With valuable business data now hosted across a disparate set of cloud applications and datacentre environments, and more users accessing from outside of the corporate network, cybercriminals are seeking new routes for exploit.
To bypass more advanced protections, bad actors are increasingly turning to individual users as an access route and want to exploit legitimate access credentials gathered through phishing attacks or social engineering. This can prove a valuable exploit avenue. 90% of businesses questioned in a recent survey had experienced an identity-related breach in 2024.
For businesses looking to stay secure, this turns the spotlight on the level of access provided to each user, and the controls in place to manage and validate their identity.
This is especially important given the increased level of access sprawl being experienced, with the ease of document and file sharing through tools like SharePoint and OneDrive giving additional third-parties ongoing data access.
70% of organisations that experienced a third-party data breach stated that it was as a result of giving that party too much access. It’s for this reason that Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools, such as Microsoft’s Entra ID are becoming critical deployments.
What is Microsoft Entra ID?
Previously known as Azure Active Directory, Entra ID is Microsoft’s designated IAM tool. Delivered and managed in the cloud, Entra ID helps you control and manage access privileges and user identities across your environment from a single consolidated management solution.
Purpose-built for streamlined identity and access control, Entra ID offers the tools and functionality needed to ensure your digital resources are only ever accessed by authorised personnel.
Why should you use it?
Identity and access management tools are an integral element of any resilient cybersecurity strategy, and Microsoft Entra ID delivers all of the key functionality you need to reduce the risk of data breach and identity attacks.
Firstly, Entra ID helps you automatically enforce additional access policies around key apps and data, including those required to meet compliance standards. This includes the enforcement of Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) policies that require users to re-authenticate their identity by an additional method beyond their login credentials before access is granted. Additional identification factors, including SMS, and authenticator apps, can be selected by individuals or enforced by the organisation across their tenant.
Access rights can also be controlled through Conditional Access, an intelligent policy engine that support the enforcement of zero-trust principles. These policies rely on simple ‘If-then’ statements – ‘if’ a user wants to access company apps and data, ‘then’ they must complete an additional step such as multifactor authentication. Conditional Access allows for the use of adaptive access controls, which adjust access permissions in real-time based on the assessed level of risk at the time of use. This leverages a number of decision criteria and contextual information, such as the use of a previously unknown device, or attempted access from a remote location, to decide whether a user should be granted access.
Entra ID isn’t only intended to enhance the IT management experience, however. It also offers a streamlined experience for end users through the deployment of Single Sign On (SSO) policies. This allows users to access a number of integrated applications via a single set of login credentials, eliminating the need to sign in to multiple tools and boosting productivity while reducing the risk of password duplication.
Getting the most from Entra ID
If your company has an existing Microsoft cloud subscription, such as Azure or M365, you will likely already have access to a free version of Microsoft Entra ID. This includes some of the baseline Entra ID functionality, such as user and group management, support for non-group-based Multifactor Authentication (MFA), single sign-on for cloud apps, and some basic reporting features.
Microsoft does also offer some additional licence options, all of which can be activated as a per-user-per-month add-on, that deliver additional functionality that truly elevate your access and identity management without the need to invest in other third-party tools.
Microsoft Entra ID P1 – Included with high-tier M365 subscriptions such as E3 and Business Premium, P1 licences extend Entra ID capability with additional automation and management features. MFA is extended with group-based controls, and single sign-on can be deployed for on-premises applications. Users & Groups also allows you to create dynamic groups and assignments for applications, supporting the automation of user management without the need for manual administration.
The biggest addition, however, is the inclusion of all conditional access options which supports a more granular application of access policies based on a number of parameters. This works alongside Session Lifetime Management, which controls how long users can remain signed in, to support the improved protection of critical or high-risk apps.
Microsoft Entra ID P2 – An extension to the functionality deployed with P1, P2 licences bring additional levels of real-time monitoring and risk assessment and are included as standard within M365 E5 subscriptions. Sign-in activity and user login signals can be continually monitored to flag any unusual or suspicious access activity in real-time. This tool also elevates the user experience, with more granular, role-based access controls as part of Basic Entitlement Management.
Microsoft Entra ID Suite – The most comprehensive licence available, the Entra ID Suite delivers a comprehensive combination of tools for secure access and identity management, and supports the deployment of Zero Trust security principles across cloud and on-premises.
This includes additional tools such as Entra Private Access for no-code deployment of ZTNA to on-premises apps, Entra Internet Access for cloud-delivered web content filtering and security controls, Entra ID Protection for machine learning-powered detection of sign-in risks, and Entra ID Governance for automated access lifecycle management to prevent the over-allocation of permissions and access sprawl.
Getting started
By deploying Microsoft Entra ID, you can help safeguard your organisation with advanced security and unified identity management. However, only by choosing a higher level P1 or P2 plan, or upgrading to the Entra ID Suite, can you access an Identity Access and Management solution that delivers the level of granular control, real-time monitoring and automation you need to stay ahead of the latest identity threats.
Get in touch with the team if you’d like to learn more about Microsoft Entra ID, or want to discuss more about the different licencing options available.