Edit

Security assessment: Microsoft LAPS usage

  • Article

What is Microsoft LAPS?

Microsoft's "Local Administrator Password Solution" (LAPS) provides management of local administrator account passwords for domain-joined computers. Passwords are randomized and stored in Active Directory (AD), protected by ACLs, so only eligible users can read it or request its reset.

This security assessment supports legacy Microsoft LAPS only.

What risk does not implementing LAPS pose to an organization?

LAPS provides a solution to the issue of using a common local account with an identical password on every computer in a domain. LAPS resolves this issue by setting a different, rotated random password for the common local administrator account on every computer in the domain.

LAPS simplifies password management while helping customers implement more recommended defenses against cyberattacks. In particular, the solution mitigates the risk of lateral escalation that results when customers use the same administrative local account and password combination on their computers. LAPS stores the password for each computer's local administrator account in AD, secured in a confidential attribute in the computer's corresponding AD object. The computer can update its own password data in AD, and domain administrators can grant read access to authorized users or groups, such as workstation helpdesk administrators.

How do I use this security assessment?

  1. Review the recommended action at https://security.microsoft.com/securescore?viewid=actions to discover which of your domains have some (or all) compatible Windows devices that aren't protected by LAPS, or that haven't had their LAPS managed password changed in the last 60 days.

    See which domains have devices unprotected by LAPS.

  2. For domains that are partially protected, select the relevant row to view the list of devices not protected by LAPS in that domain.

    Select domain with devices unprotected by LAPS.

    Note

    If the entire domain is not protected with LAPS, you won't see the list of all the unprotected devices.

  3. Take appropriate action on those devices by downloading, installing and configuring or troubleshooting Microsoft LAPS using the documentation provided in the download.

    Remediate devices unprotected by LAPS.

Note

While assessments are updated in near real time, scores and statuses are updated every 24 hours. While the list of impacted entities is updated within a few minutes of your implementing the recommendations, the status may still take time until it's marked as Completed.

See also