ManageEngine Upgrades AD360 with Enhanced Security Features

ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corporation known for its innovative IT management solutions, has recently announced key enhancements to its AD360 platform. With a focus on improving identity security measures, these updates are particularly relevant in today’s climate of increasing cyber threats.

Enhancements to Identity Management

The latest features introduced by ManageEngine include identity risk exposure management and local user multi-factor authentication (MFA). These enhancements are specifically designed to shield organizations from identity-based cyberattacks, which have become increasingly prevalent.

Identity Risk Exposure Management

One of the standout features is identity risk exposure management, which aims to boost proactive threat detection. This tool enables IT professionals to visualize potential attack paths within an organization’s network. By identifying how malicious actors could escalate privileges or navigate undetected, security teams can uncover vulnerabilities before they are exploited. This approach aligns well with the current move toward the Zero Trust security framework, which emphasizes verification for every user.

The identity risk exposure management solution employs a graph-based analysis that maps lateral movements and privilege escalation within Active Directory. By prioritizing configurations that pose a risk, the tool automatically recommends remediation steps, giving organizations a clear pathway to enhance their security posture.

Local User Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

In addition to the risk exposure management feature, ManageEngine has introduced local user MFA. This feature allows enterprises to deploy robust multi-factor authentication to local accounts, particularly those that often slip through the cracks of central security management. This enhancement addresses a significant vulnerability, as credential abuse remains a primary concern for cybersecurity teams.

Organizations are increasingly realizing that poorly managed local accounts can serve as critical entry points for attackers. According to Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, credential abuse was the initial access method in about 22% of recorded breaches, with many stemming from poorly secured local accounts.

A Shift in Identity Management Paradigms

Manikandan Thangaraj, vice president at ManageEngine, emphasized the importance of these updates, stating, “With this release, ManageEngine AD360 moves beyond traditional identity and access management by embedding identity threat defenses into core identity operations. By turning identity data into actionable security insights, we’re helping customers make IAM the first line of defense, rather than just a check box.”

This transformative perspective marks a significant evolution in identity management, shifting from simply granting access to actively preventing potential security breaches.

Comprehensive Attack Path Analysis

Traditional IAM tools often limit themselves to provisioning and policy enforcement. In contrast, AD360 integrates risk mapping and attack path analysis along with local MFA implementation. This combination empowers enterprises to close off attack paths that might otherwise go unnoticed, supporting a more proactive security environment.

Key Features of the Latest Update

The new capabilities introduced by ManageEngine AD360 include:

• Identity Risk Exposure Management: Utilizing graph-based analysis, this feature maps potential lateral movements and privilege escalation paths in Active Directory, offering real-time recommendations for remediation.

• Local User MFA: This feature extends adaptive multi-factor authentication to local accounts on non-domain-connected servers, effectively combating techniques like credential stuffing and persistence attacks.

• Machine Learning-Driven Access Recommendations: During access provisioning and review cycles, machine learning algorithms analyze user permission patterns and suggest necessary adjustments to ensure least privilege access, minimizing the risk of over-entitlement.

These additions position ManageEngine’s AD360 as a comprehensive solution for organizations aiming to safeguard their digital identities against growing cybersecurity threats. By directly addressing common attack vectors, the upgraded platform equips businesses with more sophisticated and effective security tools.