Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS)

A Free Must-Have PAM Tool

The Never-ending Challenge

Managing local administrator account passwords on endpoints—whether they are laptops, desktops, VMs, VDIs, or even cloud-hosted instances—remains a constant challenge for IT teams. These local admin accounts present significant risk, as they are often targeted in cyberattacks. In fact, studies show that 70% of cyberattacks are linked to poor management of local admin accounts.

The Problem

Without an automated password management solution, IT administrators are often forced to manage local admin passwords manually. To simplify their job, IT Team use a common password across all systems, creating major security risks:

• Weak Password Security: Static passwords are easy to compromise, giving attackers access to multiple devices.

• Lack of Password Rotation: Without regular password updates, the risk of exploitation increases, and manual rotation is labor-intensive.

• Insider Threats: Shared credentials reduce accountability and can be misused by employees or contractors, with no way to audit usage.

• Compliance Issues: Difficulty in meeting security regulations can expose organizations to legal risks and further security breaches.

• Operational Burden: Manually managing passwords for multiple endpoints is time-consuming and inefficient.

• Greater Breach Impact: A compromised password can lead to lateral movement within the network, potentially exposing sensitive systems.

Centralized Management: The Ideal Solution

To mitigate these risks, IT teams should adopt a centralized, automated tool for managing local admin accounts from Microsoft.  Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) is an ideal choice, especially for organizations using a Windows AD environment or Azure Active Directory. It provides robust local admin password management at no additional cost, leveraging existing infrastructure.

Why Choose Windows LAPS?

Windows LAPS is a simple, cost-effective tool that offers significant security benefits with minimal infrastructure requirements:

• Free for Existing Users: If your organization already uses on-premises AD or Azure AD, Windows LAPS can be deployed without any additional costs.

• Password Management Features: It includes secure password storage, automatic password rotation, and auditing—all within your Active Directory infrastructure.

• Seamless Integration: Windows LAPS integrates with Azure AD and Microsoft Intune (where applicable), though using LAPS itself does not incur any fees.

• Minimal Setup Requirements: All you need is an Active Directory or Azure AD environment with domain-joined Windows clients. Advanced tools like Intune or Unified Endpoint Manager are optional.

Key Benefits

Windows LAPS offers the following features that every IT team should leverage:

• Unique Passwords: Automatically generates a unique, randomly created password for each managed computer.

• Secure Storage: Passwords are securely stored within your AD infrastructure.

• Password Rotation: Passwords are rotated automatically, ensuring they are changed regularly, reducing the risk of password compromise.

• Security Integration: The solution integrates with AD ACLs (Access Control Lists) to provide granular control over password access.

• Attack Mitigation: Helps prevent pass-the-hash attacks and other password-based threats.

• Azure AD Support: Now supports storing passwords securely in Azure AD.

Extensibility Features

For organizations that require advanced functionalities, LAPS offers:

• Custom Password Management: IT admins can view, edit, and update passwords through a web-based LAPS UI.

• Cloud Integration: Seamless integration with Azure AD, Entra ID, and Intune for hybrid cloud environments.

• Audit and Reporting: Enhanced auditing capabilities allow you to track password changes and monitor access to credentials.

Architecture Overview

The architecture of Windows LAPS consists of:

• Active Directory: Stores the passwords for local administrator accounts securely in a confidential attribute of the computer's AD object.

• LAPS Client: Installed on each Windows device, it generates random and complex passwords for the local administrator account.

• Authorized Admins: Can retrieve or modify stored passwords using LAPS tools or custom PowerShell scripts.

• Policy Configuration: Password policies such as length, complexity, and rotation frequency can be centrally managed.

Client-Side Extension Process Flow

1. The LAPS Client reads the attribute ms-Mcs-AdmPwdExpirationTime from the AD object.

2. If the current password has expired, LAPS generates a new one according to the configured criteria.

3. The new password is securely transmitted to AD using Kerberos encryption.

4. LAPS updates the attributes ms-Mcs-AdmPwd and ms-Mcs-AdmPwdExpirationTime to reflect the new password and expiration time.

This secure, automated process minimizes risks while simplifying password management for IT teams.

Final Thoughts

Windows LAPS is a simple, free of cost,  yet powerful solution for managing local administrator passwords. Its ease of deployment, cost-free nature, and seamless integration with existing Microsoft infrastructure make it an essential tool for any IT team looking to improve security and reduce operational burdens.

Useful Links:

• Microsoft Docs - LAPS Windows Server Active Directory

• LAPS Download Link: Download Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS)