How to clean up Active Directory with IAM

Over time, Active Directory can become cluttered with unused accounts, outdated security groups, and excessive permissions. Identity and Access Management (IAM) helps you clean up Active Directory, reduce security risks, and maintain control over time.

1. Get an overview of your AD

The first step to regaining control is understanding what’s in your Active Directory (AD). By connecting an IAM system to your AD with read-only access, you can generate detailed reports showing all the accounts, groups, and other resources within your domain.

Many organizations today operate hybrid identity environments that combine Active Directory with Microsoft Entra ID. To gain a complete overview of users, identities, and access. Cloudie illustration

2. Start the cleanup process

With your overview in hand, it’s time to start cleaning up. Here’s how:

Account cleanup

Begin by identifying who is responsible for each account, especially privileged and service accounts. This is crucial because unmonitored accounts are a significant security risk. If you find accounts that aren’t being used, don’t rush to delete them. Start by deactivating them and see if anyone notices. This cautious approach helps ensure you don’t accidentally delete an account that’s still needed, perhaps for an annual task.

An IAM system can help streamline this process significantly. By granting it write access to your AD, much of the work can be automated.

Security group cleanup

Over time, most organizations accumulate a lot of security groups in their AD. Some might be used for critical security purposes, while others might be more trivial. Cleaning these up is vital because an attacker could potentially exploit an unused group to gain higher privileges.

An IAM solution provides visibility into security groups, making it easier to identify unused groups, review memberships, and remove unnecessary access. As you clean up, consider creating new, more specific groups and gradually phasing out outdated ones. If your IAM solution has write access, much of this work can be automated.

3. Approach cleanup as a project

Cleaning up your AD isn’t something you can do overnight. It’s a significant project that might take months or even years, depending on the size of your organization and the extent of the issues.

For companies with in-house IAM and AD experts, this can be managed internally, but many companies find it beneficial to partner with experts who have experience with these kinds of projects.

4. Keep your AD clean with IAM

Once you’ve invested the time and effort to clean up your Active Directory, it’s crucial to keep it that way.

A well-maintained AD not only enhances security but also ensures that your organization remains compliant with industry standards and regulations. It's where your IAM system truly shines.

Establishing formal processes

Your IAM system can help enforce these processes automatically. When a new employee joins, IAM ensures their account is created correctly with the right permissions. When someone leaves, it can automatically deactivate their account to prevent orphaned accounts.

Automating Identity Lifecycle Management

IAM systems can automate the entire identity lifecycle, adjusting access rights as employees change roles within the company. This automation ensures that permissions are always up-to-date, reducing the workload on IT and enhancing security by eliminating outdated access.

Regular access reviews and audits

Ongoing access reviews are crucial for maintaining AD security. Your IAM system can schedule these reviews automatically, ensuring that only the right people have access to sensitive data. It also provides detailed audit trails for compliance purposes, making it easier to meet regulatory requirements.

Empowering employees with self-service

Most IAM systems include self-service features that allow employees to request access on their own. This reduces IT workload and speeds up access approvals while maintaining security through automated workflows and approvals.

Continuous monitoring and automated response

Modern IAM solutions continuously monitor identities and access. Suspicious activity can automatically trigger alerts, require additional authentication, or temporarily block access until the risk has been assessed.
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Secure your AD for the future

Cleaning up Active Directory is only the first step. Maintaining accurate identity data, removing unnecessary access, and automating identity lifecycle processes help organizations reduce security risks and keep Active Directory secure over time.