Discovering Microsoft Entra: A guide to Microsoft's identity and security suite

Stolen credentials drive one in five security breaches. According to Forrester, the average organisation experienced a yearly average of 3.1 material security breaches at an average cost per breach of $750,000. Going on this statistic, breaches will cost the average organisation over $2 million per year – a number that is hard to ignore for something that can be prevented at the root. Adding security layers to your workflows is an obvious solution, but these often come at the expense of efficiency. The question then becomes: how do you fortify security without hindering productivity? 

Microsoft Entra answers this by streamlining identity and access management, delivering enterprise-grade security while reducing complexity, cutting costs, and accelerating development cycles. From enhanced security features and governance tools to innovative solutions for workload identity and verified credentials, Microsoft Entra encompasses a broad ecosystem of services designed for modern enterprise security needs. 

In this blog, we'll explore five key components of the Microsoft Entra suite that are transforming the approach to identity and access management for companies that work digitally in the cloud.

1. Private Access: The modern VPN alternative
Traditional VPNs, while functional, have limitations in today's digital security. Microsoft Entra Private Access offers a more sophisticated approach to remote access using SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) technology, which moves security from your network to the cloud. Unlike traditional VPNs that grant broad network access, Private Access provides identity-centric connections with granular control. 

Users can access specific applications with enhanced security measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA) or passwordless authentication. The system operates through Microsoft's Points of Presence (PoPs) – global data centres that route traffic securely – rather than traditional VPN tunnels, requiring only a Global Secure Access Client on endpoints and a connector on Windows Server.

2. Internet access: Securing public internet traffic 
Internet Access enhances your Zero Trust security framework by integrating conditional access, continuous access evaluation, and network security controls to close security gaps. It protects users and devices from cyberthreats with a comprehensive, cloud-based security toolset that includes web content filtering, threat protection, and Transport Layer Security (TLS) inspection, which checks encrypted internet traffic for threats. Additionally, it improves productivity by providing fast, reliable access to internet destinations, including Microsoft 365, through a globally distributed, secure network edge for optimised traffic routing.

3. Identity Protection: Proactive threat detection
Building on conditional access capabilities, Identity Protection adds sophisticated risk detection to identify potential security threats. The system can detect unusual patterns such as atypical travel or suspicious login attempts, automatically triggering alerts or enforcing additional security measures. For example, if an employee's account shows login attempts from both Dublin and Tokyo within an hour, Identity Protection automatically triggers additional verification steps. This proactive approach to security helps identify compromised accounts or applications before they can cause damage, with seamless integration into security tools like Microsoft Sentinel.

4. ID Governance: Automated onboarding and offboarding
ID Governance automates and streamlines the complex task of managing user access. It handles everything from initial user provisioning to ongoing access reviews and lifecycle management. The system ensures that when users change roles, their access permissions are automatically updated across all systems. By integrating with HR systems, it maintains accurate access levels throughout an employee's tenure, automatically initiating access reviews and revoking unnecessary permissions when needed.

5. Verified ID: Enhanced identity verification
Verified ID modernises how to handle digital credentials. This component allows for issuing and managing verifiable digital credentials, such as employee or student IDs. These credentials can be customised with organisational branding and support important security features like credential revocation. This system simplifies identity verification while maintaining security, making it easier to manage digital identities effectively.

Redefining enterprise security
The Entra Suite offers flexibility in licensing, allowing users to choose between individual components or the complete suite. This approach enables cost-effective scaling based on specific organisational needs. All components are designed to work seamlessly together, creating a comprehensive security and identity management ecosystem that builds upon

Microsoft's existing services.
Microsoft Entra represents a significant evolution in identity and access management, offering tools that address modern security challenges while maintaining usability. 

For more information on how you can keep your digital ecosystem more secure with Microsoft Entra, watch our webinar with our Security Lead Tushar Kumar here or get in touch with our team of experts here.