Session management is about maintaining state between different requests that a user makes to a system, a crucial need in web applications. When a user logs in, a session is established, and the system needs to remember this user across multiple requests; otherwise, the user would have to provide credentials for every action.
Typically, a session ID is generated upon successful user authentication, which is then passed between the user’s web browser and the server for the duration of the session.
Session Management in Azure AD
Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) provides advanced session management capabilities. In Azure AD, when a user signs in, a session is established on the user’s device. Azure AD keeps track of the session and can force users to sign back in after a specified period of inactivity.
Here are some attributes related to Azure AD session management:
- Max Inactive Time: This defines the time of inactivity after which the user will automatically be signed out.
- Max Session Age: This is the lifetime of the session. After this period, users must sign back in, regardless of their activity.
- Sign-in Frequency: This is the frequency at which user login is expected. If a user stays inactive beyond this frequency, they are signed out.
Azure AD session lifetime settings also consider various factors like user risk, location, device, and application sensitivity.
Conditional Access and Session Management
Azure AD Conditional Access policies play a critical role in session management. You can use Conditional Access to control how you manage sessions for devices and apps in your organization.
For example, you can create a policy that requires users to sign in to any cloud app every five hours when accessing them from a shared device. This can help prevent unauthorized access in an environment such as a library or hospital.
You can set up Conditional Access in Azure with these steps:
- Sign in to the Azure portal.
- Go to Azure Active Directory > Security > Conditional Access.
- Click “New Policy”.
- Under “Assignments”, choose “Users and groups”.
- Under “Cloud apps”, select the apps you want to include in your policy.
- Under “Conditions”, you can set various conditions, for instance, Device state or Client apps.
- Under “Access controls”, choose “Session”.
- You can now configure sign-in frequency and persistent browser session settings.
- Finally, name your policy and enable it.
Importance of Session Management
Session management is fundamental for security and user experience in any web application. With effective session management, Azure AD prevents unauthorized access of sensitive information.
For the SC-300 Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam, understanding how session management works in Microsoft Identity, particularly in Azure AD, is a critical component. Use this information to solidify your understanding and complement your preparation for the exam’s focus on implementing and managing identity and access strategy.
Practice Test
True or False: Session management is not supported in both cloud and on-premises environment.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Session management is supported in both cloud and on-premises environment and allows for user activity tracking and timely session termination.
Which of the following is not a key aspect of Session Management?
- a) Timely session termination
- b) Authentication
- c) Data Encryption
- d) Clipboard monitoring
Answer: d) Clipboard monitoring
Explanation: Clipboard monitoring is not a key aspect of session management. Session management mainly focuses on authentication, maintaining user states, and ensuring the security of data during a ‘session’.
Who can define session policies in Azure AD?
- a) Applications
- b) Users
- c) Administrators
- d) Microsoft
Answer: c) Administrators
Explanation: In Azure AD, only Administrators can define session policies that dictate behavior during access and refresh tokens.
True or False: ID tokens and access tokens in Azure AD expire after a set lifetime.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: In Azure AD, both ID tokens and access tokens expire after a set lifetime, which is governed according to the session policy defined by the administrators.
Which of the following is not an authentication method supported by Azure AD session management?
- a) Password Hash Synchronization
- b) Token refreshes
- c) Pass-through Authentication
- d) Federation with ADFS
Answer: b) Token refreshes
Explanation: Azure AD supports Password Hash Synchronization, Pass-through Authentication, and Federation with ADFS. Token refreshes is not an authentication method, but a session management policy.
True or False: Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) does not support single sign-on (SSO)?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: ADFS supports Single sign-on (SSO), allowing users to log in with a single set of credentials to multiple systems and applications.
True or False: Azure AD’s Conditional Access policies apply after first-factor authentication has been completed.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure AD’s Conditional Access policies apply after first-factor authentication has been completed. They provide a layer of security after initial login and check for any conditions that might require additional security measures.
What are refresh tokens used for in Azure AD?
- a) To secure data transmission
- b) To gain additional access tokens
- c) To verify user identity
- d) To force a user to re-authenticate
Answer: b) To gain additional access tokens
Explanation: In Azure AD, refresh tokens are used to gain additional access tokens when the existing ones expire.
True or False: The Sign-in frequency feature in Azure AD forces a user to re-authenticate after a defined time period.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Sign-in frequency feature in Azure AD helps manage session lifetimes by forcing a user to re-authenticate after the defined period.
Which of these functions is not performed by Azure AD’s Identity Protection tool?
- a) Detects suspicious activities
- b) Enforces conditional access policies
- c) Hashes user passwords
- d) Automates the response to suspicious actions
Answer: c) Hashes user passwords.
Explanation: Azure AD’s Identity Protection tool is designed to detect suspicious activities, enforce conditional access policies, and automate responses. It does not handle password hashing.
Interview Questions
What is session management in the context of Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator?
Session management in Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator pertains to controlling and managing user sessions within an application to maintain secure access to data and services.
What role does Azure Active Directory play in session management?
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) offers session controls as part of its conditional access functionality. The controls help in managing user sessions by enforcing various policies like sign-in frequency and persistent browser session.
What is a persistent browser session in Azure Active Directory?
A Persistent browser session in Azure AD allows users to retain their browser sessions, keeping them signed in even when they close and reopen their browsers.
How often can you force a user to sign in again using Azure AD’s session management?
Azure AD’s sign-in frequency session control allows admin to specify how often users should be forced to sign in again. It could range from hours to days or even at each application launch.
Is it possible to make exemptions to the session management policies in Azure AD?
Yes, Azure AD allows you to make exemptions to session management policies on a per-user basis, per-device basis or based on location.
How can enforcing session limits enhance security in Azure AD?
Enforcing session limits helps to prevent unwanted access by automatically terminating sessions that are idle, expired or left from a previous interaction. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access.
What are Conditional Access policies in Azure AD?
Conditional Access policies in Azure AD are an automated response to certain conditions or scenarios, such as users needing to reauthenticate when attempting to access critical resources or from particular devices or locations.
What is the role of Multi-Factor Authentication in Azure AD’s session management?
Multi-Factor Authentication serves as an additional layer of security in Azure AD’s session management. It requires users to verify their identity using multiple methods, thus making it difficult for unauthorized users to gain access.
How can Azure Active Directory assist in monitoring session management?
Azure AD provides tools like Azure AD sign-ins and the Azure AD audit logs that can help in monitoring session management activities like sign-in events, policy changes or user behavior.
What is the purpose of the ‘Require device to be marked as compliant’ policy in Azure AD session management?
The ‘Require device to be marked as compliant’ policy requires a device to meet the organization’s compliance policies to maintain a session. This ensures that only devices adhering to security standards can access resources, further enhancing security.
Can Azure AD session management be integrated with on-premises systems?
Yes, Azure AD session management can be integrated with on-premises systems via Azure AD Connect, which enables synchronizing on-premises directories with Azure AD.
How does Azure AD handle session management for inactive or idle sessions?
Azure AD can be configured to automatically terminate inactive or idle sessions, thereby preventing potential security breaches from unattended session activities.
What is a refresh token in the Azure AD session management context?
In Azure AD, a refresh token is a credential used to obtain new access tokens. This can help to maintain session continuity by refreshing tokens that may have expired or are nearing expiration.
What type of applications does Azure AD support for session management?
Azure AD supports session management for cloud apps, on-premises apps, and custom-developed apps.
How can you configure session timeout policies in Azure AD?
Session timeout policies in Azure AD can be configured using conditional access policies. The session timeout can be set to a specific duration or to terminate immediately upon certain conditions.