Azure: Manage Identity and Access

Manage Identity and Access

Secure users in Azure AD

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Azure AD supports MFA for users to add an extra layer of security to their accounts. This requires users to provide two or more forms of authentication before they can access their accounts.

Conditional Access: Conditional Access policies allow you to set conditions that must be met before a user can access Azure AD or other resources. This can include things like location, device type, or risk level.

Password Policies: You can set password policies for users to ensure that their passwords are strong and not easily guessed. Azure AD also supports passwordless authentication methods like Microsoft Authenticator.

Identity Protection: Azure AD Identity Protection helps detect and prevent identity-based attacks by analyzing user behavior and risk factors.

Privileged Identity Management (PIM): PIM allows you to control and monitor access to privileged roles in Azure AD. You can require approvals for access, set time limits for access, and receive alerts for unusual activity.

Azure AD Connect Health: Azure AD Connect Health provides monitoring and insights into the health of your on-premises Active Directory environment and its synchronization with Azure AD.

Security Reports: Azure AD provides security reports that allow you to monitor and analyze user activity, sign-ins, and other security-related events.

Secure directory groups in Azure AD

Group membership management: It's important to carefully manage group membership in Azure AD. Only assign necessary permissions and access to users who require it.

Group Naming Conventions: Implement a naming convention for your groups that's consistent and easy to understand. This can help prevent confusion and make it easier to manage your groups.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): RBAC can be used to manage access to Azure AD resources. Assign roles to groups based on the access they require, and ensure that roles are reviewed and updated regularly.

Conditional Access policies: Use Conditional Access policies to restrict access to groups based on specific conditions, such as the location or device used to access the resource.

Group Owner management: Ensure that group owners are responsible and trusted individuals who can manage and control group membership effectively. Group owners should be trained and aware of the responsibilities that come with managing groups.

Group Expiration: Implement an expiration policy for groups to ensure that they're reviewed regularly and deactivated if they're no longer required.

Monitor group activity: Monitor group activity regularly to identify and address any unauthorized or unusual behavior.

Recommend when to use external identities

When you need to collaborate with external users: If you need to collaborate with users outside of your organization, such as partners, vendors, or customers, external identities can be useful. You can use Azure AD B2B collaboration to allow external users to access your resources securely.

When you want to reduce administrative overhead: External identities can help reduce administrative overhead by allowing external users to manage their own identities and passwords. This can free up IT resources and reduce the risk of password-related security issues.

When you want to leverage existing identities: If your external users already have existing identities, such as social media accounts or other corporate identities, you can use external identities to allow them to access your resources without creating new accounts.

When you want to provide a better user experience: External identities can help provide a better user experience by allowing external users to use familiar identities to access your resources. This can help reduce friction and increase adoption of your services.

When you want to scale your applications globally: External identities can help you scale your applications globally by allowing users from different regions to access your resources easily. Azure AD supports many external identity providers, which can help you reach a wider audience.

Secure external identities

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Use MFA to ensure that external users provide two or more forms of authentication before they can access your resources. This can help prevent unauthorized access and reduce the risk of account compromises.

Conditional Access: Use Conditional Access policies to restrict access to external users based on specific conditions, such as location, device type, or risk level.

Identity Protection: Azure AD Identity Protection can help detect and prevent identity-based attacks by analyzing user behavior and risk factors. This can help protect your external users and resources from security threats.

Password Policies: Set password policies for external users to ensure that their passwords are strong and not easily guessed. Consider implementing passwordless authentication methods like Microsoft Authenticator to further reduce the risk of password-related security issues.

Guest User Management: Carefully manage guest user accounts in Azure AD. Only assign necessary permissions and access to guest users who require it, and monitor guest user activity regularly.

Audit and Monitor: Regularly audit and monitor external user activity to identify and address any unauthorized or unusual behavior. Azure AD provides security reports that allow you to monitor and analyze user activity, sign-ins, and other security-related events.

Data Protection: Implement appropriate data protection controls to ensure that external users only have access to the data they require. Use Azure AD's Access Review feature to regularly review and update access permissions for external users.

Implement Azure AD Identity Protection

Enable Azure AD Identity Protection: Azure AD Identity Protection is a feature that helps protect user identities and detect identity-based attacks. To use Identity Protection, you'll need to enable it in your Azure AD tenant.

Configure Risk Policies: Azure AD Identity Protection includes pre-defined risk policies that can help you detect and prevent identity-based attacks. Configure these policies based on your organization's security requirements.

Create Custom Policies: You can create custom policies in Azure AD Identity Protection to address specific security scenarios that aren't covered by the pre-defined policies.

Enable User Risk Policy: User Risk Policy helps you detect risky user behavior by analyzing user activity, such as failed sign-ins and risky sign-ins. If a user is deemed risky, you can take action to reduce the risk of a successful attack.

Enable Sign-In Risk Policy: Sign-In Risk Policy helps you detect sign-in attempts that are deemed risky, such as sign-ins from unfamiliar locations or devices. You can configure the policy to block access or require additional authentication if a sign-in attempt is deemed risky.

Use the Azure AD Identity Protection Dashboard: The Identity Protection Dashboard provides a view of the risk posture of your organization and enables you to investigate security events and take appropriate action.

Implement Adaptive Authentication: Adaptive Authentication uses risk-based policies to determine the level of authentication required for a user based on their risk level. You can use this feature to help prevent unauthorized access to your resources.

Manage authentication by using Azure AD

Configure Microsoft Entra Verified ID

Microsoft Entra Verified ID is a service that allows you to issue and verify verifiable credentials. Verifiable credentials are a new type of digital identity that can be used to prove your identity to others. They are more secure and privacy-preserving than traditional forms of identification, such as passwords and security questions.

To configure Microsoft Entra Verified ID, you will need to:

· Create a Microsoft Entra Verified ID tenant.

· Create a verifiable credential issuer.

· Create a verifiable credential verifier.

· Issue a verifiable credential.

· Verify a verifiable credential.

Here are the steps in more detail:

To create a Microsoft Entra Verified ID tenant, you will need to go to the Microsoft Entra Verified ID website and sign in with your Microsoft account.

Once you have created a tenant, you will need to create a verifiable credential issuer. A verifiable credential issuer is a software application that can be used to issue verifiable credentials.

To create a verifiable credential issuer, you will need to use the Microsoft Entra Verified ID SDK. The SDK is available for a variety of programming languages, including Java, Python, and C#.

Once you have created a verifiable credential issuer, you will need to create a verifiable credential verifier. A verifiable credential verifier is a software application that can be used to verify verifiable credentials.

To create a verifiable credential verifier, you will need to use the Microsoft Entra Verified ID SDK.

Once you have created a verifiable credential issuer and a verifiable credential verifier, you can issue and verify verifiable credentials.

To issue a verifiable credential, you will need to use the verifiable credential issuer. The issuer will generate a verifiable credential and then send it to the user.

To verify a verifiable credential, you will need to use the verifiable credential verifier. The verifier will check the signature on the verifiable credential and then verify the contents of the credential.

For more information on how to configure Microsoft Entra Verified ID, please refer to the Microsoft Entra Verified ID documentation.

Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Enable MFA: To use MFA in Azure AD, you need to first enable it for your organization. You can do this in the Azure portal by going to the "Azure Active Directory" section and selecting "Security."

Configure MFA Settings: Once you have enabled MFA, you can configure the settings for your organization. This includes specifying which users are required to use MFA and which authentication methods they can use.

Choose Authentication Methods: Azure AD supports several authentication methods for MFA, including phone call, text message, mobile app notification, and third-party authenticator apps like Microsoft Authenticator.

Educate Users: It's important to educate your users on the importance of MFA and how to use it. Make sure they understand how to set up MFA on their devices and how to use it to verify their identities when accessing your organization's resources.

Monitor Usage: Regularly monitor MFA usage to ensure that your organization's resources are properly protected. Use the Azure AD portal to view MFA usage and manage MFA settings for your users.

Customize Policies: Azure AD allows you to customize MFA policies based on your organization's security requirements. This includes specifying which users are required to use MFA, which authentication methods they can use, and under what circumstances MFA is required.

Test MFA: Before rolling out MFA to your entire organization, it's important to test it thoroughly. Try logging in to a test account and verifying your identity using MFA to make sure it's working properly.

Implement passwordless authentication

Enable Passwordless Authentication: To use passwordless authentication in Azure AD, you need to first enable it for your organization. You can do this in the Azure portal by going to the "Azure Active Directory" section and selecting "Authentication methods."

Choose Authentication Methods: Azure AD supports several passwordless authentication methods, including Windows Hello for Business, Microsoft Authenticator, and FIDO2 security keys.

Educate Users: It's important to educate your users on the importance of passwordless authentication and how to use it. Make sure they understand how to set up passwordless authentication on their devices and how to use it to verify their identities when accessing your organization's resources.

Configure Authentication Methods: Once you have chosen your passwordless authentication methods, you can configure the settings for each method. This includes specifying which users are required to use passwordless authentication and which authentication methods they can use.

Monitor Usage: Regularly monitor passwordless authentication usage to ensure that your organization's resources are properly protected. Use the Azure AD portal to view authentication usage and manage authentication settings for your users.

Customize Policies: Azure AD allows you to customize passwordless authentication policies based on your organization's security requirements. This includes specifying which users are required to use passwordless authentication, which authentication methods they can use, and under what circumstances passwordless authentication is required.

Test Passwordless Authentication: Before rolling out passwordless authentication to your entire organization, it's important to test it thoroughly. Try logging in to a test account and verifying your identity using passwordless authentication to make sure it's working properly.

Implement password protection

Enable Password Protection: To use password protection in Azure AD, you need to first enable it for your organization. You can do this in the Azure portal by going to the "Azure Active Directory" section and selecting "Password protection."

Configure Password Protection Policies: Once you have enabled password protection, you can configure the settings for your organization's password protection policies. This includes specifying the minimum password length, complexity requirements, and password expiration policies.

Educate Users: It's important to educate your users on the importance of strong passwords and how to create them. Make sure they understand the password protection policies in place and how to create passwords that meet those requirements.

Monitor Password Usage: Regularly monitor password usage to ensure that your organization's resources are properly protected. Use the Azure AD portal to view password usage and manage password protection policies for your users.

Customize Password Policies: Azure AD allows you to customize password policies based on your organization's security requirements. This includes specifying the minimum password length, complexity requirements, and password expiration policies.

Test Password Protection: Before rolling out password protection to your entire organization, it's important to test it thoroughly. Try creating test accounts with different password policies to make sure they are working properly.

Implement Additional Security Measures: Password protection is just one part of a comprehensive security strategy. Consider implementing additional security measures, such as multi-factor authentication, to further protect your organization's resources.

Implement single sign-on (SSO)

Enable SSO: To use SSO in Azure AD, you need to first enable it for your organization. You can do this in the Azure portal by going to the "Azure Active Directory" section and selecting "Enterprise applications."

Configure Enterprise Applications: Once you have enabled SSO, you can configure the settings for each enterprise application in your organization. This includes specifying the SSO method and the user sign-in and sign-out URLs.

Add Users: Add users to the enterprise application so they can access it using SSO. You can add users individually or in bulk using a CSV file.

Customize SSO Settings: Azure AD allows you to customize SSO settings based on your organization's security requirements. This includes specifying which users are allowed to use SSO and under what circumstances SSO is required.

Test SSO: Before rolling out SSO to your entire organization, it's important to test it thoroughly. Try logging in to an enterprise application and verifying that SSO is working properly.

Monitor SSO Usage: Regularly monitor SSO usage to ensure that your organization's resources are properly protected. Use the Azure AD portal to view SSO usage and manage SSO settings for your users.

Implement Additional Security Measures: SSO is just one part of a comprehensive security strategy. Consider implementing additional security measures, such as multi-factor authentication, to further protect your organization's resources.

Integrate single sign on (SSO) and identity providers

Identify Identity Providers: Before integrating SSO and identity providers, identify which identity providers you want to use. Azure AD supports a variety of identity providers, including Microsoft accounts, Google, Facebook, and Twitter.

Recommend and enforce modern authentication protocols

Enable Modern Authentication: To use modern authentication in Azure AD, you need to enable it for your organization. This can be done in the Azure portal by going to the "Azure Active Directory" section and selecting "Security."

Recommend Modern Authentication: Once modern authentication is enabled, it's important to recommend its use to your users. Modern authentication protocols, such as OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, provide stronger security and greater flexibility than older protocols like Basic Authentication.

Enforce Modern Authentication: To ensure that your organization's resources are properly protected, it's important to enforce the use of modern authentication protocols. This can be done by creating Conditional Access policies that require the use of modern authentication for specific applications or users.

Monitor Authentication Usage: Regularly monitor authentication usage to ensure that your organization's resources are properly protected. Use the Azure AD portal to view authentication logs and manage authentication settings for your users.

Implement Additional Security Measures: Modern authentication is just one part of a comprehensive security strategy. Consider implementing additional security measures, such as multi-factor authentication and password protection policies, to further protect your organization's resources.

Manage authorization by using Azure AD

Configure Azure role permissions for management groups, subscriptions, resource groups, and resources

Understand Azure RBAC: Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is used to manage access to Azure resources. RBAC allows you to assign roles to users, groups, or applications, which determine their permissions to manage resources.

Identify the Scope of Permissions: Before configuring Azure role permissions, identify the scope of permissions needed. Azure RBAC allows you to assign roles at the management group, subscription, resource group, or resource level.

Assign Built-In Roles: Azure provides a set of built-in roles that can be assigned to users or groups. These roles include Owner, Contributor, Reader, and User Access Administrator, among others. Each role provides a set of permissions that allow users to manage Azure resources.

Create Custom Roles: Azure also allows you to create custom roles with specific permissions tailored to your organization's needs. Custom roles can be created using Azure PowerShell or the Azure portal.

Use Resource Locks: Resource locks can be used to prevent accidental deletion or modification of resources. Resource locks can be applied at the resource group or resource level, and can be configured to be either read-only or delete-protected.

Monitor Role Permissions: Regularly monitor role permissions to ensure that users and groups have the appropriate level of access to Azure resources. Use the Azure portal to view role assignments and audit logs.

Use Azure Policy: Azure Policy can be used to enforce compliance with organizational policies and standards. Azure Policy can be used to enforce specific permissions, such as requiring multi-factor authentication for certain roles.

Assign built-in roles in Azure AD

Understand Azure AD Roles: Azure AD provides a set of built-in roles that can be assigned to users or groups. These roles provide permissions to manage Azure AD resources, such as users, groups, applications, and policies.

Identify the Scope of Permissions: Before assigning Azure AD roles, identify the scope of permissions needed. Azure AD roles can be assigned at the directory, application, or resource level.

Assign Built-In Roles: Azure AD provides a set of built-in roles, such as Global Administrator, User Administrator, Application Administrator, and Helpdesk Administrator, among others. Each role provides a set of permissions that allow users to manage Azure AD resources.

Create Custom Roles: Azure AD also allows you to create custom roles with specific permissions tailored to your organization's needs. Custom roles can be created using Azure AD PowerShell or the Azure portal.

Assign Roles to Users or Groups: Once roles have been created or identified, they can be assigned to users or groups. This can be done using the Azure AD portal or Azure AD PowerShell.

Monitor Role Assignments: Regularly monitor role assignments to ensure that users and groups have the appropriate level of access to Azure AD resources. Use the Azure AD portal to view role assignments and audit logs.

Use Azure AD Privileged Identity Management: Azure AD Privileged Identity Management can be used to manage and monitor access to privileged roles in Azure AD. Azure AD Privileged Identity Management allows you to grant just-in-time access to roles and monitor usage to ensure that privileged access is properly managed.

Assign built-in roles in Azure

Identify the Scope of Permissions: Before assigning Azure roles, identify the scope of permissions needed. Azure roles can be assigned at the management group, subscription, resource group, or resource level.

Assign Built-In Roles: Azure provides a set of built-in roles, such as Owner, Contributor, Reader, and User Access Administrator, among others. Each role provides a set of permissions that allow users to manage Azure resources.

Assign Roles to Users or Groups: Once roles have been created or identified, they can be assigned to users or groups. This can be done using the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI.

Monitor Role Assignments: Regularly monitor role assignments to ensure that users and groups have the appropriate level of access to Azure resources. Use the Azure portal to view role assignments and audit logs.

Create and assign custom roles, including Azure roles and Azure AD roles

Understand the Need for Custom Roles: Custom roles can be created to provide specific permissions tailored to your organization's needs. This can be useful when the built-in roles do not provide the necessary level of access or when you want to restrict access to certain resources.

Identify the Scope of Permissions: Before creating custom roles, identify the scope of permissions needed. Custom roles can be created at the management group, subscription, resource group, or resource level.

Create Custom Roles: Azure provides several options for creating custom roles, including Azure Portal, Azure PowerShell, and Azure CLI. In Azure AD, custom roles can be created using Azure AD PowerShell or the Azure portal.

Define Permissions: When creating custom roles, define the specific permissions required for the role. This can be done using role-based access control (RBAC) definitions, which define the actions that can be performed on resources.

Assign Roles to Users or Groups: Once custom roles have been created, they can be assigned to users or groups. This can be done using the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI.

Implement and manage Microsoft Entra Permissions Management

Microsoft Entra Permissions Management (PPM) is a cloud-based service that helps you manage permissions in your cloud infrastructure. PPM provides a number of features that can help you improve your security posture, including:

Visibility: PPM provides visibility into all permissions assigned to identities, actions, and resources across your cloud infrastructure. This helps you identify potential security risks, such as unused or excessive permissions.

Policy enforcement: PPM can be used to enforce least privilege policies across your cloud infrastructure. This helps you ensure that users only have access to the resources they need.

Remediation: PPM can be used to remediate security risks, such as unused or excessive permissions. This helps you reduce your attack surface and improve your security posture.

To implement and manage Microsoft Entra PPM, you will need to:

Create a PPM tenant: You will need to create a PPM tenant in the Microsoft Entra portal.

Integrate PPM with your cloud infrastructure: You will need to integrate PPM with your cloud infrastructure. This can be done using the PPM SDK or the PPM CLI.

Create policies: You will need to create policies that define the permissions that users should have.

Assign policies to users: You will need to assign policies to users.

Monitor PPM: You will need to monitor PPM to ensure that it is working properly and that it is detecting and remediating security risks.

For more information on how to implement and manage Microsoft Entra PPM, please refer to the Microsoft Entra PPM documentation.

Here are some additional tips for implementing and managing Microsoft Entra PPM:

Start small: Don't try to implement PPM for your entire organization all at once. Start with a small subset of users and resources and then gradually expand your implementation over time.

Get buy-in from stakeholders: It is important to get buy-in from stakeholders before you implement PPM. This will help ensure that you have the support you need to be successful.

Use automation: There are a number of tools that can be used to automate the implementation and management of PPM. This can help you save time and effort.

Monitor and adjust: It is important to monitor PPM to ensure that it is working properly and that it is detecting and remediating security risks. You may need to adjust your policies and procedures over time as your organization changes.

Configure Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM)

Understand the Need for Privileged Identity Management: In many organizations, there are certain privileged accounts that have access to critical resources and data. These accounts are high-value targets for attackers, so it's important to monitor and manage them closely.

Configure PIM: Azure AD Privileged Identity Management allows you to manage privileged access to resources in Azure AD and other Microsoft Online Services. To configure PIM, you need to be a Global Administrator or a Privileged Role Administrator.

Create Roles: PIM allows you to create custom roles based on the permissions required for a specific job function. For example, you can create a role that allows users to reset passwords but not create new users.

Assign Roles: Once roles are created, they can be assigned to users or groups. PIM allows you to assign roles permanently or for a specific duration of time.

Use Approval Workflows: PIM also allows you to configure approval workflows for high-risk actions. For example, if a user requests elevated access to a resource, an approval workflow can be triggered that requires another user to approve the request.

Monitor Activity: PIM provides detailed activity logs that allow you to monitor privileged access to resources. You can also configure alerts to notify you of unusual activity.

Conduct Audits: PIM provides reports that allow you to conduct audits of privileged access to resources. These reports can be used to demonstrate compliance with regulations or internal policies.

Configure role management and access reviews by using Microsoft Entra Identity Governance

Microsoft Entra Identity Governance (IDG) is a cloud-based service that helps you manage identity and access for your organization. IDG provides a number of features that can help you improve your security posture, including:

Role management: IDG allows you to define roles and assign them to users. This helps you control who has access to what resources.

Access reviews: IDG allows you to periodically review user access to resources. This helps you ensure that users only have access to the resources they need.

To configure role management and access reviews by using Microsoft Entra IDG, you will need to:

· Create a Microsoft Entra IDG tenant.

· Create roles and assign them to users.

· Create access reviews and assign them to users.

Here are the steps in more detail:

To create a Microsoft Entra IDG tenant, you will need to go to the Microsoft Entra IDG website and sign in with your Microsoft account.

Once you have created a tenant, you will need to create roles. A role is a collection of permissions that can be assigned to a user. To create a role, you will need to:

· Give the role a name.

· Select the permissions that the role will have.

Once you have created roles, you will need to assign them to users. To assign a role to a user, you will need to:

· Select the user.

· Select the role.

Once you have assigned roles to users, you will need to create access reviews. An access review is a process that you can use to periodically review user access to resources. To create an access review, you will need to:

· Give the access review a name.

· Select the users who will be included in the review.

· Select the resources that will be reviewed.

· Select the frequency of the review.

Once you have created access reviews, you will need to assign them to users. To assign an access review to a user, you will need to:

· Select the user.

· Select the access review.

For more information on how to configure role management and access reviews by using Microsoft Entra IDG, please refer to the Microsoft Entra IDG documentation.

Implement Conditional Access policies

Understand the Need for Conditional Access: Conditional Access allows you to control access to your organization's resources based on conditions such as the user's location, device, or risk level. This helps ensure that only authorized users with trusted devices are able to access sensitive resources.

Configure Conditional Access Policies: Azure provides a wide range of conditions and controls that can be used to configure Conditional Access policies. For example, you can require multi-factor authentication for users accessing resources from a new or untrusted device, or block access to resources from certain geographic locations.

Apply Policies to Specific Users and Groups: Conditional Access policies can be applied to specific users or groups, allowing you to tailor access controls based on individual roles and responsibilities.

Monitor and Report on Policy Activity: Azure provides detailed reporting on Conditional Access policy activity, allowing you to monitor user access and policy effectiveness. You can also configure alerts to notify you of policy violations.

Leverage Third-Party Integrations: Azure supports integration with a range of third-party services, such as security information and event management (SIEM) platforms, to provide enhanced monitoring and threat detection capabilities.

Stay Up-to-Date with Best Practices: As the threat landscape evolves, it's important to stay up-to-date with best practices for configuring Conditional Access policies. Microsoft regularly updates its recommendations based on the latest threat intelligence.

Manage application access in Azure AD

Manage access to enterprise applications in Azure AD, including OAuth permission grants

Understand the Need for Access Management: Enterprise applications are critical assets that contain sensitive information and resources. To maintain security, it's important to manage access to these applications based on users' roles and responsibilities.

Configure Application Access: Azure AD provides a range of options to manage access to enterprise applications, such as requiring multi-factor authentication, limiting access based on user location, or requiring device compliance.

Manage OAuth Permission Grants: OAuth is an authorization framework that allows users to grant third-party applications access to their resources without giving out their credentials. Azure AD provides the ability to manage OAuth permission grants to ensure only authorized applications have access to user data.

Use Azure AD App Proxy: Azure AD App Proxy provides secure remote access to on-premises applications without requiring VPN connectivity. This allows users to access applications from anywhere, while maintaining a secure connection and consistent access controls.

Monitor Application Access: Azure provides detailed reporting and analytics on application access activity, allowing you to monitor user access and policy effectiveness. You can also configure alerts to notify you of policy violations.

Manage app registrations in Azure AD

Understand App Registrations: App registrations in Azure AD are used to represent apps that need to access resources, such as APIs, on behalf of a user or organization. These apps can be registered as either single-tenant or multi-tenant, depending on the intended use case.

Create App Registrations: You can create app registrations in Azure AD using the Azure portal or programmatically using Azure AD Graph API or Microsoft Graph API.

Configure App Permissions: App permissions are used to grant access to resources, such as APIs, on behalf of users or organizations. You can configure app permissions for app registrations in Azure AD, which allows you to manage access to resources at the application level.

Manage Secrets: Secrets, such as passwords or certificates, are used to authenticate an app with Azure AD. You can manage app secrets for app registrations in Azure AD to ensure that only authorized apps can access your resources.

Monitor App Activity: Azure provides detailed reporting and analytics on app activity, allowing you to monitor app registrations and their access to resources. You can also configure alerts to notify you of potential threats.

Configure app registration permission scopes

Understand App Permissions: App permissions are used to grant an app access to resources, such as APIs, on behalf of a user or organization. When an app is registered in Azure AD, it can be assigned specific permissions to access resources.

Configure Permission Scopes: Permission scopes are used to define the level of access an app has to specific resources. For example, an app may be granted read-only access to a particular API, or it may be granted read and write access.

Grant Permissions: Once permission scopes have been defined for an app registration, permissions can be granted to the app. Permissions can be granted either by an administrator or by a user who has consented to the app's access.

Manage Permissions: Azure provides tools to manage app permissions, including the ability to revoke permissions if necessary. This is important to maintain the security of your organization's resources and prevent unauthorized access.

Manage app registration permission consent

Understand App Consent: When an app is registered in Azure AD, it can request permission to access certain resources on behalf of a user or organization. Before access is granted, the user or administrator must consent to the requested permissions.

Manage Consent Settings: Azure AD provides various options to manage app consent settings. For example, you can configure whether users are required to consent to permissions, and whether administrators are allowed to consent on behalf of users.

Monitor Consent Activity: Azure AD provides detailed reporting and analytics on app consent activity, allowing you to monitor the types of permissions being requested and the frequency of consent.

Revoke Consent: Azure AD allows administrators to revoke consent for an app at any time, which immediately revokes the app's access to resources. This is important to maintain the security of your organization's resources and prevent unauthorized access.

Configure App Permissions: App permissions can be configured in Azure AD to define the level of access an app has to specific resources. This is important to ensure that apps are only granted the necessary permissions to perform their intended functions.

Leverage Third-Party Integrations: Azure AD supports integration with a range of third-party services, such as security information and event management (SIEM) platforms, to provide enhanced monitoring and threat detection capabilities.

Manage and use service principals

Understand Service Principals: A service principal is an identity in Azure AD that represents a service or application. It is used to authenticate and authorize access to resources in Azure.

Create a Service Principal: A service principal can be created through the Azure Portal or programmatically using Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell.

Assign Permissions: Once a service principal is created, it can be assigned permissions to access resources in Azure. This can be done through Azure Portal or programmatically using Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell.

Manage Service Principals: Azure AD provides various tools to manage service principals. For example, you can view and update the properties of a service principal, reset the credentials, or delete a service principal.

Use Service Principals: Service principals can be used to authenticate and authorize access to resources in Azure. For example, a service principal can be used to access an Azure Key Vault or Azure Storage Account.

Secure Service Principals: It's important to secure service principals to prevent unauthorized access to resources. This can be done by following security best practices, such as limiting permissions to only what's necessary, rotating credentials regularly, and monitoring service principal activity.

Manage managed identities for Azure resources

Understand Managed Identities: A managed identity is an identity in Azure AD that is automatically managed by Azure. It can be used to authenticate and authorize access to resources in Azure, such as Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Functions, and Azure App Service.

Create a Managed Identity: A managed identity can be created through the Azure Portal or programmatically using Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell.

Assign Permissions: Once a managed identity is created, it can be assigned permissions to access resources in Azure. This can be done through Azure Portal or programmatically using Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell.

Use Managed Identities: Managed identities can be used to authenticate and authorize access to resources in Azure. For example, a managed identity can be used to access an Azure Key Vault or Azure Storage Account.

Secure Managed Identities: It's important to secure managed identities to prevent unauthorized access to resources. This can be done by following security best practices, such as limiting permissions to only what's necessary, rotating credentials regularly, and monitoring managed identity activity.

Manage Managed Identities: Azure provides various tools to manage managed identities. For example, you can view and update the properties of a managed identity, reset the credentials, or delete a managed identity.

Recommend when to use and configure an Azure AD Application Proxy, including authentication

Understand Azure AD Application Proxy: The Azure AD Application Proxy is a service that allows organizations to securely publish internal web applications and access them from anywhere using a web browser or mobile device.

Use Cases: Organizations can use Azure AD Application Proxy to publish on-premises web applications, such as SharePoint or Outlook Web Access, and make them accessible to external users without the need for a VPN connection. It can also be used to provide secure access to applications hosted in the cloud, such as Microsoft 365 or Salesforce.

Authentication: The Azure AD Application Proxy can be configured to provide authentication for published applications using Azure AD or other identity providers. This ensures that only authorized users can access the applications.

Configuration: To configure an application for Azure AD Application Proxy, the organization needs to install a connector on a server in the internal network. The connector communicates with the Azure AD Application Proxy service and forwards traffic to the published application.

Security Considerations: Organizations should consider security best practices when configuring Azure AD Application Proxy. For example, they should limit access to the connector server, ensure that published applications are secured with HTTPS, and monitor traffic to detect any suspicious activity.

Benefits: Azure AD Application Proxy provides benefits such as simplified application access for external users, reduced infrastructure requirements, and improved security.