Azure AD User Best Practices for IT

Managing Azure AD users effectively is crucial for the smooth operation of your organization. To ensure this, it's essential to follow best practices when it comes to user management.

One best practice is to use a single, unified identity for all users, which can be achieved by using Azure AD Connect. This simplifies user management and reduces the risk of identity sprawl.

Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when implementing Azure AD user management: use a single sign-on (SSO) solution, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), and regularly review user account status.

Azure AD User Management is a crucial aspect of managing access to cloud-based applications and servers. You can add users to Azure AD through various methods, including Azure AD Connect, creating users manually, scripting with PowerShell, or programming with the Azure AD Graph API.

There are several types of users in Azure AD, including internal members, internal guests, external members, and external guests. Each type of user has different authentication methods and access levels. For example, internal guests have guest-level privileges and can reset their own password, while external members authenticate through a federated sign-in with their home Microsoft Entra tenant.

To manage users effectively, it's essential to establish authentication methods and password policies, enforce multi-factor authentication, and only add users that are needed to Azure AD. You should also organize users into groups and grant access to applications and resources based on their job requirements. Additionally, you can sync user account data from on-premises directories to Azure AD for hybrid environments.

Here are the different types of users in Azure AD:

You have three types of users in your workforce tenants: internal members, internal guests, external members, and external guests.

Internal members are likely full-time employees in your organization.

Internal guests have an account in your tenant, but have guest-level privileges. They might have been created prior to the availability of B2B collaboration.

External members authenticate using an external account, but have member access to your tenant. They're common in multitenant organizations.

External guests are true guests of your tenant who authenticate using an external method and have guest-level privileges.

Here's a breakdown of the types of users in your workforce tenants:

Authentication methods vary based on the type of user you create.

In an external tenant, you can have three types of users: internal users, external users, and external guests. Internal users are admins with assigned Microsoft Entra roles in your external tenant and authenticate internally.

External users are consumers and business customers of the apps registered in your external tenant, with a local account and default user privileges. They authenticate externally. External guests sign in with their own external credentials and are typically admins with assigned Microsoft Entra roles in your external tenant.

Here are the user types found in an external tenant:

External users are common in external tenants, and they can be created by inviting them to the tenant using their email address. If you need to create a guest user with a domain account, you can use the create new user process and change the User type to Guest.

Creating and managing users in Azure AD is a crucial task for any organization. You can create users manually in the Azure AD Management Portal.

To create a new user, sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a User Administrator. You'll then browse to Identity > Users > All users and select New user > Create new user. This will take you to the Basics tab, where you'll need to complete the core fields required to create a new user.

The Basics tab contains fields such as the user's name, email address, and job title. You can also add properties to the user, such as their department or location. These properties can be added or updated after the user is created.

You can assign the user to an administrative unit, group, or Microsoft Entra role when the account is created. You can assign the user to up to 20 groups or roles, but only one administrative unit. Assignments can be added after the user is created.

There are also different types of users you can create, including internal users, external users, and external guests. Internal users authenticate internally and are typically admins with assigned Microsoft Entra roles in your external tenant. External users are consumers and business customers of the apps registered in your external tenant, and they have a local account with default user privileges, but authenticate externally.

Here are the steps to create a new external user:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a User Administrator.

2. Make sure you're signed in to your external tenant.

3. Browse to Identity > Users > All users.

4. Select New user > Create new external user.

5. Complete the Basics tab as described earlier.

6. (Optional) Select Next: Properties and complete the Properties tab.

7. (Optional) Select Next: Assignments and complete the Assignments tab.

8. Select the Review + create button to create the new user.

Remember to establish your authentication method and password policies, and enforce multi-factor authentication when adding users to Azure AD.

Azure AD and Windows Integration is a crucial aspect of managing user access in a hybrid environment. Azure AD Connect is Microsoft's solution to enable hybrid Windows AD and Azure AD deployments, syncing data between on-premise DCs and the cloud.

Azure AD Connect provides password hash synchronization, pass-through authentication, federation, and health monitoring, allowing users to have the same user ID and password on-premise and in the cloud. This makes it easier to manage your hybrid environment and provides a unified view of each user regardless of whether they're accessing cloud or on-prem resources.

To ensure seamless integration, Azure AD uses SSO to connect users to SaaS applications, eliminating the need for repeated logins. This is achieved through access tokens stored locally on employee devices, which may be created with expiration dates for added security.

Azure AD is a cloud-based service for identity and access management (IAM). It's a secure online authentication store for individual user profiles and groups of user profiles.

Azure AD manages access through user accounts, which carry a username and a password. Users can be organized into different groups, which can be granted different access privileges for individual applications.

Azure AD uses SSO to connect users to SaaS applications, allowing each user to access the full suite of applications they have permission for, without having to repeatedly log in each time.

Azure AD creates access tokens which are stored locally on employee devices, and these tokens may be created with expiration dates.

Microsoft Windows is a crucial part of the Azure AD ecosystem, and understanding its role is essential for a seamless integration.

To prepare for the cloud, it's recommended to update your AD services to ensure a smooth transition.

Single-sign on with cloud apps is possible with Windows Azure AD, making it easier for users to access multiple applications with a single set of login credentials.

You can achieve this by utilizing the features of Windows Azure AD, which provides a centralized platform for managing user identities and access to cloud applications.

Updating your AD services involves a range of tasks, including configuring user accounts, groups, and permissions.

Here are some key benefits of updating your AD services:

By taking these steps, you can ensure a successful integration of Azure AD with your Windows environment, enabling your organization to reap the benefits of a cloud-based identity and access management solution.

Hybrid Deployments are a great way to integrate Azure AD with Windows AD. If you already have Windows AD, a Hybrid environment might be your best option.

Azure AD Connect is a must-have for Hybrid deployments, allowing you to sync user accounts from your on-premise system to your Azure tenant. It provides password hash synchronization, pass-through authentication, federation, and health monitoring.

You can choose between Managed or Federated configurations for your Hybrid environment. If you're going to create users in Windows AD, you need to have Azure AD Connect to sync with Azure AD.

Syncing data between on-premise DCs and the cloud is crucial for a unified view of each user, regardless of whether they're accessing cloud or on-prem resources. Azure AD Connect makes it easy to achieve this.

In a Hybrid environment, you can use Azure AD Connect to sync user accounts from your on-premise system to your Azure tenant, providing a seamless experience for your users.

Custom Domains can greatly improve the user experience for those migrating to Azure AD. The default domain is quite long and cumbersome to type.

Azure AD's default domain looks like this: @notarealdomain.onmicrosoft.com. This can be frustrating for users who are accustomed to typing shorter domain names.

Configuring Azure AD to use a custom domain that you own can make a big difference. It would look something like @notarealdomain.com, which is much easier to type and manage.

Here are some key benefits of using a custom domain with Azure AD:

Security in Azure AD is robust, with features like MFA, SSO for cloud-based SaaS applications, and context-based adaptive policies to protect organizational data. Azure AD's security features also include an application proxy to secure remote access and protective machine learning to guard against stolen credentials and suspicious log-on attempts.

Security Defaults in Azure AD was recently released, which, when turned on, will block legacy authentication protocols, require MFA for administrators and users, and require MFA for valuable organizational resources. This is designed to better secure digital assets.

Legacy authentication protocols can be used by malicious attacks to bypass multifactor authentication, making it essential to turn on Security Defaults. If not disabled, these attacks can use legacy protocols to authenticate.

To enable extended attributes like Extended Profile or Security Groups, you'll need to configure specific permissions for the Microsoft Graph API. This includes granting the following permissions:

These permissions are necessary to enable extended attributes, which can be used to enhance user experience and security.

As an Azure AD user, you can leverage the power of Office 365 and Azure AD to manage your security events effectively. One of the most powerful tools for managing computers is Group Policy, which allows you to prevent the installation of unauthorized machines.

Group Policy can also lock a computer after a certain period of inactivity, ensuring that sensitive data remains secure. This feature can be particularly useful in environments where computers are left unattended for extended periods.

To get started with Group Policy, you can use it to automate software updates on all computers, keeping your organization's software up-to-date and secure.

As you manage your Office 365 security, it's essential to monitor specific events to stay on top of potential threats.

In Azure AD and Office 365, Group Policy is a powerful tool for managing computers. You can use it to prevent the installation of unauthorized machines, which is a common security risk.

Group Policy can also lock a computer after a certain period of inactivity, which helps prevent unauthorized access. This is a simple yet effective way to enhance security.

To help you stay organized, here are the top 10 Office 365 security events to monitor:

Office 365 is built on top of Azure AD, which has a hierarchical structure. The primary unit is the AD domain, and objects in a domain are often grouped into organizational units (OUs) that mirror business structures like departments.

Larger organizations often have multiple domains grouped into a forest. This structure helps to organize and manage user accounts, groups, and other directory objects.

Active Directory has been around for a long time, and its authentication protocols have evolved significantly. From LM to NTLM and then to NTLMv2 and Kerberos, the protocols have improved to provide more secure authentication.

Here's a brief rundown of the authentication protocols used in Active Directory: