Entra 🆔 News #86 → This week in Microsoft Entra
Learn about the new QR code auth method 🔐, updates to External Auth Methods 📱, GA of auth methods migration wizard 🚀, and new granular Graph permissions for Lifecycle workflows⚙️, plus more! ✨
👋 Hi, Merill and Joshua here with this week's roundup of the latest news on Microsoft Entra from around the globe 🌍.
This week is all about Authentication Methods in Entra ID!
We saw the release of two new Entra ID public preview features which included the brand new QR code-based authentication method targeted at frontline workers and an update to the external authentication method.
Migrating away from the legacy authentication blade just got easier with the authentication method migration wizard going GA. If you haven't made the move yet, try out the wizard. The legacy blade options for configuring MFA and SSPR policies are planned to be retired in September 2025. Plan and make the switch now to avoid any surprises in September.
Enjoy!
Sponsored by:
Live Webinar: App Governance Biomarkers in Entra ID
🚩 You’ve seen the red flags and security gaps in your Microsoft Entra admin center or your AppGov Score Risk Profile—now it’s time to take action. But where do you start?
On March 12th @ 1 pm ET - Join ENow & MVPs Nicolas Blank & Alistair Pugin as they lay out a 100-day roadmap to clean up and secure your Entra ID application environment. We’ll break down key focus areas—Enterprise Apps, App Registrations, Hunting, & Tenant Settings. You'll learn:
🔍 How to assess your current Application Governance risk posture
🎯 Key milestones for your first 100 days of App Gov cleanup
🧹 Steps to remediate risky app permissions and configurations
🏆 Measures of success along the wayStop guessing what needs to be fixed and join the session for a concrete action plan!
⚡️ Microsoft
🏆 General Availability
Authentication methods migration wizard • Microsoft Learn
Granular Microsoft Graph permissions for Lifecycle workflows • Microsoft Learn
🔥 Public Preview
Simplify frontline workers’ sign-in experience with QR code authentication • Robin Goldstein
External Auth Methods support for system preferred MFA • Microsoft Learn
📖 Read
Configure Microsoft Entra for increased security (Preview) • Microsoft Learn
Seamless Security: Smartcard Logon from Entra-Only Machines to domain-joined Servers or AVDs • Dagmar Heidecker
Supporting Managed Identity based authentication flows in Azure Load Testing • Nagarjuna V
Introduction to using Managed Identity to authenticate to Azure OpenAI with .NET • Microsoft Learn Training Module
📺 Watch
Introducing Face Check with Microsoft Entra Verified ID (9 min) • Ankur Patel
How do Microsoft Entra ID Protection Risk Signals Work? (8 min) • Dima Donhin, Marilee Turscak
SFI Tech Tips: Using phishing resistant creds | Protect identities and secrets (11 min) • Sarah Young, Michael Howard, Nick Wryter
425 Show | Security Copilot in Microsoft Entra (32 min) • Mamta Kumar, Margaret Garcia Fani
📆 Upcoming Events
March 6, 2025 – 7:00 AM PT: Microsoft Entra Suite scenario deep dive: Goodbye, legacy VPNs; hello, secure access to on-premises resources
From the community…
🚀 Most popular posts from last week
Protecting on-premises from Microsoft 365 attacks • Matej Klemenčič
TAP (Temporary Access Pass), it's not a dance... and Web Sign-in • Joery Van den Bosch
Your Microsoft Entra Tenant Isn’t as Secure as You Think – Fix It with Protected Actions! • Sebastian Flæng Markdanner
☀️ Learn
👩✈️ Security Copilot
Security Copilot with Entra and Intune: The Ultimate Trio for Cybersecurity (and Maybe World Domination) – Part 1 • Joery Van den Bosch
👮♂️ ID Governance
🌐 Private Access & Internet Access (GSA)
Microsoft Application Proxy Passthrough Risks • Raymond R
📦 Apps
Power Automate: Renew App Registration Client Secret and Update Dataverse Environment Variable Value • Temmy Wahyu Raharjo
Understanding OAuth: Coding the authentication flow yourself vs using an SDK • Ben Whitmore
🔑 Authentication
Things you should know before rolling out device-bound passkeys in Microsoft Authenticator App • Jan Bakker
Microsoft Says “Ditch Passwords & Keys”, Use Entra ID Authentication Instead • Chris Pietschmann
Passwordless authentication in a hybrid environment • Michael Frank
How to Enable Microsoft Entra Password Writeback • Ali Tajran
How to bulk provision QR code authentication in Microsoft Entra • Daniel Bradley
👥 User & Group Management
Group Based Licensing – an all or none proposition… • Tim McMichael
🤖 DevOps & PowerShell
Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK Runs into Choppy Waters • Tony Redmond
Microsoft Graph Bicep – Part 2 • Michele Blum
🚦 Conditional Access
ConditionalAccessIQ Module: Enhancing Conditional Access Policy Oversight in Entra ID • Gabriel Delaney
How to Prevent Permanently Deleting Objects in Microsoft Entra ID • Ali Tajran
🔐 Credential Management
Password best practices • Michael Frank
Beyond the Password • Rod Trent
🏙️ External ID - Guests & Multi-Tenant Organizations
Entra ID Guest Accounts: Identify, Analyze, and Clean Up • Matej Klemenčič
🥷 Security
Protect yourself from AiTM! • Jean-Loup Orgitello
Terms of What? • Sagi Olshansky
The Perfect Cover: Masking Password Sprays as Microsoft Traffic • Matan Bahar
How to remove elevated access for users in the Azure Portal • Wim Matthyssen
Entra ID: Lock It or Lose It 🔒- Part 1 • Thijs Hurenkamp
📒 Tenant Configuration
⚒️ Toolkit
Azure Service Principal Impersonation - A prototype for implementing Azure Service Principal Impersonation using Azure Functions and Key Vault. This project demonstrates an approach to temporary privilege elevation in complex Azure environments • Simon Gottschlag
🎙️ Podcasts
Ctrl+Alt+Azure - Backing up the cloud • Tobias Zimmergren, Jussi Roine
The PowerShell Podcast - Microsoft Graph and Stepping into Public Speaking (34 min) • Morten Kristensen, Andrew Pla
📺 Watch
Entra ID - Export Conditional Access Policies (6 min) • Julian Rasmussen MVP
Safeguard Your Microsoft 365 Tokens From Sneaky Thieves! (22 min) • Jonathan Edwards
Join a Windows 11 Computer Easily to Entra ID (2 min) • Andy Malone
Accessing resources cross tenant using managed service identities (27 min) • Marius Solbakken, Olav Tvedt
How to use Temporary Access Pass in Microsoft Entra ID (15 min) • Lukas Beran
🔥 Maester
The Maester Terraform Module 🔥 • Brian Veldman
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