Microsoft Entra ID

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is a cloud-based identity and access management service that provides the foundation for secure authentication and authorization across Microsoft 365, Azure, and thousands of third-party SaaS applications. It serves as the identity control plane for organizations of all sizes, managing user accounts, group memberships, application access, and security policies from a centralized cloud directory.

Single sign-on (SSO) simplifies the user experience by allowing employees to authenticate once and access all assigned applications—including pre-integrated gallery apps such as Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Workday—without managing separate credentials for each service. The platform's application proxy can also publish on-premises web applications for remote access without requiring VPN connections.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and conditional access policies form the core of Entra ID's security model. Conditional access evaluates signals including user identity, device compliance, location, and real-time risk level to make dynamic access decisions—granting access, requiring additional verification, or blocking the request entirely. Passwordless authentication methods such as FIDO2 security keys, Windows Hello for Business, and the Microsoft Authenticator app further strengthen security while reducing friction.

Entra ID Protection uses machine learning trained on trillions of signals from the Microsoft ecosystem to detect compromised credentials, impossible travel patterns, and anomalous sign-in behavior, automatically enforcing risk-based conditional access policies. Privileged Identity Management (PIM) adds just-in-time, time-bound access to administrative roles, reducing standing privilege exposure. Identity Governance capabilities automate access reviews, entitlement management, and lifecycle workflows, helping organizations maintain least-privilege access as employees join, move between roles, and leave.