As a managed service provider (MSP), you play a crucial role in ensuring your clients’ security. One of the most effective ways to achieve this as an MSP is by adopting and implementing conditional access (CA) policies. These policies, integrated through Microsoft Security platforms, offer a robust framework for enhancing security while maintaining user productivity. Read on to learn why you should adopt CA policies with your clients.
What is conditional access, and how does it work?
Conditional access uses identity-driven signals from devices to make decisions about whether to give that user access to data and programs as well as to enforce organizational policies. It’s part of Microsoft’s Zero Trust policy.
At their core, CA policies are simple “if-then statements,” meaning that if a user wants access to a resource, then they first need to complete a certain action. So, if a user wants to access an application or service like, say, Microsoft 365, that user first has to satisfy a requirement, such as multifactor authentication (MFA).
Some of the identity-driven signals a CA policy can leverage include:
- User or group membership
- IP location
- The device the signal comes from
- Application the user is trying to access
- Real-time and calculated risk detection
The policy can use these signals to then either block access or acquire it through means such as the following:
- MFA
- A compliant device
- An approved app
- Password change
- Agreeing to terms of use
Why is it important to enable conditional access?
Conditional access policies are a crucial part of developing an overall security strategy, especially when it comes to enforcing MFA. A strong conditional access strategy also helps organizations maintain flexibility for their users to access programs and data remotely while securing their digital environments. As remote work, cloud services, and mobile devices become more prevalent, traditional security measures like firewalls are no longer sufficient. You need to ensure that only authorized users on trusted devices can access company data to reduce your clients’ risk of breaches while maintaining a seamless experience for employees.
Without CA as part of a greater Zero Trust strategy, organizations are vulnerable to security gaps, such as unauthorized access from compromised devices or accounts. These can lead to terrible cyber attacks that can cost organizations millions of dollars, downtime, and a damaged reputation. By implementing conditional access policies, you can enforce granular control over who can access what, and under which circumstances, significantly improving security without sacrificing productivity.
What does conditional access offer?
Here are the benefits of using conditional access policies to enforce MFA:
1. Enhanced security: CA policies ensure that MFA is required when specific conditions are met, adding an extra layer of security beyond just a username and password. This significantly reduces the chance of account compromise — by 99.9%.
2. Granular control: These policies allow for granular control over who is required to use MFA and when. For example, you can require MFA for users accessing sensitive resources or from untrusted locations.
3. Customizable conditions: You can set conditions based on user, location, device state, application, and real-time risk information, tailoring the security requirements to your organization’s needs.
4. User-friendliness: While enhancing security, CA policies can be designed to be user-friendly, minimizing the impact on the user experience. Users can authenticate via phone call, text message, or mobile app verification, which are familiar methods for many.
5. Integration with Azure AD: CA policies are integrated with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), which provides a central identity and access management (IAM) system for Azure resources and applications, improving security by ensuring appropriate access and reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
6. Compliance: Enforcing MFA through CA helps organizations meet compliance requirements that mandate the use of MFA for accessing certain types of data or systems.
7. Automated decisions: CA policies can automate the decision to grant or block access based on the conditions set, streamlining the authentication process and reducing the need for manual intervention.
8. Reporting and monitoring: These policies come with reporting and monitoring capabilities, allowing administrators to track compliance and understand how the policies are being applied across the organization.
What challenges are imposed by conditional access?
Implementing conditional access needs to be planned and executed carefully to avoid unintended consequences, such as users getting locked out of apps and devices unnecessarily. You can avoid some of these consequences by:
- Having clients communicate the plan to employees, as well as how to troubleshoot.
- Using emergency access or break-glass accounts that are exempt from CA.
- Excluding service accounts and service principals, such as the Microsoft Entra Connect Sync Account, from CA.
- Applying CA policies to every app.
- Minimizing the number of CA policies.
- Test and monitor policies in report-only mode to ensure they achieve the intended result.
- Deciding on naming standards for emergency access controls.
- Blocking countries and regions from which you never expect a sign-in.
Final thoughts
It’s important to note that while conditional access policies provide robust security benefits, they should be implemented thoughtfully to balance security needs with user convenience. Proper planning and communication with users are key to a successful deployment.
Pax8 can help you and your clients get ready for conditional access implementation. Reach out to one of our reps to start the discussion. And if you’re unsure if your client is already compliant with MFA requirements, take our quiz to find out!
