What is Microsoft Entra ID?

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory or Azure AD) is a cloud-based Identity and Access Management (‘IAM’) service. It helps organizations manage user identities, control access to resources (such as apps, data, and devices), and provides secure access to applications and services both on-premises and in the cloud.

Key Capabilities of Entra ID

Here are some of the key capabilities of Microsoft Entra ID:

• Single Sign-On (‘SSO’) for cloud and on-premises apps – For cloud applications, it acts as an identity provider (‘IdP’) for secure access. On-premises applications can leverage Microsoft Entra ID through features like application proxy and device-based SSO, enabling seamless access for users.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (‘MFA’) – Entra ID supports various MFA methods, such as phone calls, SMS, mobile app notifications, and authenticator apps, allowing organizations to choose their preferred method.
• Conditional Access (context-aware access policies) – It is a feature that allows organizations to set policies for conditional and controlled access to both cloud and on-premises resources based on various criteria, such as user identity, device compliance, location, and more.
• Identity Governance (Access reviews, entitlement management, etc) – This feature ensures that the right users have the right access to the right resources, at the right time, by automating access requests, defining policies, and conducting regular access reviews.
• Lifecycle management with integrations like Workday, SAP SuccessFactors – This feature automates the creation, update, and removal of user identities and access as their roles or status changes within an organization.

The Shift to Cloud-First and Hybrid Environments: Why Modern Identity Management Matters

In recent years, organizations of all sizes have rapidly adopted cloud services to increase flexibility, improve scalability, and reduce infrastructure costs. This shift has transformed the traditional IT landscape, where users, applications, and data no longer reside solely within a company’s internal network. Today, employees, contractors, and partners access critical systems from multiple locations, using various devices — often outside the corporate firewall.

As businesses embrace cloud-first and hybrid environments, managing identities and controlling access to resources has become significantly more complex. Legacy identity systems were designed for on-premises, perimeter-based security models and struggle to provide secure, seamless access in a world where boundaries are increasingly blurred.

This is where modern identity management solutions like Microsoft Entra ID play a crucial role. It enables organizations to:

• Centralize access management for both on-premises and cloud applications
• Simplify user experiences with SSO and MFA
• Centralize identity governance and access administration for different types of users such as employees, contractors, third-party vendors, customers and consumers.
• Support Zero Trust security frameworks, ensuring that no one is trusted by default
• Secure access using contextual and risk-based conditional access policies.

Modern identity platform like Entra ID is now essential for protecting organizations against evolving cybersecurity threats while enabling productivity and collaboration in today’s dynamic, cloud-driven work environments.

Is your organization still relying on outdated identity platforms or using multiple identity platforms? Hexadius provides end-to-end IAM solutions. Contact us for a no-obligation discussion on how we can help set up a modern identity platform.