# Windows and Active Directory Security Fundamentals Course Canonical URL: ## Overview 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. ## What you'll learn - 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. ## Curriculum #### 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. ## Schedule - Mar 15, 2027 – Mar 16, 2027 — Live Online - Jun 9, 2027 – Jun 10, 2027 — Live Online - Aug 30, 2027 – Aug 31, 2027 — Live Online ## Pricing **Tuition:** $1049