IAM glossary
Tiered Administration Model
Also known as: Tier 0/1/2
Active Directory
The tiered model divides the environment by value: Tier 0 (domain controllers and identity systems), Tier 1 (servers and apps), and Tier 2 (workstations). The core rule is that credentials from a higher tier are never exposed on a lower tier.
Why it matters
It directly defeats the most common path to total compromise: stealing admin credentials cached on a phished workstation. Tiering ensures a workstation breach can't reach the domain controllers.
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