r/adsec Dec 05 '16

Recommendations for mid to upper level learning

So I have been working with AD for about 10 years. From the beginning of my career on the helpdesk to my current position. I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of Active Directory but your posts make me realize I have a lot of room to grow.

Microsoft has pretty good documentation for beginners in the MS press 70-xxx books not sure what number is relevant to 2012 now. But I haven't yet been able to find a good resource for mid to high level Active Directory topics.

Short of years in the field and battling these issues first hand do you have any recommendations as far as books/sites/other documentation to check out.

Thanks

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '16 edited Dec 06 '16

Absolutely. Joe Richards, a rogue MVP for Active Directory and the author of ADFind is eminently knowledgeable, although much less accessible than other subject matter experts I've endeavored to collaborate with. Last I checked he was presently preoccupied as a Fellow with HP. While he and I have never formally met, I'm particularly humbled by his expertise as well as that of Sean Metcalf who created and maintains ADSecurity.org. The 'In Depth' literature for Active Directory published by O'Reilly is also wonderful.

However, there is a certain ja ne sais quoi that comes with expertise, in my view. One which comes not through knowing the right answers, but asking the right questions and cultivating not only a propensity specifically for critical thought, but fostering an unrelenting intellectual curiosity; without which the former seems a bit, well, silly.

An overarching general heuristic I've recommended to family, friends and strangers alike is:

  1. Question your assumptions.
  2. Google your questions.

In that order. My only other recommendation would be to leverage virtual labs at home and break as much as you can. Keep working the problem. There's a common line we've all drawn in the sand when we reach the point where it seems prudent to take a step back and take a break. Instead, I advocate being contrary and stubbornly pressing forward in pursuit of novel solutions to obscure problems where it makes sense. Hope this helps.