Name: Windows and Active Directory Security Fundamentals Course (Self-Paced)
Price: 1049.0 USD
Availability: InStock

This course includes

10 hours of project-based training from experts
Answers from real instructors
Retake for free within 1 year
Verified digital certificate of completion
Learn at an accredited institution
Credits: 1 CPE and 1 CEU

This course is self-paced. For live online or in-person instruction, take Windows and Active Directory Security Fundamentals Course.

Most organizations rely on Windows and Active Directory to manage users, computers, and access, yet many IT professionals learn it informally on the job. This foundational course builds that knowledge from the ground up using annotated screenshots, with no prior administration experience required.

Learners study accounts, domains, and group permissions; Group Policy; Kerberos and NTLM authentication; and endpoint hardening. The course closes by comparing perimeter security with zero trust and reviewing common misconfigurations and privileged account hygiene.

Target Audience

This course is written for IT support staff, junior system administrators, help desk technicians, and security analysts who work with or around Windows and Active Directory environments but have not had formal training in how the security model actually works. It serves both federal and commercial professionals, since the underlying technology is the same in either setting. No prior Windows administration experience is assumed, only basic computer literacy and general familiarity with organizational IT. This course is not for experienced Active Directory administrators or anyone already comfortable with Group Policy design, Kerberos authentication, and privileged account management; those learners should look for a more advanced course.

Tuition

Full Tuition

$1,049
Due before the class starts

This course includes

10 hours of project-based training from experts
Answers from real instructors
Retake for free within 1 year
Verified digital certificate of completion
Learn at an accredited institution
Credits: 1 CPE and 1 CEU

Learning Experience Highlights

Training from government‑experienced instructors

Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.

Specialized for government & DoD

Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.

The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student

Three professionals sit in black chairs with laptops and notebooks, engaged in conversation against a red wall.

Real-world solutions

Directly addressing the day-to-day challenges of federal employees.

125+ departments & agencies served

Your trusted training partner, equipping public service professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact.

100% Online. Start Anytime

24/7 access to our premium course videos and projects.
Industry experts are assigned as your course instructor. Message your instructor with any questions.
Participate in GSUSA online discussion forums — share ideas and receive additional support.
Hands-on quizzes and mini projects to test and reinforce concepts.

Earn a Certificate of Completion

Upon completion of this course, you’ll receive an official certificate testifying to your mastery of the curriculum. We’ll send you a link where you can download your certificate, share it online with your friends, post it to your professional network on LinkedIn, and view all your earned certificates. Congratulations on your achievement!

Shareable on

Sample credential for completion of Windows and Active Directory Security Fundamentals Course (Self-Paced)

A group of adult learners sits in a classroom, smiling and engaged in a government training session.

A government training instructor in a suit gestures while teaching in front of a whiteboard covered with notes and diagrams.

A person in professional attire holds a Graduate School USA folder, symbolizing participation in government training programs.

Windows and Active Directory Security Fundamentals Course (Self-Paced) Curriculum

What You'll Learn at a Glance

Distinguish a local Windows account from a domain account and explain when each applies.
Describe the relationship between an Active Directory domain, tree, and forest.
Navigate Active Directory Users and Computers to locate a specified object.
Apply the principle of least privilege when assigning access through group membership.
Trace nested group membership to determine a user's actual access to a resource.
Explain what a Group Policy Object controls and how policies are linked and inherited.
Interpret a Group Policy Management Console view to determine which policies apply to a user.
Describe how Kerberos and NTLM authentication differ and why both still appear in real environments.
Explain how multifactor authentication strengthens standard Windows authentication.
Identify hardening steps that reduce a Windows endpoint's attack surface.
Compare the traditional perimeter security model to zero trust principles in an Active Directory context.
Identify common Active Directory misconfigurations that create security risk.
Apply privileged account hygiene practices to reduce administrative risk.

Course Syllabus

Download Syllabus PDF

Module 1: Windows Security Fundamentals: Accounts and Local Security

Lessons:
- The Windows Security Model at a Glance
- Local Accounts versus Domain Accounts
- Local Security Policy and Where to Find It
Applied activity: Learners review a screenshot of the Local Security Policy console and identify which setting controls a described security requirement, such as password complexity or account lockout.

Module 2: Introduction to Active Directory: Domains, Forests, and Objects

Lessons:
- What Active Directory Actually Manages
- Domains, Trees, and Forests
- Organizational Units and Directory Objects
- A Guided Look at Active Directory Users and Computers
Applied activity: Learners review a screenshot of an Active Directory Users and Computers console and identify the organizational units, user objects, and computer objects shown, then describe how the structure reflects the organization.

Module 3: Users, Groups, and Permissions in Active Directory

Lessons:
- Creating and Managing User Accounts
- Security Groups versus Distribution Groups
- Nesting Groups and Why It Matters
- Assigning Permissions the Right Way
Applied activity: Learners review a short, described group membership structure, including nested groups, and determine which users end up with access to a sensitive resource, then flag anything that violates least privilege.

Module 4: Group Policy Fundamentals

Lessons:
- What Group Policy Does and Why It Exists
- Group Policy Objects and How They Are Linked
- Reading a Group Policy Management Console Screenshot
- Common Security Settings Managed Through Group Policy
Applied activity: Learners review a screenshot of the Group Policy Management Console showing several linked GPOs and determine, for a described user in a specific organizational unit, which policies apply and in what order.

Module 5: Authentication in Windows and Active Directory

Lessons:
- How Windows Authentication Works, at a Conceptual Level
- Kerberos: The Default Authentication Protocol
- NTLM and Why It Still Matters
- Multifactor Authentication in a Windows Environment
Applied activity: Learners review a short, simplified description of a login event and identify whether Kerberos or NTLM was most likely used, based on the details given.

Module 6: Securing Windows Endpoints: Hardening Basics

Lessons:
- What Hardening Means for a Windows Endpoint
- Patch Management and Why It Cannot Be Skipped
- Reducing the Attack Surface: Unused Services and Software
- Windows Defender and Built-In Security Tools
Applied activity: Learners review a short, described list of services and software running on an endpoint and identify which ones should likely be disabled or removed to reduce attack surface, and why.

Module 7: Zero Trust versus Traditional Perimeter Security

Lessons:
- The Traditional Model: Trust Inside the Perimeter
- Why the Traditional Model Breaks Down
- Zero Trust Principles in a Windows and Active Directory Context
- Comparing the Two Models Side by Side
Applied activity: Learners review a short scenario in which an attacker compromises one workstation and evaluate how far that attacker could move under a traditional, perimeter-trusted model versus a zero trust model applied to the same Active Directory environment.

Module 8: Common Weaknesses and Defensive Best Practices

Lessons:
- Common Active Directory Misconfigurations
- Privileged Account Hygiene
- Building a Defensible Baseline: A Recap
Applied activity: Learners review a short, described Active Directory environment with several common misconfigurations and identify at least three, explaining the risk each one creates.

Group Training

Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.

Complete this form and we’ll get back to you within 1 business hour.

The Fact Is – We’ve Been Government’s Training Partner Since 1921

400+ Courses & Certificates 125+ Federal Agencies Served 200+ Subject-Matter Experts

Installments
	10% non-refundable deposit
$1,049.00	Total You Pay