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Hardening Active Directory for a large Nordic bank

ANZR supported a large Nordic bank in hardening and tiering its Active Directory, a critical identity platform for financial backend systems. The engagement combined threat modeling, secure architecture and lifecycle management, and development of tooling to strengthen resilience against APT threats without disrupting business operations.

In Short

A major Nordic bank operating critical financial backend systems where Active Directory is a core identity platform.
Hardening
Architecture
Design
Active Directory
Technical Project Management
Lifecycle Management

The Challenge

Reducing identity-related attack paths

Active Directory served as a core identity platform for critical banking systems. Over time, complexity and legacy configurations increased the attack surface. The client needed to reduce identity-related risk while ensuring business continuity and avoiding disruption to core financial services.

The Solution

Hardened and tiered Active Directory architecture

ANZR designed and implemented a hardened, tiered Active Directory architecture aligned with modern security principles and banking requirements. The work included threat modeling, architectural redesign, lifecycle management, and development of tooling for continuous verifications of integrity and operational controls. Administrative access was restructured to reduce attack paths and lateral movement while maintaining business continuity. The solution strengthened identity security without disrupting critical banking operations or dependent systems.

  • Threat-informed identity architecture
  • Tiered administrative model
  • Minimal impact on business operations
  • Strong lifecycle and access control discipline

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