Windows Local Administrator Password Management

🔒 Secure Bits 💡
How do you manage 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 accounts?

Are they the 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?
Stored in a text file or 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁?
Let’s be honest — there are better (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿) ways to handle this.

If you’re running 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗗 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, you could be using 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗟𝗔𝗣𝗦 (Local Administrator Password Solution) from Microsoft:
✔️ Automatically rotates local admin passwords
✔️ Stores them in Active Directory
🔸 Protected just with ACL, can be intercepted in the network
✔️ Requires schema extension + AD permissions
✔️ Simple PowerShell + client-side install

💡 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀?
Then meet the New LAPS — built into Windows 10+ and Windows Server 2019+ (at least April 2023 update).
No extra client needed. Just a schema update, permissions, and PowerShell.

𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:
✔️ Encrypted password storage in AD
✔️ Azure AD backup support
✔️ Password history
✔️ Post-authentication actions (e.g., force logoff)
✔️ Custom password complexity (omit special chars, etc.)

💡 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀?
Let’s say you manage multiple OS platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) or multiple local accounts — then you’ll likely need something more advanced.

Recently, I spoke with Sanjay Jadvani from Synergix Labs about their solution SEVA.
Think of it as lightweight PAM — packed with features but without the bulk.

𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗔 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
✔️ Password rotation for local accounts across Windows, Unix, and macOS
✔️ Open API
🔹Integrate with ServiceNOW and other ITSM platforms
✔️ Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
🔹 Even supports Tiering Model
🔹 Conditional Access available
✔️ Centralized management console
✔️ Flexible integrations (IdP agnostic)

🚨 No matter your size or complexity — 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 to manage local account passwords. They exist by default across all systems, and shared passwords are a lateral movement jackpot for attackers.

💬 What are you using today to manage local admin passwords in your environment?