All you need to know about Microsoft Entra ID

Microsoft Entra ID is a cloud-centric identity and access management solution designed to facilitate your employees’ entry into external assets. This encompasses resources such as Microsoft 365, the Azure portal, and a multitude of other Software as a Service (SaaS) applications.

Initially, it was called Azure Active Directory, which is now renamed to Microsoft Entra ID. You can securely replace Azure AD with Entra ID in any instance where you currently utilize Azure AD, like:

• Microsoft Azure AD Tenant -> Microsoft Entra ID Tenant
• Microsoft Azure AD Premium P1 -> Microsoft Entra ID P1

Azure AD Conditional Access -> Microsoft Entra Conditional Access

Furthermore, Microsoft Entra ID plays a pivotal role in facilitating access to internal resources, such as applications within your corporate intranet, as well as any cloud-based applications specifically developed for your organization.

Microsoft Entra Verified ID marks the next stage in the progression of digital identity, introducing crucial functionalities vital in today’s dynamic digital landscape. With Microsoft Entra Verified ID, we are now able to:

• Provide self-service capabilities that empower individuals to autonomously manage their identities
• Onboard employees, partners, and customers securely and efficiently from remote locations.
• Grant access to necessary resources seamlessly, enhancing their user experience.

Diagram Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/intro-to-azure-ad/2-overview

Entra Verified ID utilizes cutting-edge standards such as decentralized Identities (DIDs) and the verifiable credential data model. These open standards simplify support for Business-to-Business (B2B) staff transitions, fostering trust through DIDs without the complexities of managing federated relationships.

Organizations can leverage Entra Verified ID to issue credentials and attributes to users, following the interoperable Verifiable Credential Data Model. This results in a portable digital identity that users can share as needed, boosting flexibility and security.

Entra Verified ID has been meticulously designed to aid organizations in addressing contemporary identity verification challenges and facilitating zero-trust decision-making processes.

With Entra ID, we have a lot of capabilities that we can now achieve through the new services it has:

App developers can integrate Microsoft Entra ID as a standards-based authentication provider, facilitating the addition of single sign-on (SSO) to applications that seamlessly align with a user’s existing credentials. Developers can also leverage Microsoft Entra APIs to craft personalized experiences using organizational data.

Facilitate remote onboarding, issuance, and verification of identity credentials for employees, partners, and customers. Empower individuals to establish and manage their digital identity autonomously, ensuring convenient access to all necessary resources within your organization.

Enable employee onboarding from any location, reducing time-to-hire and accelerating time-to-productivity. Grant access to organizational resources within minutes, allowing individuals to effortlessly present credentials to business partners and benefits providers.

Swiftly authenticate an individual’s credentials and status, ensuring the confident provision of least-privilege access. Furnish secure, immediate access to the applications and resources essential for your employees, partners, and customers by validating and empowering them to manage their digital identity.

Verify the credentials of temporary workers and employees efficiently. Authenticate the credentials of partners, contractors, gig workers, and employees. Enable verified individuals to access workplace applications seamlessly. Facilitate business-to-business access without the need to handle individual federations or multiple accounts.

IT administrators leverage Microsoft Entra ID to regulate access to applications and their resources in alignment with business requirements. For instance, as an IT admin, you can employ Microsoft Entra ID to mandate multi-factor authentication for accessing critical organizational resources. Additionally, Microsoft Entra ID allows you to automate user provisioning seamlessly between your existing Windows Server Active Directory and cloud applications, including Microsoft 365. Ultimately, Microsoft Entra ID equips you with robust tools to automatically enhance the protection of user identities and credentials, meeting your access governance needs.

Subscribers of Microsoft 365, Office 365, Azure, or Dynamics CRM Online inherently employ Microsoft Entra ID, as every tenant of Microsoft 365, Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics CRM Online automatically becomes a Microsoft Entra tenant. This allows immediate commencement of access management for integrated cloud applications.

Seamlessly integrate with existing Enterprise Management within Entra ID and incorporate compatibility with on-premise infrastructure. Establish secure workflows for external resource access and streamline access policies for enhanced simplicity.

Diagram: A UI on the new look of Microsoft Entra ID

Conclusion:

Microsoft Entra ID, formerly Azure Active Directory, revolutionizes cloud-centric identity and access management. It seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365, Azure, and SaaS applications, providing secure access to external assets. Entra Verified ID, utilizing cutting-edge standards like decentralized identities, enhances digital identity by offering self-service capabilities, secure onboarding, and streamlined resource access. It addresses contemporary identity verification challenges and supports zero-trust decision-making processes. There are still a lot of things coming into Microsoft Entra ID on a regular basis.

References

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/fundamentals/whatis

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/intro-to-azure-ad/2-overview

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