Understanding Active Directory Trust Relationships: A Deep Dive (2024)

Active Directory (AD) Trust Relationships are a fundamental part of an organization's identity infrastructure, particularly when dealing with multiple domains or forests. They allow users in one domain to access resources in another. Here's a closer look:

1. Types of Trusts: There are several types of trusts in AD, including:

• Two-Way Trust: Two domains trust each other. Users in either domain can access resources in the other.
• One-Way Trust: One domain trusts another, but not vice versa. Users in the trusted domain can access resources in the trusting domain, but not the other way around.
• Transitive Trust: If domain A trusts domain B, and domain B trusts domain C, then domain A trusts domain C.
• Non-Transitive Trust: Trust is limited to the two domains in the trust relationship.
• Forest Trust: A transitive trust between two forests.
• Shortcut Trust: A transitive trust within a forest, created to shorten the trust path in a large and complex domain structure.

1. Trust Direction: Trust direction refers to how authentication requests are passed between domains or forests. It can be one-way or two-way.
2. Trust Transitivity: Trust transitivity refers to whether a trust can be extended beyond the two domains in the trust relationship. It can be transitive or non-transitive.
3. SID Filtering: SID Filtering is a security mechanism used in trusts to prevent a user from being granted rights in a trusting domain for which they do not have permissions. It's crucial to ensure SID Filtering is correctly configured to prevent privilege escalation attacks.
4. Selective Authentication: In a forest trust scenario, Selective Authentication can be used to restrict access to only certain users or groups from the trusted forest.

Understanding and managing AD Trust Relationships is crucial for maintaining security and operational efficiency in a multi-domain or multi-forest environment. It's a complex task that requires careful planning, implementation, and ongoing management.

CionSystems' Active Directory Management Solution can help simplify and automate this task. Book a call