The Pillars of Azure AD Authorization
Authorization is the critical process that determines what authenticated users and applications are allowed to do within your Azure AD protected resources. It's the gatekeeper to your sensitive data and critical services.
Core Concepts You Need to Know
Roles and Permissions
Understand built-in and custom roles. Learn how to assign granular permissions to users, groups, and service principals for specific actions.
Explore RolesOAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect
Dive into the industry-standard protocols that Azure AD uses for delegated authorization and authentication. Grasp flows like Authorization Code and Client Credentials.
Understand ProtocolsScopes and Claims
Learn how scopes define the granular access levels an application can request, and how claims within tokens represent user attributes and permissions.
Decode TokensConditional Access Policies
Implement dynamic security policies based on user, device, location, and application context to enforce access controls effectively.
Configure PoliciesAdvanced Authorization Strategies
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) in Azure
Go beyond application-level authorization to manage access to Azure resources themselves using Azure RBAC.
Azure RBAC Deep DiveManaged Identities
Securely authenticate Azure services to Azure AD without managing credentials. Essential for cloud-native applications.
Utilize Managed IdentitiesAPI Permissions and App Roles
Define and manage permissions for your own APIs exposed via Azure AD, and leverage app roles for application-specific authorization.
Secure Your APIsPrivileged Identity Management (PIM)
Implement just-in-time (JIT) access and granular controls for highly privileged roles to reduce risk.
Explore PIMBest Practices for Robust Authorization
Adhering to these practices ensures your authorization model is secure, maintainable, and resilient against evolving threats.