1.3.3. 💡 First Principle: Entra ID

First Principle: Microsoft Entra ID centralizes identity management, authenticating users and securing access to Azure resources, cloud applications (SaaS), and on-premises resources. It is the core of identity and access management in Azure.

What It Is: "Entra ID" is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service. It helps your employees sign in and access internal and external resources.

Key Concepts:

• "Centralized Identity": Manages user identities, groups, and device identities in one place.
• "Authentication": Verifies user identity before granting access. Supports "Single Sign-On (SSO)" and "Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)".
• "Authorization": Works with "Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)" to define what actions an authenticated user or application can perform on Azure resources.
• "Application Integration": Integrates with thousands of "SaaS applications" (e.g., Microsoft 365, Salesforce) and custom applications for secure user access.
• "Hybrid Identity": Can synchronize with on-premises Active Directory for a unified identity experience across hybrid environments.

Visual: "Entra ID Centralized Identity Management"

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Scenario: You are developing a new web application and need to implement user authentication and authorization. Your organization already uses Microsoft 365, and employees have Entra ID accounts. You want users to be able to sign in to your new application using their existing organizational credentials.

Reflection Question: How does integrating your application with Entra ID fundamentally simplify user authentication and authorization, leveraging centralized identity management and enhancing security through features like SSO and MFA?

💡 Tip: For developers, understanding "Entra ID application registration" and using the "Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL)" are crucial for integrating your apps with Entra ID.