Create Group Policy Objects
Description
This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough for create group policy objects in a virtual machine homelab environment of Active Directory. The guide includes detailed instructions and screenshots to help users easily navigate the process and successfully set up their Active Directory environment. If you haven't set up an AD homelab yet, you can follow my walkthrough to create one.
Software Used
Network Map
Walk-through:
Go to "Tools" in the top menu of your Active Directory administrative console.
Click on "Group Policy Management" from the drop-down menu.
In the Group Policy Management tool, navigate to "Group Policy Objects" in the left-hand pane.
Right-click on "Group Policy Objects" and select "New" from the context menu.
Enter a name for the new GPO in the "New GPO" dialog box and click "OK".
Right-click on the newly created GPO and select "Edit" from the context menu. This will open the Group Policy Management Editor.
In the Group Policy Management Editor, navigate to "Computer Configuration" to configure policies for computers.
Under "Policies," expand "Administrative Templates," then expand "System," and finally expand "Device installation."
Click on "Device Installation Restrictions" to select it.
In the right-hand pane, double-click on "Prevent installation of removable devices" to open the policy settings.
In the properties window, select the "Enabled" option to enable the policy.
Click "Ok"
In the Group Policy Management tool, navigate to the desired Organizational Unit to which you want to assign the GPO.
Right-click on the OU and select "Link an Existing GPO" from the context menu.
In the "Select GPO" dialog box, choose the GPO that you created earlier for restricting the installation of external devices and click "OK".
Congratulations! Your work is done for now :)
Why you should enable this?
Enabling the Group Policy that restricts external devices can be a valuable cybersecurity measure to prevent unauthorized data exfiltration, mitigate malware risks, reduce the risk of data loss or theft, enhance DLP efforts, and enforce security best practices in an organization's IT environment.
There are more Group Policies that can be implemented to enhance cybersecurity in an organization's IT environment. Some examples of Group Policies for best cybersecurity practices include:
Password Policy: Enforce strong password policies, such as password complexity requirements, password length, and password expiration, to ensure that user accounts are protected against unauthorized access.
Account Lockout Policy: Implement account lockout policies to lock user accounts after a certain number of failed login attempts, helping to prevent brute force attacks and unauthorized access.
Software Restriction Policy: Implement software restriction policies to control the execution of unauthorized or potentially malicious software, preventing the installation or execution of unauthorized software that could introduce security risks.
AppLocker Policy: Use AppLocker policies to control the execution of applications based on specific rules, allowing only approved applications to run and preventing the execution of unauthorized or potentially malicious applications.
These are just a few examples of the numerous Group Policies that can be implemented to enhance cybersecurity practices in an organization's IT environment. It's important to regularly review and update Group Policies to align with the organization's security requirements and best practices, and to keep up-to-date with the latest security threats and recommendations from security experts.