SysOp Service Provides Identity Management Self Service in Active Directory Environments -- THE Journal

SecurityPrivacy

SysOp Service Provides Identity Management Self Service in Active Directory Environments

By Dian Schaffhauser
03/02/09

##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

SysOp Tools is launching a new Web-based service that allows users to manage password changes. Password Reset Pro, which works on Windows domains, provides an identify management portal for Active Directory, allowing users to change or reset passwords and unlock accounts.

"As part of maintaining proper ... infrastructure security, most [organizations] enforce regular password changes on employee logon accounts," said Kurt Lewis, CEO. "The problem with this is employee users rarely know when their password will expire and unexpectedly lose access to resources--often at the most inconvenient times. The employee must then call the IT help desk to have their expired password changed or their locked out account unlocked."

The new service, which can be branded by the user organization, provides administrative auditing to track daily Web portal account activities for regulatory compliance needs. In regards to specific PCI compliance requirements, a reason must be entered by the user when unlocking his or her account via the portal, which is then sent to the administrator in real time and also captured in the daily log. The administrator can also see which domain users haven't enrolled in the portal, reset a user portal ID, and ban accounts from using the portal.

The self service Web portal can be deployed on a non-domain DMZ Web server (extranet), and connects to the internal service server (intranet) via an encrypted port. Port connectivity uses an RSA authentication handshake, and communication between Web portal server and internal service server is blowfish-encrypted. All components can be installed on a single server for use in smaller environments.

All sensitive user data resides in Active Directory only, and portal administration is managed through a separate internal secure application. No user account data or passwords are stored on the Web front end portal server, registry, or extra databases.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Discovery Education Announces Updates to Experience, DreamBox Math

K-12 learning solution provider Discovery Education has announced enhancements to its Discovery Education Experience and DreamBox Math products, designed to create a more personalized, engaging learning experience for students.
Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.
IBM Launches Agentic AI Governance and Security Platform

IBM has introduced a new software stack for enterprise IT teams tasked with managing the complex governance and security challenges posed by autonomous AI systems.
Security Researchers Identify Generative AI 'Vishing' Attack

A new report from researchers at Ontinue's Cyber Defense Center has identified a complex, multi-stage cyber attack that leveraged social engineering, remote access tools, and signed binaries to infiltrate and persist within a target network.