Microsoft Entra External ID, part of Microsoft Entra, provides highly secure digital experiences for partners, customers, citizens, patients, or any users outside your organization with customization controls. Combine external identities and user directories in one portal to seamlessly manage access across the organization.
Microsoft Entra External ID refers to all the ways you can securely interact with users outside of your organization. If you want to collaborate with partners, distributors, suppliers, or vendors, you can share your resources and define how your internal users can access external organizations. If you're a developer creating consumer-facing apps, you can manage your customers' identity experiences.
With External ID, external users can "bring their own identities." Whether they have a corporate or government-issued digital identity, or an unmanaged social identity like Google or Facebook, they can use their own credentials to sign in. The external user’s identity provider manages their identity, and you manage access to your apps with Entra ID or Entra External ID to keep your resources protected.
The following capabilities make up External ID:
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B2B collaboration - Collaborate with external users by letting them use their preferred identity to sign in to your Microsoft applications or other enterprise applications (SaaS apps, custom-developed apps, etc.). B2B collaboration users are represented in your directory, typically as guest users.
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B2B direct connect - Establish a mutual, two-way trust with another Azure AD organization for seamless collaboration. B2B direct connect currently supports Teams shared channels, enabling external users to access your resources from within their home instances of Teams. B2B direct connect users aren't represented in your directory, but they're visible from within the Teams shared channel and can be monitored in Teams admin center reports.
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Azure AD B2C - Publish modern SaaS apps or custom-developed apps (excluding Microsoft apps) to consumers and customers, while using Azure AD B2C for identity and access management.
Microsoft Entra ID Protection enhances security through features like conditional access and multifactor authentication, optimizing identity management for enterprises. This robust solution ensures efficient control over access policies, supporting seamless integration and operational efficiency.
Microsoft Entra ID Protection provides advanced identity management, authentication, and authorization capabilities, supporting multifactor authentication and single sign-on to control digital identities effectively. It utilizes adaptive machine learning for security enhancements and automated risk-based actions, with seamless Microsoft Defender integration. Connectivity with third-party applications and real-time monitoring offers improved operational efficiency for managing large user bases. While it is a powerful tool, there is room to grow in areas such as identity labeling, password management, faster synchronization, better Mac compatibility, and improved scalability. Desired features include enhanced course availability for security training, streamlined implementation processes, and clarified interfaces.
What are the key features of Microsoft Entra ID Protection?
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Conditional Access: Control access policies to secure identity-related activities.
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Multifactor Authentication: Strengthen sign-in security with multiple verification methods.
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Single Sign-On: Simplify access to applications with a single set of credentials.
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Identity Governance: Maintain compliance and manage identities efficiently.
What benefits should be considered in reviews?
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Enhanced Security: Adaptive machine learning and risk-based actions reduce vulnerabilities.
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Operational Efficiency: Integration and monitoring capabilities facilitate large-scale management.
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Compliance Support: Aids in maintaining security compliance strategies.
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Seamless Integration: Works effectively with Microsoft Defender and third-party apps.
Organizations leverage Microsoft Entra ID Protection to manage identities and access across sectors such as finance, healthcare, and technology. They integrate hybrid environments, enforcing multifactor authentication and conditional access policies, which enables them to secure digital identities and align with compliance operations. Many synchronize on-premises Active Directory with cloud services, effectively managing users, groups, and licenses.
