Hey everyone! I'm new to posting here but have been lurking for a while. I work in a small business where I use PowerShell for various tasks related to Active Directory and M365. In the past, I ran my scripts directly from the domain controller using ISE, but I'm thinking there's a more secure way to handle this. Recently, I set up PowerShell and the Active Directory module on my workstation since I know it's not ideal to install these tools on the domain controller itself. However, when I tried to run `Get-ADUser` from my local PC, I received an authentication error. I was able to enter a remote PowerShell session on the DC using `Enter-PSSession -ComputerName DC01 -Credential (Get-Credential)`, but I faced issues stepping through my scripts because the server couldn't access my local files. I'm looking for suggestions on best practices for doing this work securely and efficiently. How do you manage your PowerShell setup for Active Directory tasks, and what should I try to avoid or implement?
1 Answer
Welcome to the forum! First off, let's agree that accessing the Domain Controllers directly is a big no-no—only do it if absolutely necessary. Regarding your authentication issue, it sounds like you might have been using a local account instead of a domain account. If your workstation is domain-joined and you’re logged in with your domain account, then `Get-ADUser` should work without a hitch. Maybe try running the same commands from another workstation to rule out any issues. Also, I love using VS Code on my workstation; I keep my scripts organized in a `.dotfiles` directory for easy access. For reusable scripts or commands, I compile them all into a module or a long script file. For any command that needs higher permissions like `Set-ADUser`, I typically use `Get-Credential` to pass my admin credentials when needed.
Thanks for the tips! I finally got `Get-ADUser` working by switching to a domain account—total win! Just to clarify, when you use `Get-Credential`, does that credential get cached on the local machine? Is that something to worry about with security?