Blog Digital Identity Protection with Microsoft Entra

When the risk has a name and surname

In a digital environment where hybrid work, cloud, and mobility prevail, digital identity is considered the new security perimeter. Protecting only the corporate network is no longer enough: every user can be a potential entry point for threats.

Cyberattacks can affect any member of an organization, from frontline employees to senior executives. Techniques such as social engineering, phishing, and credential theft are common methods to compromise corporate environments, using both technology and human behavior.

Adopting an identity-centric security approach involves deploying advanced solutions and fostering an organizational culture of awareness and shared responsibility.

In this context, Microsoft offers a set of tools designed to protect identities, putting the user at the center of the security strategy.

Key tools for identity protection in Microsoft Entra

Through the security suite in Microsoft Entra, Microsoft provides multiple solutions to strengthen identity security:

Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Multifactor authentication adds security to the login process, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

This method requires users to validate their identity with multiple factors, such as a code on their mobile or biometric data.

Relying solely on a password leaves users vulnerable. If the password is weak or compromised, an attacker can exploit it. By incorporating a second verification factor, unauthorized access is made more difficult, as that additional factor is not easily reproducible.

Microsoft Entra uses three authentication factors for MFA:

• Something the user knows: a password.
• Something the user possesses: a trusted device (phone or security key).
• Something that is part of the user: biometric data (fingerprint or facial recognition).

Conditional Access

Conditional access is an essential element in Microsoft's Zero Trust strategy.

It is designed to make access control decisions based on signals from various sources, such as user identity, device status, location, or risk level.

Conditional access policies operate through "if-then" rules. For example: if a user attempts to access an application like Microsoft 365, then they must complete a multifactor authentication (MFA) process. This approach allows for detailed controls, ensuring that access is granted securely and appropriately to the context.

IT administrators must balance two fundamental objectives:

• Allow user productivity at any time and place.
• Protect the organization's critical assets from unauthorized access.

Efficient use of conditional access facilitates the achievement of both objectives, applying necessary controls only when relevant, without compromising the user experience.

Microsoft Entra ID Protection

Microsoft Entra ID Protection detects, investigates, and mitigates identity risks, preventing unauthorized access and improving security. It identifies suspicious behaviors such as logins from unusual locations or the use of compromised credentials.

Risks can be integrated into Conditional Access policies, applying automatic controls such as MFA or access blocking.

Microsoft Entra Password Protection

Cybersecurity practices recommend that passwords be unique, complex, and difficult to guess. However, many users continue to use weak or repeated passwords, such as "Temporary123," which poses a risk to organizational security.

Password Protection provides a defense against these vulnerabilities by identifying and blocking commonly used passwords and their variants. In addition to automatically applying a global list of prohibited passwords for all tenant users, it allows organizations to define a custom list that includes specific terms they wish to restrict, such as the company name or words associated with internal campaigns.

It is important to mention that, although password protection is an essential component, it should not be considered an isolated security measure. It is recommended to complement its use with additional mechanisms such as multifactor authentication (MFA) and passwordless authentication technologies, to strengthen security in login processes.

Access Reviews

Microsoft Entra ID access reviews allow managing access to organizational resources. This functionality ensures that only authorized users maintain their active privileges, reducing risks from unnecessary permissions.

Key questions organizations must address:

• What mechanisms are in place to ensure access revocation when a user leaves the company?
• How to avoid excessive privileges that pose a security risk?

Proactive access management requires the participation of resource owners, who must periodically review and validate access and their justifications.

Conclusion

Digital identity is the key to accessing the heart of any organization and therefore, it must be protected with the same or greater priority than data or infrastructure.

Microsoft offers a comprehensive architecture to protect user identity, but the real impact is achieved when combined with culture, processes, and organizational commitment. Because in the end, the user remains the first point of vulnerability... and also the first line of defense.

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