This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Aviral Srivastava
Azure Active Directory Basics
Introduction:
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) service. It’s crucial for managing user identities, granting access to cloud resources like Azure subscriptions and Microsoft 365, and securing your organization’s digital assets. This article provides a basic overview of Azure AD.
Prerequisites:
To utilize Azure AD, you’ll need an Azure subscription. A global administrator account within your Azure subscription is required for initial setup and configuration. No specialized coding skills are necessary for basic usage.
Advantages:
- Centralized Identity Management: Manage all user accounts, groups, and permissions from a single console.
- Single Sign-On (SSO): Enable employees to access multiple applications with a single set of credentials.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enhance security by requiring multiple authentication factors.
- Conditional Access: Implement granular control over access based on location, device, and other factors.
- Scalability and Reliability: Leverage Microsoft’s globally distributed infrastructure for reliability and scalability.
Disadvantages:
- Cost: Pricing depends on usage and features selected; costs can increase with larger deployments.
- Complexity: Advanced features can be complex to configure and manage for non-technical users.
- Dependency: Your organization becomes reliant on Microsoft’s services.
- Integration Challenges: Integrating with legacy systems can sometimes present difficulties.
Features:
- User and Group Management: Create, manage, and delete users and groups.
- Application Management: Register and manage access to cloud and on-premises applications.
- Identity Protection: Detect and respond to suspicious sign-in activities.
- Access Reviews: Periodically review and manage user access privileges.
- Self-Service Password Reset: Empower users to reset their passwords without IT intervention.
Conclusion:
Azure AD is a powerful IAM solution offering robust security and streamlined user management. While it has some complexities and costs associated with it, the advantages of centralized management, enhanced security, and improved user experience generally outweigh the drawbacks for most organizations. Understanding its fundamental features is a crucial step towards securing your cloud environment.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Aviral Srivastava