Online security is more important than ever. Remember when a simple password was enough to keep you safe? Then, we moved to adding multi-factor codes and we thought we were covered. Those days are long gone. With the rise of remote work and cloud services, protecting your identity has become a top priority in cybersecurity. Want to know how to stay ahead of the evolving threats? Let’s talk about conditional access policies—they’re a real game changer for boosting identity protection.
The Evolution of Identity Security
The Old Model
Once upon a time, security was all about fortifying the office network. Firewalls stood tall, and VPNs were keeping data safe. Access was limited to those sitting at their desks, within the confines of the office. It was a simpler time when protecting digital assets was akin to building a fortress around your workspace.
The New Model
Fast forward to today, where the landscape of work has dramatically shifted. Remote work is no longer a luxury; it’s the norm. Platforms like Office 365 and Google Workspace have taken the stage, ensuring work continues from anywhere, anytime. However, this decentralization of security poses a challenge.
With data spread across personal devices and various cloud services, the focus has shifted to user identity protection. It’s less about building walls and more about knowing who holds the keys.
Why Traditional Security Measures Aren’t Enough
The Limitations of Perimeter-Based Security
Imagine trying to protect your home with a door that has no lock. That’s perimeter-based security in modern cloud environments. When data lives on platforms like SharePoint and Teams, the old methods fall short. Here are two reasons why:
- Static Boundaries: Traditional security measures are static by nature. They rely on a fixed perimeter, but today’s digital workspaces have no physical boundaries.
- On-Premise Mindset: On-premise networks had IT teams managing and securing everything within the office walls. But with remote work, users access data from anywhere, making it difficult to control all entry points.
The Major Shortcomings of MFA
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is like having a second lock on a safe. It’s a great first line of defense but not foolproof. Phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks can still find a way through by stealing passwords and MFA tokens, leaving your valuable data vulnerable. Relying solely on traditional measures isn’t enough to keep the bad guys at bay. Thus, you must leverage additional security controls and phishing-resistant MFA techniques seen below.
Conditional Access and Dynamic Security Policies
Understanding Conditional Access
A conditional access policy is a granular approach that sets conditions for access, tailoring security measures to meet unique needs. By evaluating multiple factors, organizations can ensure that only the right people access the right data at the right time.
Tailored Security Policies
With conditional access, one size doesn’t fit all. Organizations can apply different security policies to various applications, users, or devices. This dynamic approach allows for flexibility while maintaining robust security. It’s like having a customized suit of armor for each scenario—ensuring optimal protection without compromising usability.
Implementing a Phishing Resistant Conditional Access Policy
1. Device Compliance
Start by ensuring devices comply with your organization’s security standards and are joined and managed. This prevents just any device in the world, which is the default, from accessing your data. By mandating device compliance, you add a major additional layer of security, ensuring that only trusted devices gain entry.
2. Trusted Network Access
A conditional access policy can restrict access based on network locations. For instance, if your team operates mainly in North America, access attempts from other continents might raise a red flag. Additionally, you can specify trusted IP ranges such as your corporate locations, work from home locations, or VPNs. It’s about letting the right people in, from the right places.
3. Passkeys
Passkeys (Previously FIDO2) are bound to the security chip on your device. They can be in several forms such as device specific Windows Hello for Business (PIN, fingerprint, face) or Mac (fingerprint, and FaceID), and physical keys such as Yubikey. By leveraging the security chip on your device as your multi-factor authentication, you ensure an unbreakable trust from your device to the cloud that is phishing-resistant, unlike common MFA such as text message codes or push approve/deny alerts on your phone.
4. App-Specific Controls
Different apps may require different levels of security. By implementing app-specific controls, you can enforce stricter policies for sensitive apps while allowing more relaxed rules for others. This targeted approach ensures optimal security without hampering productivity.
5. Risky User Policies
Microsoft Entra ID Plan 2 Risky User Monitoring provides organizations with machine learning driven information alerts about suspicious activity in their tenant and allows them to respond rapidly to prevent further risk occurring. Risk detections are a powerful resource that can include any suspicious or anomalous activity related to a user account in the directory. ID Protection risk detections can be linked to an individual user or sign-in event and contribute to the overall user risk score found in the Risky Users report.
6. Third Party Log Monitoring
Subscribe to third party security operation center monitoring which allows human operators to review your sign in log data continuously 24×7 and raise any additional alerts for suspicious activity or disable the account in real-time at any hour if a breach is confirmed.
Best Practices for Conditional Access
- Start with baseline policies, like universal MFA as a foundational step.
- Device compliance for trusted access from known devices only.
- Phishing-resistant MFA methods to counter evolving threats.
- Test policies regularly to ensure they don’t hinder user experience.
- Continuously monitor and adjust policies based on emerging threats.
Take Charge of Your Identity Protection
From limiting access to specific devices and locations to enforcing strict policies for critical apps, a conditional access policy is a powerful tool in your cybersecurity arsenal. With the right approach, organizations can enhance identity protection while maintaining flexibility and usability.
Don’t wait until it’s too late—contact OnboardIT today and start implementing a conditional access policy today to stay ahead of evolving threats and protect your valuable data.
