How to reset Active Directory domain passwords
The following is a comparison between resetting Active Directory domain passwords using Windows PowerShell and ADSelfService Plus:
With PowerShell
- Reset a password for a user account using a distinguished name
Executing this code will reset the password for a single user by their distinguished name.Set-ADAccountPassword -Identity 'CN=John Smith,OU=Accounts,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com' -Reset -NewPassword (ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText "password@123" -Force)
Copied - Reset passwords for users by OU and group membership.
Not supported.
With ADSelfService Plus
- For users: Self-service password reset, i.e., password reset without admin intervention
- Go to ADSelfService Plus admin portal.
- Navigate to Configuration > Self-Service > Policy Configuration.
- Select Password Reset.
- Click Select OUs/Groups to granularly select which set of users need to be empowered with self-service account unlock feature.
- Click Save.
- For admins: Reset all users in a domain
- Go to ADSelfService Plus admin portal.
- Navigate to Configuration > Self-Service > Policy Configuration > Advanced.
- Enable Automatically resets domain user' password in your domain.
- Click Save.
What are the limitations of using Windows PowerShell to reset passwords?
- Doesn't allow end-users to reset their forgotten passwords on their own from their Windows login screen or their mobile phones.
- It doesn't allow admins enable self-service password reset based on OU and group memberships.
- Creating multiple automatic password reset schedulers for different set of users is a highly laborious process. Also, there's always a possibility of admin privilege exploitation if not maintained properly.
Benefits of ADSelfService Plus
- Self-service password reset (SSPR):
With ADSelfService Plus, users can reset their passwords from:
- The logon screens of their Windows, Linux, or macOS machines.
- Web browsers by accessing the ADSelfService Plus portal, which can be configured to be accessed through all major web browsers.
- Their mobile devices by accessing the ADSelfService Plus iOS or Android mobile app or mobile site.
- Their private networks, even remotely. Furthermore resetting their passwords, ADSelfService Plus also lets users update their cached credentials.
- Improves ROI
Enables users to perform self-service password reset and reduces IT expense.
- Improves IT security
Supports advanced multi-factor authentication techniques like biometrics and YubiKey to secure self-service password resets and account unlocks.
- Universal enforcement
Admins can enforce the self-service password reset feature for users' Active Directory and cloud account.
- Improves user experience
Zero wait time as it allows users to reset Azure AD passwords, from anywhere, at any time.