What is Conditional Access?
Conditional access, a core component of Microsoft Entra, is a cloud-based access control technology that allows organisations to define and enforce additional layers of security beyond traditional username and password verification. It essentially acts as a smart gatekeeper, granting access to resources only when certain conditions are met.
Why is conditional access important?
Conditional access plays a vital role in securing access to organisational resources in today’s evolving threat landscape. Here’s why it’s important:
- Enhanced security: Conditional access goes beyond basic authentication, adding factors like device health, location, and user risk assessments to the login process. This multi-layered approach significantly reduces the risk of unauthorised access attempts.
- Improved compliance: Conditional access helps organisations meet compliance requirements for data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA by ensuring only authorised users can access sensitive data.
- Reduced risk of breaches: By implementing conditional access policies, organisations can restrict access to sensitive information based on pre-defined conditions, minimising the potential damage from a security breach.
- Zero trust approach: Conditional access aligns with the principles of Zero Trust security, which emphasises “never trust, always verify” – access is granted only after meeting certain criteria.
Conditional access with Microsoft Entra
Microsoft Entra, specifically the Conditional Access feature, allows organisations to configure and enforce access policies based on various conditions. Here are some common examples:
- Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): Require MFA for access attempts from unfamiliar locations, unmanaged devices, or high-risk users.
- Device health: Grant access only from devices that meet specific health requirements, such as having the latest security patches and antivirus software installed.
- Location-based access: Restrict access to sensitive resources from specific geographic locations to mitigate unauthorised access attempts.
- Application access: Control access to specific cloud applications based on user roles, device type, and other criteria.
Benefits of using conditional access with Microsoft Entra
- Simplified access management: Centrally manage access policies for all cloud and on-premises resources through a unified platform.
- Reduced security risks: Multi-layered access control significantly reduces the risk of unauthorised access and data breaches.
- Improved user experience: Conditional access policies can be configured to provide a seamless access experience for authorised users.
- Enhanced compliance: Conditional access helps organisations meet compliance requirements for data privacy regulations.
Conditional access is a powerful tool for organisations in the modern security landscape. By leveraging Microsoft Entra’s capabilities, organisations can implement robust access control measures, safeguard sensitive data, and achieve a zero trust security posture.
