Governing Groups is Fundamental
Active Directory user groups simplify network management by enabling administrators to assign access rights to a single group, which then applies the permissions to all members of that group, rather than having to assign them individually. But unless the groups are meticulously maintained and kept current, they quickly become outdated and inaccurate, creating security and compliance risks.
Group Access
Assigning access permissions in Microsoft Active Directory networks is generally done through groups. With access permissions assigned directly to the group object, all the administrator needs to do to assign a user access to a network share or folder containing sensitive information is to make the user a member of a group that has been assigned access. Similarly, restricting access means not including the user in a group that has been assigned access.
Constantly Updating Groups
In a constantly changing world of new business opportunities, technological advancements, updated regulations, and more, organizations need to adapt. This could mean adding new employees, shifting responsibilities, creating new projects, and creating new teams. The challenge is keeping the IT department apprised of these changes so that it can update Active Directory group objects so that the right people have the right access at the right time.
Manual Group Management Problems
Managing group membership manually has inherit problems and even security risks. It is time consuming, prone to human error, and is dependent on the responsiveness of the IT worker. Customized scripts need to be run periodically, are difficult to understand and modify, are susceptible to disruptions, and require on-going maintenance.
Active Directory Group Automation
GroupSymmetry from Condrey Corporation automates membership management of Active Directory security and distribution groups in real time. Policies that you create set the criteria for a user’s inclusion or exclusion in a group including the Active Directory container where the user object must reside and Active Directory attribute settings that the group member must have. You can also specify users to include and exclude.