
Companies must not only ensure that their access rights are correct—they must also be able to prove it. This involves:
🔒 Security: Overprivileged user accounts are security risks for internal and external attacks.
🔎 Transparency: Only those who know what the access structure looks like can identify weak points.
✅ Compliance: External requirements such as GDPR, ISO 27001, BAIT, MaRisk, or KRITIS requirements demand audit-proof proof of authorizations.
📄 Accountability: Who accessed what, when, why, and who approved it?
Particularly in the context of recertification or internal security guidelines, companies must demonstrate in a transparent manner that their access rights are regularly reviewed and adjusted.
A good audit helps with this by:
- Identifying outdated or unnecessary permissions
- Uncovering orphaned user accounts (e.g., former employees)
- Critically review roles and groups
- Identify users with excessive privilegesn
- Provide documentation for external audits (e.g., GDPR, ISO 27001, KRITIS)
Challenges in auditing access rights
An external auditor asks clear questions:
- Is there a structured procedure for assigning and controlling rights?
- Are rights regularly reviewed and documented?
- Can you prove that the current authorizations correspond to the requirements?
- Is there an escalation procedure if something is not approved?
In practice, it is clear that many IT departments have neither the capacity nor the appropriate tools to carry out audits efficiently. Although reports can be generated using standard AD tools, these are often confusing, technically demanding, and not usable by specialist departments.
Yet it is precisely these departments that are in a position to assess whether a particular access is still justified. Without a suitable solution, responsibility is often placed solely on IT—with the risk that decisions will be made that are not correct.
There are often Excel lists, screenshots of AD groups, outdated role descriptions—but usually no clear processes for repeating these regular checks.
Due to the distributed responsibility and the use of a central technology, coordination is often time-consuming and error-prone. Confusing structures such as nested groups or missing naming conventions make it difficult to maintain an overview. In addition, changes are often not documented. This means that there is no evidence when an audit is carried out.
Our solution: FirstWare IDM-Portal
This is exactly where the IDM-Portal comes in. Our IAM solution offers a user-friendly, web-based solution for automated authorization audits in Active Directory – without complicated tools and without in-depth IT knowledge.
How auditing works with the IDM-Portal:
- All authorizations at a glance:
The portal shows at a glance which users have access to which resources – in a clear layout, even for departments without IT expertise.
- Recertification processes:
Responsible parties are automatically notified when permissions need to be checked. With just a few clicks, they can confirm, change, or revoke rights.
- Accountability:
Every change is logged. It is possible to trace who approved or changed what and when at any time – ideal for audits and documentation.
- Role-based work:
Rights can be assigned to clear roles, which improves security.
- Delegation:
Departments take responsibility for their own data areas – without burdening IT.
The FirstWare IDM-Portal is a comprehensive IAM solution that offers added value for your organization. The IDM-Portal focuses on standardization, optimization, and user-friendliness.
Key advantages summarized:
- Easy operation for IT and specialist departments
- Transparent display of all authorizations
- Automated recertification with workflows and reminders
- Audit-proof documentation of every change
- Delegated responsibility: specialist departments check themselves – reducing the workload for IT
- Secure integration into existing AD environments
- Time and resource savings through clearly structured processes
Responsible parties can see at a glance which users have access to which systems, files, or applications—and can decide directly in the system whether these rights should remain in place.
Thanks to automated recertification workflows, deadlines are met, responsibilities are clearly defined, and all changes are logged in a traceable manner. This is particularly advantageous during audits, both internal and external.
A brief comparison: Without vs. with IDM-Portal
|
Topic |
Ohne IDM-Portal |
Mit IDM-Portal |
|
Permission overview |
Manual, often incomplete |
Complete, clear |
|
Participation of the departments |
Complicated or not at all |
Direct, simply in your browser |
|
Documentation of decisions |
Not traceable |
Audit-proof logging |
|
Time required |
High, numerous approvals |
Significantly reduced through automation |
|
Auditability |
Restricted |
Fully auditable |
Conclusion: Implement AD authorization audits easily, securely, and with lasting results
An authorization audit in Active Directory is a central element of corporate security. It ensures that data is only available to those who really need it – and that these decisions are documented and traceable.
Those who rely on reliable processes and clear responsibilities save time, reduce risks – and meet the requirements of auditors.
More about the FirstWare IDM-Portal
FirstWare IDM-Portal by FirstAttribute is an integrated Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution that enables automated user and permissions management, whether on-premises or in the cloud.
This portal integrates all facets of identity and access management and provides centralized access to identity and directory services.
