This week on Dark Rhiino Security’s Security Confidential podcast, Host Manoj Tandon talks to James Potter. James is an Active Directory veteran with nearly 25 years in the field. A native of Detroit, James started his career at the University of Michigan where at the tender age of 17, he helped U of M develop their computer systems. For the next two decades James earned his stripes in consulting with organizations like Ernst & Young and PwC before founding his own company, DSE, in 2019. At DSE, James leads a dynamic group of architects, engineers, and SMEs who help large international organizations secure and modernize their AD infrastructure. He currently resides in the Pacific Northwest where—like a true son of Michigan—he restores old cars in his spare time.  

00:00 Introduction

00:18 Our Guest

01:11 Starting in Active Directory

06:29 Has the security changed on a Jet Database?

08:06 The 3 tiers of security

11:44 What should SMBs do? Compliance vs Security

13:12 When you’re small, you’re the easiest target

16:40 Biggest risks that organizations face

20:02 Why do we still have Active Directory?

23:40 Foundational things that you should be doing

26:44 Escalation of Privileges 

29:55 Asset Inventory: how do you control anything if you don’t know what you have?

40:47 Mergers and acquisitions

43:50 DSE and Connecting with James