‘Hybrid Identity’ has become a buzzword in recent years, especially with the increased integration of on-premises and cloud resources. It is a topic of utmost importance for the SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals exam. But what is it, and why is it so crucial?
A hybrid identity is basically an approach that allows a unified identity solution across an on-premise and a cloud environment. It is a way of managing and maintaining identities for Single-Sign-On (SSO) between these two environments. With hybrid identity, organizations no longer need to maintain separate identity solutions for each environment.
To put it simply, hybrid identity means your users have a single identity for authentication purposes whether they are accessing resources on your on-premises network or in a cloud-based environment like Microsoft 365.
How Does it Work?
The basic mechanism behind hybrid identity is synchronization. Microsoft developed a tool called Azure Active Directory Connect (Azure AD Connect) that integrates your on-premises directories with Azure AD. When you install and configure Azure AD Connect, it will automatically synchronize your on-premises directory with Azure AD.
This way, users will use their username and password (the same they’d use to log into their on-prem infrastructure) to access both on-premise resources and cloud services.
There are three main options for implementing a hybrid identity with Azure:
- Password Hash Synchronization (PHS)
- Pass-through Authentication (PTA)
- Federation (AD FS or third-party)
Password Hash Synchronization (PHS)
With this mechanism, hashes of user passwords are synchronized from on-premises Active Directory to Azure AD. This allows users to use the same password on-premises and in the cloud, but they will have to re-enter their password when accessing cloud applications.
Pass-through Authentication (PTA)
In this scenario, the password does not leave the local infrastructure. An agent installed on the local server takes the password entered in the cloud, sends it back to the local Active Directory for validation, and then sends the response back to Azure AD.
Federation (AD FS or third-party)
Federation extends the ability to use single sign-on by querying the local Active Directory each time a user tries to access resources in the cloud. Federation involves setting up and maintaining infrastructure in the form of federation servers.
Choosing the right hybrid identity model depends on many factors including security requirements, sign-on methods, and whether the system is already set up for federation.
Conclusion
In the modern interconnected working environment, hybrid identity stretches to offer a seamless user experience while ensuring security and efficiency. By integrating on-premises directories with cloud directories, hybrid identity represents the best of both worlds and is a key study concept for the SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals exam.
References:
- Microsoft Learn, Hybrid identity and directory synchronization.
- Microsoft Documentation, What is hybrid identity with Azure Active Directory?
Please note that individual organization’s configuration and requirements may alter the described usage of hybrid identity. Always rely on official Microsoft documentation for the most accurate, up-to-date information.
Practice Test
True/False: Hybrid identity in Microsoft refers to the sum of identities used within the organization, combining on-premises and cloud identities.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Hybrid identity is a technology that combines the on-premises and Azure Active Directory identities and allows users to have a common identity across both environments.
Multiple select: Which of the following are features of Hybrid Identity?
- A. Single sign-on
- B. Multi-Factor Authentication
- C. Identity Protection
- D. Token exchange
Answer: A, B, C, D
Explanation: All these features are part of Hybrid Identity in Microsoft Azure. Single sign-on allows users to sign in once and gain access to different applications, Multi-Factor Authentication provides an additional layer of security, Identity Protection detects potential vulnerabilities, and token exchange is used for secure communication between services.
Single Select: Which service can be used to enable hybrid identity in Microsoft?
- A. Azure Active Directory
- B. Microsoft 365
- C. Microsoft Intune
- D. Azure Logic Apps
Answer: A. Azure Active Directory
Explanation: Azure Active Directory is used to create and manage hybrid identities. It helps to provide a common identity for the users for Office 365, Azure, and SaaS applications.
True/False: Hybrid identity doesn’t allow users to use their corporate identity outside the network.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: With hybrid identity, users can use their corporate identity both on-premises and in the cloud which includes outside the network as well.
Multiple Select: Which are the core components of Azure Hybrid identity?
- A. Azure Active Directory
- B. Azure multi-factor authentication
- C. Azure AD Connect
- D. Azure Information Protection
Answer: A, B, C
Explanation: The core components of Azure Hybrid identity are Azure Active Directory, Azure Multi-Factor Authentication, and Azure AD Connect for synchronization.
Single Select: What is the role of Azure AD Connect in Hybrid Identity?
- A. Data Backup
- B. Identity Synchronization
- C. Hardware Security
- D. Network Monitoring
Answer: B. Identity Synchronization
Explanation: Azure AD Connect plays a crucial role in hybrid identity by synchronizing identity data between on-premises Active Directory and Azure Active Directory.
True/False: Password Hash Synchronization (PHS) is a sign-in method used in the hybrid identity solution.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Password Hash Synchronization (PHS) is one of the sign-in methods in a hybrid identity solution. It synchronizes hash versions of on-premises AD user passwords to Azure AD.
Multiple Select: Which of these are common hybrid identity solutions?
- A. Password Hash Synchronization (PHS)
- B. Pass-through Authentication (PTA)
- C. Federation
- D. Distributed File System (DFS)
Answer: A, B, C
Explanation: Password Hash Synchronization (PHS), Pass-through Authentication (PTA), and Federation are popular hybrid identity solutions. Distributed File System (DFS) is instead a file system structure.
Single Select: The main purpose of implementing a hybrid identity solution is to:
- A. Improve data storage
- B. Enhance computing power
- C. Simplify device management
- D. Achieve identity synchronization
Answer: D. Achieve identity synchronization
Explanation: The main goal of implementing a hybrid identity solution is to ensure that users have a unified identity across on-premises and cloud environments, which is known as identity synchronization.
True/False: Azure AD B2B is primarily used to manage hybrid identities of external partners.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure AD B2B is designed to manage hybrid identities of external partners, allowing them to access corporate resources with their own identities.
Interview Questions
What is Hybrid Identity in the context of Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure’s Hybrid Identity solution is a technology that combines the benefits of on-premises Active Directory and the cloud-based identity capabilities of Azure Active Directory.
What does Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) mean?
Azure AD is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity access management service that assists employees sign in and access both external resources and internal resources.
Mention the main purposes of Hybrid Identity.
The main purposes of Hybrid Identity are seamless user access, a common identity platform, advanced security in cloud and on-premises, and simplified identity infrastructure.
Define the term “seamless user access” in the context of Hybrid Identity.
Seamless user access refers to the ability of users to access on-premises and cloud resources using the same identity credentials, providing a consistent user experience.
What do you mean by “common identity platform”?
A common identity platform is a strategy that uses a single, cohesive identity system like Azure AD to manage identities across both on-premises and cloud environments.
How does Hybrid Identity offer advanced security?
Hybrid Identity offers advanced security by providing features like multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, identity protection using machine learning, and more.
What is meant by “simplified identity infrastructure” in Hybrid Identity?
Simplified identity infrastructure refers to reducing the complexity and cost of managing separate identity solutions for on-premises and cloud resources by using a single, integrated system.
Which primary authentication method is used in a Hybrid Identity setup?
In a Hybrid Identity setup, the primary authentication method is password hash synchronization.
What is Password Hash Synchronization (PHS) in Hybrid Identity?
Password Hash Synchronization (PHS) is a sign-in method in which the hash of a user’s password from on-premises Active Directory is synchronized with Azure AD.
What is the purpose of using Azure AD Connect tool in a Hybrid Identity setup?
Azure AD Connect tool is used in Hybrid Identity to integrate an on-premises environment with Azure AD, synchronize identities, and provide features like password hash synchronization, pass-through authentication, federation integration, and more.
What does Pass-through Authentication (PTA) in Hybrid Identity mean?
Pass-through Authentication (PTA) is a method where authentication requests to Azure AD are passed on to the on-premises Active Directory, and the result of the on-premises authentication is used in Azure AD.
What is federation integration in Hybrid Identity?
Federation integration is a functionality that allows users to use their on-premises Active Directory passwords to authenticate to Azure AD, typically via Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS).
Could you mention some scenarios where Hybrid Identity can be used?
Hybrid Identity can be used in scenarios like cloud app integration, multi-office locations with different local on-premises Active Directory, business mergers and acquisitions, identity lifecycle management and more.
How does Hybrid Identity assist in Identity Life Cycle Management?
Hybrid Identity facilitates Identity Life Cycle Management by controlling identity provisioning, password management, and de-provisioning using synchronization mechanisms between on-premises AD and Azure AD, reducing administration efforts.
How does Hybrid Identity help in business mergers and acquisitions?
In business mergers and acquisitions, Hybrid Identity helps by easily integrating the acquired company’s identities into the existing infrastructure, providing seamless access to resources while ensuring security.
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