How to Audit Password Changes in Active Directory

Today’s admins certainly have plenty on their plates, and boosting ecosystem security remains a top priority. On-premises, and especially remote, accounts are gateways for accessing critical information.

Password management makes this possible. After all, authentication should ensure that a user is whom they claim to be. This initial layer of security is crucial for protecting one’s entire infrastructure.

Unfortunately, the personal nature of passwords has its shortcomings. Passwords are easily forgotten. They may also be too simplistic; many companies don’t enforce stringent password-creation requirements. This is where the Active Directory Password Policy comes in.

Additionally, the following is achievable:

• Changing user passwords
• Recording password changes and storing them within a history log

Active Directory accounts for any impactful changes across user accounts. We’ll assess why and how administrators might leverage these core features.

Why change user passwords?

We’ve touched on the most innocuous reason for many password changes: forgetfulness. Users might fail to remember login credentials for a number of reasons. Following verification (or a quick help desk chat),…