Guides & best practices
Practical articles on auditing and securing your Microsoft environment — connectors, methodology, misconfigurations and compliance.
Install and customize AdGUARD: from setup to white-label
Step-by-step: install AdGUARD on a workstation (even shared), then make it yours — white-label branding, per-client logos, offline licence, themes.
Read article → MSPThe Active Directory security assessment checklist for MSPs
A repeatable checklist for MSPs running Active Directory security assessments across multiple clients, and how to package it as a service.
Read article → ComplianceHIPAA and Active Directory: auditing the technical safeguards
How the HIPAA Security Rule's technical safeguards map to Active Directory configuration, and how to evidence them.
Read article → ComplianceCMMC and NIST SP 800-171: auditing Microsoft identity for defense contractors
How the access control and authentication requirements of NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC map to Active Directory configuration.
Read article → ComplianceActive Directory security audit for SOC 2 compliance
How a Active Directory security audit produces the technical evidence auditors ask for under SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria CC6 and CC7.
Read article → ComplianceSecurity audits for NIS2 and ISO 27001 compliance
How a Active Directory security audit supports NIS2 and ISO 27001 compliance with defensible, documented evidence.
Read article → SecurityTop 10 Active Directory misconfigurations to fix first
The ten most common and most dangerous Microsoft Active Directory misconfigurations, why they matter, and how to remediate each one.
Read article → MethodologyCustom baselines: adapting the audit to your context
How to build custom baselines in AdGUARD: exclude irrelevant controls, adjust criticality, and make the compliance score reflect your real requirements.
Read article → MethodologyActive Directory audit vs Microsoft Secure Score: the differences
Microsoft Secure Score is useful but limited. Here is how a dedicated Active Directory audit goes deeper, with an action plan Secure Score does not give you.
Read article → MethodologyUnderstanding the weighted compliance score (L1/L2)
Why a weighted compliance score reflects real risk better than a simple pass ratio, and how AdGUARD weights level 1 and level 2 controls.
Read article → MethodologyThe 173 controls explained: CIS, ANSSI, NIST and ISO 27001
How AdGUARD's 173 automated controls map to CIS, ANSSI, NIST and ISO 27001, and why framework alignment makes an audit defensible.
Read article → ConnectorsHow to configure the Active Directory connector: every authentication method explained
Set up the AdGUARD Active Directory connector step by step: automatic provisioning, certificate vs client secret, and the read-only Graph permissions required.
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