Understanding Azure AD (now Microsoft Entra ID)

Authentication and authorization are the two pillars of an IAM solution, and therefore, organizations need to adopt a compelling identity framework that helps them improve their security posture.

Identity has become the core control plane of security for organizations to securely access resources on-premises and in the cloud. Microsoft was named a leader in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Access Management for Microsoft Azure AD (now Microsoft Entra ID).

Figure 2.1 – The Magic Quadrant for Access Management

Microsoft Entra packages Microsoft’s rich IAM features, including Azure AD, permissions management, identity governance, workload identities, and Microsoft Entra Verified ID.

Azure AD, a cloud-based service for IAM, is suitable for different types of users, such as the following:

• IT admins looking to control access to applications while protecting user identities and credentials...