10 Sysvol Permissions Best Practices
Sysvol is an important part of Active Directory, and it's crucial that permissions are set up correctly to avoid security issues. Here are 10 best practices for setting Sysvol permissions.
Sysvol permissions are an important part of any Windows domain. They are used to control access to the Sysvol folder, which contains important system files and scripts. It is important to ensure that the correct permissions are set on the Sysvol folder to ensure that only authorized users can access the files and scripts.
In this article, we will discuss 10 best practices for setting Sysvol permissions. We will discuss how to set the correct permissions, how to audit the permissions, and how to troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
1. Only the Administrators group should have Full Control permission to Sysvol
The Sysvol folder contains important system files and settings that are used by the Windows operating system. If an unauthorized user were to gain access to this folder, they could potentially make changes to these files or settings which could cause serious problems for your network. By limiting Full Control permission to only the Administrators group, you can ensure that only authorized users have access to the Sysvol folder.
2. The Everyone group should not be assigned any permissions to Sysvol
The Everyone group is a special group that includes all users, including anonymous and guest accounts. This means that any user can access the Sysvol folder if they are part of the Everyone group. This could lead to security risks as malicious actors may be able to gain access to sensitive information stored in the Sysvol folder.
To ensure maximum security, it’s best practice to assign only specific groups or individual users with permissions to the Sysvol folder. This way, you can control who has access to the data stored in the Sysvol folder and limit potential security risks.
3. Authenticated Users should only have Read and Execute permission to Sysvol
Sysvol is a shared folder that stores important system information, such as group policy settings and scripts. If authenticated users have write access to sysvol, they can modify or delete critical files, which could lead to serious security issues. By limiting their permissions to read and execute only, you ensure that malicious actors cannot make any changes to the contents of the sysvol folder.
4. Domain Admins should have Modify permission to Sysvol
Sysvol is a shared folder that stores important information about the domain, such as group policies and scripts. If domain admins don’t have modify permission to sysvol, they won’t be able to make changes or updates to the domain’s settings. This could lead to serious security issues if malicious actors were to gain access to the domain.
By giving domain admins modify permission to sysvol, you can ensure that only authorized users are making changes to the domain’s settings. This will help keep your network secure and prevent any unauthorized changes from being made.
5. Enterprise Admins should have Modify permission to Sysvol
Sysvol is a shared folder that stores important information about the domain, such as group policies and scripts. It’s critical to ensure that only authorized users have access to this data. By granting enterprise admins modify permission to sysvol, you can be sure that they are able to make changes to the data stored in the folder if necessary. This helps protect your network from malicious actors who may try to gain access to sensitive information. Additionally, it ensures that any changes made by enterprise admins are properly tracked and logged for auditing purposes.
6. Schema Admins should have Modify permission to Sysvol
Schema admins are responsible for making changes to the Active Directory schema, which is stored in sysvol. Without modify permission, they won’t be able to make any changes to the schema. This could lead to serious problems if a change needs to be made but can’t because of insufficient permissions.
Having modify permission also allows schema admins to back up and restore the schema, as well as troubleshoot any issues that may arise with it. It’s important to ensure that schema admins have this permission so that they can properly manage the Active Directory schema.
7. Group Policy Creator Owners should have Modify permission to Sysvol
Group Policy Creator Owners are responsible for creating and managing Group Policies. Without Modify permission to Sysvol, they won’t be able to create or modify any of the files in the Sysvol folder. This could lead to problems with Group Policy deployment, as well as other issues related to security and access control.
By granting Group Policy Creator Owners Modify permission to Sysvol, you can ensure that they have the necessary permissions to manage Group Policies effectively. This will help keep your network secure and running smoothly.
8. System should have Full Control permission to Sysvol
The system needs to be able to access the Sysvol folder in order to read and write files, as well as create new folders. Without Full Control permission, the system won’t be able to do this, which can lead to errors or even data loss. Additionally, if the system doesn’t have Full Control permission, it could also prevent users from accessing certain files or folders that they need.
By ensuring that the system has Full Control permission to Sysvol, you can ensure that your system is running smoothly and securely.
9. TrustedInstaller should have Full Control permission to Sysvol
TrustedInstaller is a built-in Windows account that has special privileges to install, modify, and remove system components. It’s important that TrustedInstaller have full control over Sysvol because it needs to be able to make changes to the files stored there in order for them to work properly. Without this permission, certain system components may not function correctly or at all.
By ensuring that TrustedInstaller has Full Control permission to Sysvol, you can ensure that your system will remain stable and secure.
10. Local Service should have Read and Execute permission to Sysvol
Local Service is a built-in Windows account that has limited privileges. It’s used by services to access resources on the local computer, and it needs Read and Execute permission to Sysvol in order to function properly. Without this permission, certain services may not be able to start or run correctly.
Therefore, it’s important to make sure that Local Service has Read and Execute permission to Sysvol. This can be done through Group Policy Object (GPO) settings or manually via the Security tab of the Sysvol folder properties.
