Established companies
- Old directory, never audited in depth
- Too many service and admin accounts
- Preparing for NIS2 or after an incident
IT Infrastructure & Architecture
Active Directory audit and hardening
Active Directory holds the keys to your information system, and it is the attackers' top target. We audit, segment and harden it without disrupting your business. Available in the Paris region, Lyon, Chambéry, Annecy and Geneva, or remotely anywhere in France and French-speaking Switzerland.
The challenge
Whoever controls the directory controls everything.
In most ransomware attacks, compromising Active Directory is the step that hands the attacker the keys to the whole information system. Years of successive changes often leave over-privileged accounts, forgotten delegations and invisible attack paths.
Securing the directory takes method: understand what exists, segment administration and fix things step by step, without breaking production.
Who it is for
IT environments that grew layer by layer.
Multi-entity groups
- Multiple forests and domains, trust relationships
- Carving out a divested entity or integrating an acquisition
- Harmonising administration practices
Hybrid environments
- Synchronisation with Microsoft Entra ID
- Microsoft 365, Intune, AVD
- Cloud and on-premises identities governed together
Missions
Our Active Directory support
01
Security audit
Review of configuration, privileges, delegations and attack paths to critical accounts.
02
Tiered administration model
Implementing Tier 0-1-2 segmentation: dedicated admin accounts, workstations and servers.
03
Privileged accounts
Reducing rights, service accounts, local admin passwords, monitoring of sensitive groups.
04
IAM, RBAC and automation
Role model, identity lifecycle, access reviews, and scripts (PowerShell, Batch, Bash/shell, Python) to automate administration.
05
Hybrid and Microsoft cloud
Securing Entra ID synchronisation, conditional access, Microsoft 365, Intune and AVD.
06
IT separation and merger
Restructuring multi-entity, multi-site directories with zero service interruption.
Method
How the engagement works
Scoping
Context, production constraints, security stakes.
Audit
Collection, analysis and mapping of attack paths.
Remediation plan
Fixes prioritised by criticality, with impacts identified.
Implementation
Step-by-step rollout with your teams, without service interruption.
Why Axiomata
An architect's experience, not just an auditor's.
Over eight years of hands-on experience as infrastructure architect and CTO, in groups of more than 1,000 employees as well as startups, including complex IT separations and mergers.
We combine this technical expertise with a CISO's governance view: fixes are prioritised by risk and documented for your compliance obligations.
FAQ
Active Directory: your questions
Why is Active Directory a prime target?
Because it centralises authentication and permissions across the whole information system. An attacker who gains domain admin rights can deploy ransomware everywhere.
What is the Tier 0-1-2 model?
It segments administration: tier 0 holds the assets that control the directory, tier 1 servers and applications, tier 2 workstations. An account from one tier is never used on a less trusted tier, which stops an attack from spreading.
Does an audit disrupt production?
No. The audit relies on reading the configuration. Fixes are then planned and rolled out step by step with your teams.
Do you work remotely?
Yes. Much of the work is done remotely, anywhere in France and French-speaking Switzerland, with occasional on-site visits for workshops, committees or crisis management. We work on site in the Paris region, Lyon, Chambéry, Annecy and Geneva.
Do you also cover Entra ID and Microsoft 365?
Yes. Most directories are now hybrid: we address the on-premises directory, Entra ID synchronisation and Microsoft 365 security together.
Related expertise
Go further
Let's talk about your directory.
A first conversation to frame your challenges, with no commitment. We work in the Paris region, Lyon, Chambéry, Annecy and Geneva, and remotely anywhere in France and French-speaking Switzerland, with occasional on-site visits.
Talk to an expert