Let’s dive deep and understand What is Microsoft Entra ID. Microsoft reveals a major announcement that Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is becoming Microsoft Entra ID. Microsoft has introduced a transformative rebranding initiative that renames Azure AD to the all-new Microsoft Entra ID.
This is the next milestone in the Microsoft Entra product family. It aims to secure access for any identity to any app or resource in the cloud and on-premises. Microsoft is proud to unveil two new products. The first is Microsoft Entra Internet Access, a cutting-edge Secure Web Gateway that places identity at the heart of its operations, and it offers protection for internet browsing, shielding not only SaaS applications but also Microsoft 365 apps and resources from potential threats.
The second remarkable addition is Microsoft Entra Private Access, an identity-centric Zero Trust Network Access solution designed to ensure secure entry to private applications across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. These products form Microsoft’s Security Service Edge (SSE) solution, which offers seamless integration of identity and network access solutions and delivers flexible and agile options for organizations.
The name change from Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID and the licensing changes for the existing products, effective from October 1, 2023. The Microsoft Entra Innovations in the Microsoft Entra portfolio include Microsoft Entra ID Protection, Microsoft Entra ID Governance, and Microsoft Entra External ID.
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What is Microsoft Entra ID?
Microsoft Entra ID, commonly known as Microsoft Azure AD, represents a cutting-edge cloud-based solution for managing identity and access. As a directory and identity management service operating in the cloud, it provides a comprehensive suite of authentication and authorization services to an array of Microsoft offerings, including Office 365, Dynamics 365, Azure, and many cloud-based applications.
What is Microsoft Entra ID Protection?
Microsoft Entra ID Protection offers a sophisticated solution that detects sign-in risks and identifies unusual user behavior. This cutting-edge technology enables swift and accurate identification of potential security threats, allowing organizations to take appropriate measures to block, challenge, limit, or grant access as needed.
1. Prevent identity compromise
2. Help protect against credential theft
3. Deepen insights into your identity security posture
What Actions Are Required from Users or Organizations Responding to the Name Change from Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID?
No additional action is required. You can continue relying on the familiar and trusted Azure AD capabilities, conveniently accessed through the Azure portal, Microsoft 365 admin center, and the dedicated Microsoft Entra admin center.
Is only the Name Changing?
The transition from Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID is designed to be seamless for you and your organization. No changes will be made to Azure AD capabilities, APIs, login URLs, PowerShell cmdlets, Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL), developer experiences, or tooling.
1. The licensing plans and pricing for Azure AD and Microsoft 365 plans that include Azure AD will remain unchanged. Only the display names for the licensing plans change.
2. To simplify microsoft product naming and unify the microsoft product family, microsoft changed the name of Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID.
What is Microsoft Entra ID? – Video
In the video, you have gained comprehensive insights into Microsoft Entra and Entra ID and the distinction between Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and Entra ID.
Azure AD is becoming Microsoft Entra ID
In May of 2022, Microsoft made a significant introduction with the unveiling of Microsoft Entra, an inclusive product family comprising three key offerings: Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Microsoft Entra Permissions Management, and Microsoft Entra Verified ID. These solutions were designed to empower organizations with enhanced identity and access management capabilities.
- Microsoft later expanded the Microsoft Entra family with Microsoft Entra ID Governance and Microsoft Entra Workload ID.
- Today, Microsoft Entra is a powerful force in protecting identities and securing access across various environments.
- This product family brings together multicloud identity and network access solutions.
- The below window shows the current Azure AD SKU names to the new SKU names under Microsoft Entra ID. Service plan display names will change on October 1, 2023.
Note! – Once the new name rolls out, all the existing features and functionalities of Azure AD will be seamlessly integrated under the new name. For instance, Azure AD Conditional Access will be rebranded as Microsoft Entra Conditional Access, Azure AD MFA will become Microsoft Entra MFA and Azure AD single sign-on will be transformed into Microsoft Entra single sign-on.
Entra ID from an Admin Perspective
From an administrative perspective, Entra ID serves as a robust identity and access management solution. The admin can control access to applications and resources using Entra IDs. Entra ID allows administrators to set granular access controls, ensuring only authorized individuals can access specific applications and resources.
- Administrators can utilize Entra ID to enforce security policies, define user roles and permissions, and implement multi-factor authentication for added security.
Entra ID from a User Perspective
Entra ID, from User Perspective, is nothing but just a login ID for accessing applications and resources. Users use Entra ID to log in to their physical and Virtual (Cloud PCs) endpoint devices. Entra ID simplifies the user experience by providing a unified login credential for users across different devices and platforms.
Azure AD = Entra ID
Entra ID (aka Azure AD), part of Microsoft Entra, is an enterprise Identity and Access Management (IAM) SaaS solution. Entra ID is part of the IAM product family named Microsoft Entra. Entra ID Centrally manages all your identities and access to your applications, whether in the cloud or on-premises, to improve visibility and control.
Access Management (AM) is a tool that establishes, enforces, and manages journey-time access controls to the cloud, modern standards-based web, and legacy web applications.
- SSO single sign-on
- MFA Multi-Factor Authentication
- Conditional access
- Self-service password reset (SSPR)
New Innovations in Microsoft Entra
Microsoft also highlights other innovations in the Microsoft Entra portfolio that help you to strengthen defenses against attackers who are becoming more adept at exploiting identity-related vulnerabilities such as weak credentials, misconfigurations, and excessive access permissions.
- Prevent identity takeover in real-time.
- Automate access governance
- Personalize and secure access to any application for customers and partners
- Simplify identity verification with Microsoft Entra Verified ID
Prevent Identity Takeover in Real Time – New Microsoft Entra ID Protection Dashboard
Microsoft Entra ID Protection, formerly Azure AD Identity Protection, introduces thrilling enhancements that empower IT professionals and identity practitioners to prevent account compromise. Microsoft Entra ID Protection helps you to detect abnormal sign-in patterns and aberrant user behavior; this intelligent solution promptly intervenes, offering real-time options such as blocking, challenging, or limiting access.
The benefits of the new dashboard in Microsoft Entra ID Protection are that it offers a comprehensive snapshot of prevented identity attacks, presents metric cards and attack graphs for visual analysis, identifies current attack types, provides recommendations based on risk exposure, highlights the business impact of controls, facilitates enhanced investigations, and seamlessly integrates with other tools and applications for a more comprehensive security assessment.
| New Dashboard Features in Microsoft Entra ID Protection | Description |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive Snapshot | It helps to provide a holistic view of prevented identity attacks |
| Metric Cards | It offers simple and easily understandable metrics |
| Attack Graphs | It helps to Illustrate risk origins and security posture over time |
| Current Attack Types | It helps to Identify the types of ongoing attacks |
| Risk Exposure Recommendations | It Provides recommendations based on risk exposure |
| Business Impact Highlight | Highlights the impact of enforced controls on the business |
| Enhanced Investigations | Enables further exploration of security posture |
| Integration with Tools | Seamlessly integrates with additional tools and applications |
Automate Access Governance
It is introducing Microsoft Entra ID Governance, an all-encompassing identity governance solution now widely accessible. It helps you comply with organizational and regulatory security requirements while increasing employee productivity through real-time, self-service, and workflow-based app entitlements.
Microsoft Entra as a Product
There are 3 main categories under Microsoft Entra product Identity and access management, New identity categories, and Network access. The identity and access management includes Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Entra ID Governance, and Microsoft Entra Extra External ID.
The New and identity categories include Microsoft Entra verified ID, Microsoft Entra permissions management, and Microsoft Entra workload ID. The Network access includes Microsoft Entra Internet access and Microsoft Entra Private access.
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About Author – Vidya is a computer enthusiast. She is here to share quick tips and tricks with Windows 11 or Windows 10 users. She loves writing on Windows 11 and related technologies. She is also keen to find solutions and write about day-to-day tech problems.