Entra ID - Entitlement Management

Introduction

• Entitlement management is a feature in Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) that helps organizations manage and govern access to resources.
• It streamlines the process of assigning, reviewing, and managing user access permissions, ensuring that users have the appropriate access to applications, groups, and other resources based on their roles and responsibilities.

Key Features of Entitlement Management

1. Access Packages:
   • Bundles of resources (applications, groups, SharePoint sites) that users can request access to.
   • Access packages define the conditions under which users can request and be granted access.
2. Policies:
   • Define the rules for access requests, including who can request access, approval workflows, and access review schedules.
   • Policies help ensure that access is granted appropriately and reviewed periodically.
3. Lifecycle Management:
   • Automates the process of granting, reviewing, and removing access based on predefined criteria.
   • This includes automatic removal of access when it is no longer needed.
4. Approval Workflows:
   • Customizable workflows that require one or more approvers to review and approve access requests before access is granted.
5. Access Reviews:
   • Regularly scheduled reviews to ensure that users still need the access they have been granted. This helps maintain compliance and reduces the risk of unauthorized access.
6. Delegation:
   • Allows resource owners and managers to delegate access management tasks to other users, distributing the responsibility for access governance.

Benefits of Entitlement Management

1. Improved Security: Ensures that users have only the access they need, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
2. Compliance: Helps organizations meet regulatory and compliance requirements by providing a structured approach to access management and reviews.
3. Efficiency: Automates the access request and approval process, reducing the administrative burden on IT staff and speeding up access provisioning.
4. User Empowerment: Enables users to request access to the resources they need, streamlining their ability to perform their job functions. Auditability: Provides detailed logs and reports of access requests, approvals, and reviews, aiding in auditing and compliance efforts.

Use Cases

1. Onboarding New Employees: Quickly provision new employees with the access they need based on their role within the organization.
2. Project-Based Access: Grant access to specific resources for the duration of a project, and automatically revoke access when the project ends.
3. External Collaborators: Provide temporary access to external users (e.g., partners or contractors) and ensure it is revoked when no longer needed.
4. Periodic Access Reviews: Regularly review and confirm that users still require the access they have been granted, ensuring ongoing compliance.

How It Works

1. Create Access Packages: Define the resources that users can request access to, such as applications, groups, and SharePoint sites.
2. Define Policies: Set the rules for who can request access, the approval process, and the duration of access.
3. User Requests Access: Users request access to an access package through a self-service portal.
4. Approval Workflow: Access requests are routed through the defined approval workflow for review and approval.
5. Access Granted: Once approved, access is automatically provisioned to the user.
6. Access Review: Periodically review access to ensure it is still needed and revoke access when it is no longer required.