Active Directory
The latest Active Directory coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Microsoft Details NTLM Phase-Out: Network Default Off After Kerberos Shift
Microsoft has finally provided a concrete, albeit cautious, roadmap for the long-anticipated deprecation of the NT LAN Manager (NTLM) authentication protocol, a cornerstone of Windows security that...
Microsoft's AES-Only Kerberos: Complete Guide to RC4 Decommission & Migration
Microsoft has initiated a critical security overhaul that will fundamentally change how Windows Server environments handle authentication, beginning the phased removal of the vulnerable RC4...
Windows Kerberos RC4 Deprecation Deadline: Complete AES Migration Guide for Active Directory
Microsoft has quietly but deliberately set a firm deadline to end a decades-long compatibility compromise: RC4 (RC4-HMAC) will no longer be the assumed, permissive fallback for Kerberos ticket...
Windows Server 2025 Domain Controller Post-Upgrade Checklist: Essential Steps After Migration
Upgrading domain controllers to Windows Server 2025 represents a significant infrastructure milestone, but the real work begins after the operating system installation completes. While many...
Microsoft-Centric IT Support Roles: Career Paths, Skills & Windows Enterprise Demand
The recent advertisement for a Trainee IT Support Engineer at Tilbury Ports, managed by Forth Ports, highlights a growing trend in enterprise IT: organizations are actively seeking entry-level...
Windows Kerberos Security Overhaul: AES-SHA1 Default, RC4 Disabled by Mid-2026
Microsoft has announced a significant security milestone that will reshape Windows authentication infrastructure for years to come. By mid-2026, domain controllers running Windows Server 2008 and...
Microsoft's Kerberos Security Overhaul: RC4 to AES-SHA1 Default Change Explained
Microsoft is implementing one of the most significant security changes in Windows Server history by flipping the default Kerberos encryption algorithm from the vulnerable RC4 to the more secure...
Microsoft Sets November 2024 as First Phase for Active Directory RC4-to-AES Migration
Microsoft's decision to phase out the RC4 cipher from Active Directory authentication marks a decisive response to decades of risky backward compatibility—but it also forces a hard reckoning for...
Microsoft Eliminates RC4 in Windows Kerberos: New Audit Tools & Security Implications
Microsoft is accelerating its long-standing campaign to eliminate the vulnerable RC4 cipher from Windows authentication systems, implementing concrete detection and remediation tools that will...
Cayosoft Guardian Protector: Free AD & Entra ID Monitoring Solution
Cayosoft has launched Guardian Protector, a groundbreaking free identity monitoring solution designed specifically for organizations managing both Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID...
Terraform JsonADDomainExtension automates Azure VM domain joins with Key Vault security
Terraform's infrastructure as code capabilities have revolutionized how organizations deploy and manage Azure Windows VMs, particularly when it comes to Active Directory domain integration. The...
Active Directory Migration to Windows Server 2025: Complete Guide
Migrating Active Directory to Windows Server 2025 represents one of the most critical infrastructure upgrades organizations will undertake in the coming years. As Microsoft continues to enhance its...