This episode of Entra Chat features Anju Singh, a Product Manager at Microsoft in the Microsoft Entra Authentication Experiences team. We discuss the newest authentication method in Entra: QR codes!
Anju answers heaps of questions in this deep dive including why Microsoft chose QR codes, how it works under the hood, what you should and shouldn't use it for, and the biggest question - is it considered MFA?
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjusingh29/
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🔗 Related Links
QR Code Announcement - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-entra-blog/simplify-frontline-workers’-sign-in-experience-with-qr-code-authentication/3822034
QR code authentication method - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/authentication/concept-authentication-qr-code
Best practices to protect frontline workers - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/security-best-practices-for-frontline-workers
Set up optimized QR code authentication experience in Android app - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/android-qr-code-pin-authentication
Set up optimized QR code authentication experience in iOS/macOS app - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/ios-qr-code-pin-authentication
📗 Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:58 Topic Intro: QR Code Authentication for Frontline Workers
03:30 The Problem: Why QR Code Sign-In?
04:09 Who Are Frontline Workers?
05:41 Challenges with Current Authentication (Username/Password)
07:29 Balancing Simplicity and Security
10:40 Target Scenario: Shared Devices
11:36 Other Use Cases: Education Sector
12:30 How It Works: User Sign-In Experience
15:34 QR Code Contents: More Than Just a Username
16:40 PIN & QR Code Relationship
17:13 Scenario: Lost Badge & Admin Actions
18:32 Replacing the PIN
19:10 Delegated Management: The My Staff Portal
22:11 Handling Forgotten Badges: Temporary QR Codes
24:45 Rolling Out: Bulk Generation via APIs
26:12 Cost Comparison: QR Codes vs. FIDO Keys
28:05 The Big Question: Is it MFA?
29:43 Security Best Practices & Conditional Access
30:43 Combining QR Code with MFA
35:31 Fallback Options (Username/Password, TAP)
37:35 Public Preview & Call for Feedback
38:57 Current Scope: Mobile Devices & Tablets Only
40:09 Integrating QR Sign-In into Apps (Web View vs. MSAL)
41:00 Desktop Support Status
42:26 How to Provide Feedback
43:30 Future Considerations: Barcode Scanners
44:39 Closing Thoughts & Call to Action
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