Azure AD Conditional Access

In this lecture, you will explore the concept of Conditional Access within Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). You will learn about its function as a security feature that enables the establishment of policies dictating who is granted or denied access to applications and data based on specified conditions.

The lecture will guide you through various signals that a Conditional Access Policy evaluates, such as user identity, group membership, geographic location information, device type, applications being accessed, real-time sign-in risk detection, cloud apps or actions, and user risk. Each of these signals plays a critical role in determining access permissions.

You’ll understand how administrators can mandate multifactor authentication for certain users or block access from specified locations based on IP ranges, and even by entire countries. The importance of device signals in policy creation will be covered, ensuring that only approved devices or devices in a certain state can access corporate resources.

An integral part of this lecture is understanding how real-time sign-in risk detection can trigger additional security measures, such as password changes or multifactor authentication, to mitigate risky sign-in behaviors. The discussion will also touch upon the significance of cloud apps or action signals in including or excluding specific applications from Conditional Access Policies.

Additionally, you will grasp the concept of user risk signals, which assess the likelihood of an account being compromised, and how these are leveraged within Conditional Access Policies for users with access to identity protection services.

Finally, the lecture will address access controls, which are the mechanisms that dictate the outcome when a policy’s conditions are met—whether access is granted, blocked, or if additional verification is needed. You will learn that Conditional Access is a feature of the paid editions of Azure AD, emphasizing the need for investment in security for those seeking to utilize this capability.

By the end of this lecture, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how Conditional Access Policies are created, managed, and enforced within Azure AD to protect applications and data by controlling access based on a variety of conditions.