Managing access to resources and securing identities
Managing access to resources and securing identities is a crucial aspect of any organization’s IT strategy, particularly in the context of the SC-300 Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam. One crucial feature to effectively achieve this is the ability to conduct access reviews. Conducting regular access reviews ensures that resource access is limited to only those who need it.
Understanding Access Reviews
In the context of Microsoft Identity and Access Management (IAM), access reviews are periodic audits performed to determine whether roles and access privileges granted to users are appropriate and necessary for their job function. These reviews ensure that user’s access aligns with the principle of least privilege, thereby reducing the organization’s attack surface.
Access reviews can address:
- A user’s continued assignment to an application.
- A user’s continued assignment to a role.
- Guests’ continued access to applications and memberships.
Planning for Access Reviews
When planning for access reviews, there are several factors to consider:
- Frequency: How often should access reviews be performed? It could be on a quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly basis. The frequency will likely depend on the criticality of the resources in question and the organization’s security policy.
- Review Scope: Define which resources, applications, or roles are to be reviewed. This could include high-risk applications, roles with elevated permissions, etc.
- Review Participants: Identify who will be involved in conducting the reviews. It could be resource owners, application owners, or even the users themselves.
- Review Action: Determine what should be done when a user no longer requires a specific role or application. The action could be to remove the access, request approval for continued access or do nothing.
- Automating reviews: With the help of Azure Active Directory, it is also possible to automate the entire process of access reviews.
Implementing Access Reviews with Microsoft Azure
In Microsoft’s Azure platform, access reviews can be performed via Azure AD Access Reviews. The reviews could be created for all users or a specific group of users.
Here’s an example of how to implement a review for members in a group.
- In the Azure portal, go to “Azure Active Directory” > “Identity Governance”.
- In the left menu, click “Access Reviews” > “New Access Review”.
- Provide details such as “Name”, “Start date”, and “Frequency”.
- Under “Users to review,” select “Members (assigned users and groups)”.
- Under “Choose group to review”, select the specific group.
- For “Reviewers”, pick either the group owners to review their group members’ access or select “Members (self)” to have the members review their own access.
- Specify what happens after the access review ends under “Settings”.
Conclusion
In conclusion, planning for access reviews is a critical component of managing and securing access to resources. By understanding the role of access reviews and how they can be implemented, businesses can ensure that only the necessary individuals have access to the resources they need, thereby greatly enhancing their security posture. Whether you’re studying for the SC-300 Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam or simply looking to better manage your organization’s Microsoft Azure infrastructure, it’s crucial to understand and utilize access reviews appropriately.
Practice Test
An access review can be performed in Microsoft 365 Azure Active Directory for any application. Is this statement True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Any application in the Azure Active Directory can be subject to an access review to determine the users and groups who have access to it.
What is an example of an entity that can be subject to an access review in Microsoft 365 Azure Active Directory?
- Files
- Applications
- Printers
- Databases
Answer: Applications
Explanation: Applications in the Azure Active Directory are entities that can be the subject of an access review.
Select the right lifecycle of an access review?
- Create, review, and then delete.
- Start, review, and then complete.
- Begin, implement, and then end.
- Initiate, analyze, and then finalize.
Answer: Start, review, and then complete.
Explanation: Reviewers or administrators can manually start a review, then review it to analyze user access, and finally complete the review once done.
Who can participate in the process of an access review?
- Administrators
- Reviewers
- Users
- All of the above
Answer: All of the above
Explanation: If assigned by the administrator, reviewers can examine the access, while users can participate by validating their own access.
Access reviews can help organizations reduce their attack surface. Is this statement True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Access reviews help reduce the attack surface by ensuring only necessary personnel have access to the correct resources.
You cannot automate the process of access reviews. Is this statement True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure’s access reviews come with a feature to automate regular access review.
What does ‘Apply to’ mean when create an access review in Azure AD?
- The accounts that will be reviewed.
- The date to start and end the review.
- The method of review.
- The groups who will participate in the review.
Answer: The accounts that will be reviewed.
Explanation: When creating an access review, ‘Apply to’ refers to the accounts that will be undergoing review.
For reviews targeted at guests in all Microsoft 365 groups and teams, the ‘Apply to’ feature should be set to what?
- Guest users in the directory
- Members and guests in the access package
- Users in the access package
- Users and groups in the resource
Answer: Guest users in the directory
Explanation: Reviews aiming to target guests in all Microsoft 365 groups and teams should set ‘Apply to’ as ‘Guest users in the directory’.
Access review decisions can impact user’s continued access immediately. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Access review decisions, like approval, deny, or maintaining current access, immediately affect a user’s access.
Access review configurations cannot be saved as templates. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Access review configurations can be saved as templates for reuse in future reviews.
It is not possible to filter users during an access review. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Users can be filtered during an access review based on certain conditions such as ‘no sign-in’ within a certain period.
What does a ‘Deny’ decision do when reviewing user’s access?
- It removes the user’s access.
- It approves the user’s access.
- It temporarily suspends the user’s access.
- It sends a warning to the user.
Answer: It removes the user’s access.
Explanation: A ‘Deny’ decision during the access review will result in the removal of the user’s access to the resource.
Access reviews only examine direct assignments. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Access reviews allow reviewing both direct assignments and indirect assignments (assignments via group membership).
Are reviewers notified via email when a review starts?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Reviewers are notified via email about the start of an access review, any midway reminders, and the end of the review.
Access reviews can be performed on Microsoft 365 groups and Teams. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Access reviews can be performed on Microsoft 365 groups and Teams to ensure relevant access for the respective members.
Interview Questions
What is an Access Review in Microsoft’s Identity and Access Administration?
An Access Review is a feature in Microsoft 365 that allows organizations to evaluate and manage users’ access to various resources. It helps ensure that only the appropriate people have access to specific resources, facilitating the principle of least privilege.
How do Access Reviews benefit organizations?
Access Reviews help organizations maintain security, compliance, and operational efficiency by making sure that only the right users have access to resources. They also reduce the risk of unnoticed access privileges that could potentially lead to data breaches.
How often can an Access Review be carried out?
The frequency of Access Reviews is customizable according to an organization’s needs and can be set up to occur weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Can an Access Review be conducted for guests in the organization?
Yes, Microsoft 365 allows access reviews to be performed for guests and business partners collaborating with your organization, ensuring that they only have the necessary access rights.
What type of resources are applicable for Access Reviews?
Access Reviews can be conducted on various types of resources, including Microsoft 365 and Office 365 groups, Azure AD roles, and Application access.
What happens if a user fails the Access Review?
If a user fails an access review, their access to specific resources can be removed, depending on the settings put in place by the administrator.
Who is notified when an Access Review is initiated?
The users under review and the reviewers receive notifications, depending on the configuration details set by the administrator. The notifications can be customized per the organization’s needs.
What permissions do you need to create an Access Review?
To create an Access Review, you need either the Global Administrator or User Administrator permissions in Azure AD, or you need to be a member of the User Access Administrator role in Azure RBAC.
Can an Access Review be initiated automatically?
Yes, Access Reviews can be set up to begin automatically at specified intervals. This helps in maintaining consistent security across resources.
What is required to review access to an Azure AD role?
To review access to an Azure AD role, you require privileges of a Global Administrator or Privileged Role Administrator.
What are the steps a reviewer must take to perform an Access Review?
The reviewer must first receive and accept the access review request. They then review the access of each individual user, indicating approvals or denials. Finally, they submit the Access Review.
In which situations would an Access Review be considered necessary?
An Access Review is considered necessary when there are changes in user roles, an audit identifies the need for a review, or there are users with privileged access to sensitive resources.
Can an ‘Access Review’ policy be created in Microsoft 365?
Yes, an Access Review policy can be created in Microsoft 365. This guides how the Access Reviews are conducted, including the frequency, resource scope, and requirements for the reviewers.
Is it possible to delegate the review process to non-admin users?
Yes, the review process can be delegated to non-admin users. This allows them to review specific groups or application access without having admin rights.
How are the results of the Access Review used?
The results of the Access Review can be used to adjust users’ access rights by either confirming, denying, or revoking access. The results can also be used for future audits or to support access governance policies.
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