Active Directory - Password Policies


Master Password Policies in Active Directory


Password security is one of the most critical aspects of securing Active Directory, yet many IT professionals struggle with understanding how password policies actually work. A misconfigured policy can lead to weak security, increased attack risks, and compliance failures.

In this course, we explore password policies in Active Directory, including how to properly configure them, align with industry standards (CIS, NIST, Cybersecurity regulations and laws), and ensure compliance. We also cover the limitations of traditional GPO-based password policies and introduce Fine-Grained Password Policies (FGPP) for organizations needing multiple policies for different users or groups.

What You’ll Learn:
Understand how Active Directory enforces password policies and how they impact security.
Learn the difference between GPO-based policies and Fine-Grained Password Policies (FGPP) for granular control.
Explore security baselines from CIS, NIST, and cybersecurity regulations and laws to align your policies with best practices.
Configure password length, expiration, complexity, and lockout policies effectively to prevent credential-based attacks.

This course is essential for IT admins, security professionals, and Windows engineers looking to enhance Active Directory security and implement password policies correctly.

Expand Your Knowledge – Check out our other security courses and free resources (guides, vulnerability scanner, learning path, newsletter, ..., ) to further strengthen your Windows infrastructure!

Course Curriculum

Want to go deeper? Check out our full Windows Infrastructure Security Course.