Welcome! If you're here, you probably manage or work with an Active Directory environment.

Active Directory is a complex system and can be difficult to navigate. To help you out, we've created this glossary of terms to help you understand the ins and outs of Active Directory security.

In this glossary you'll find a list of the most common Active Directory security terms, defined in plain, easy-to-understand language. So, whether you're a seasoned IT professional, new to Active Directory, or just researching, you'll find the words you need to know here.

• Active Directory Backup
• Active Directory User
• Active Directory default security settings
• Active Directory Web Services (ADWS)
• Administrative account
• Administrative permissions
• Administrative users
• AD vulnerability patching
• Authentication
• Authorization
• Domain
• Domain Tree
• Endpoints
• Enterprise admins
• Forest
• FQDN – Fully Qualified Domain Name
• FSMO
• Functional Levels
• Group permissions
• Insider threat
• Lateral movement
• LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
• Least privilege

• Local administrative account
• Local computer
• Local directory and services
• Local system account
• Network
• Objects
• Overprivileged service accounts
• Passwords and credentials
• Privilege escalation
• Privileged Access
• Privileged access group
• Remote desktop
• Schema admin
• Security groups
• Shared credentials
• Spear phishing
• Unauthorized access attempt
• User Account
• User deprovisioning
• User permissions
• User provisioning & overprovisioning
• Windows devices
• Windows domain administrators