If you've ever stared at your SIEM dashboard at 2 a.m. wondering "What fresh hell is this?" - this book is for you.
Active Directory is the most targeted system in your enterprise. And if you're responsible for defending it, you know the stakes: one compromised account, one lateral move, one persistence mechanism you missed - and it's game over.
This isn't another dry cybersecurity manual. It's a hands-on, story-driven field guide written by Mikhailen Vostorov, a veteran of too many late-night incident responses. This book bridges the gap between red-team chaos and blue-team sanity, showing you how to detect, respond, and harden AD against the attacks that actually happen in the wild.
WHAT YOU'LL MASTER:
Detection Engineering That Works: Translate real attacker techniques - Kerberos abuse, NTLM relay, ACL manipulation - into effective detection logic that catches threats before they spread.
Log Collection That Matters: Stop drowning in noise. Learn which Windows events, authentication telemetry, and DNS data actually matter for detection.
SIEM Mastery: Ingest, normalize, and enrich data so your alerts make sense - and stop crying wolf every 30 seconds.
Threat Hunting Like a Detective: Build hypotheses, correlate events, and use tools like BloodHound to uncover hidden attack paths lurking in your environment.
EDR Configuration for AD: Configure endpoint sensors to capture the telemetry you need and contain threats before they move laterally.
Hardening for the Long Game: Secure service accounts, lock down Group Policy, rotate KRBTGT keys, and implement privilege tiers that actually protect your crown jewels.
Incident Response Playbooks: Calm, tested procedures for handling real-world compromises without taking down production.
Cloud and Hybrid Defense: Detect identity abuse, token misuse, and app-consent attacks in Azure AD and hybrid environments.
Automation Done Right: Use SOAR and orchestration safely - so your scripts save time instead of breaking your domain.
Every chapter ends with practical takeaways, example SIEM queries, and templates you can implement immediately. The Appendix is your secret stash of tools, scripts, and detection rules for triage, hunting, and incident response.
WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR:
- SOC Analysts and Threat Hunters building detection capabilities
- Incident Responders handling AD compromises
- Security Engineers designing defensive controls
- System Administrators protecting Active Directory
- Red Teamers who want to understand the defensive perspective
- Anyone preparing for a career in identity security and detection
PART OF THE "ACTIVE DIRECTORY EXPLOITED" SERIES
This book is one volume in the definitive multi-book collection covering every aspect of AD security - from architecture to attack to defense. Whether you're learning the fundamentals, mastering offensive techniques, or building defensive capabilities, this series has you covered.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK
Because it's written by someone who's been in your chair - staring at event logs, balancing risk with uptime, and occasionally wondering if landscaping would've been easier. It doesn't just tell you what to do; it tells you why it matters and how to do it without losing your mind.
You'll laugh, you'll learn, and you'll finish with confidence - the kind that comes from understanding both how attackers think and how defenders win.
Defending Active Directory isn't about being perfect; it's about being prepared, persistent, and a little bit paranoid in the right direction.
So keep learning, keep experimenting, and when things go wrong (because they always do), remember - you're not alone. You've got this.
