Active Directory is the heart of many IT infrastructures – but in many companies, the structures that have grown over time resemble a “digital spaghetti plate” rather than a properly maintained directory.
The webinar focused on typical challenges in managing groups, permissions, and responsibilities. The resulting security risks, inefficient administrative processes, and a lack of oversight.
In the product webinar on April 1, 2025, CEO Thomas Gomell demonstrated how companies can use migRaven to specifically analyze their AD structures, build streamlined group structures, and thus create the basis for IT security and efficient authorization management.
Watch the webinar recording now
Watch the full webinar now – or use the table of contents to jump directly to the chapters relevant to you:
The webinar at a glance: Starting point, goal & solution
The webinar on 1 April 2025 was entitled “AD Clean-up: The Foundation of Secure IT” and was aimed at IT administrators and decision-makers who are confronted with complex, often chaotic Active Directory (AD) structures. Thomas Gomell, Managing Director and Architect at migRaven, vividly demonstrated why unstructured AD environments pose a high security risk – and how to systematically clean them up.
Central question: Why an AD clean-up is so important
AD structures typically grow unchecked over years: Groups are created, nested, renamed, or no longer used at all – without central control or accountability. The result: a "plate of spaghetti," as Gomell calls it – confusing, inefficient, and highly risky.
A typical practical example: Due to indirect group nesting, a user can inadvertently obtain domain admin rights – without anyone noticing. This is precisely where AD Clean-up comes in: Make structures visible, identify problems, eliminate risks.
How migRaven helps with cleanup
The presented solution consists of a multi-stage analysis and cleanup process:
- Structural analysis via dashboard: The migRaven dashboard identifies deeply nested groups, orphaned objects, and duplicate memberships – even in large ADs with 100.000+ objects.
- Heatmaps & Machine Learning: Visualizations such as the 3D data heatmap help to quickly locate unused data and deep structures.
- Structural specifications & prefix concepts: A consistent naming concept (e.g. “FS_”, “DMS_”, “SEC_”) makes groups clearly classifiable.
- Safe dismantling mechanisms: Changes can be undone if necessary, which minimizes the risk.
Practical benefits: safety, efficiency and overview
A tidy AD not only increases security but also the efficiency of IT administration:
- Fewer attack vectors: Clear group structures prevent unauthorized access from going undetected.
- Relief for IAM systems: Only those who clean up before implementation can implement Identity & Access Management cleanly.
- Transparency for departments: IT decision-makers and data managers can better assign and question authorizations.
The role of the “data owner principle” was particularly emphasized: only those who assign responsibility can manage and recertify authorizations in a targeted manner.
License model and project approach
migRaven is offered as a modular solution – either as a permanent analysis environment or as a temporary project setup with consultant support. Setup typically takes only an hour. The goal is to work with the client to create clarity and work in a structured manner over the long term. not just to clean up once, but to stay clean continuously.
Conclusion
The webinar impressively demonstrated that if you don’t know your AD structures, you can’t protect them.
migRaven offers the necessary transparency and methodology – whether as a precursor to an IAM system or as a standalone solution for greater security and overview in Active Directory.
