Manage guest accounts

In Azure AD, guest access is managed through Azure AD B2B (Business to Business), which allows you to invite and manage external users. These guests can be given access to your Azure resources, applications, and services, just like internal users, but with the capability to apply specific controls that are appropriate for external users.

Inviting Guest Users

To invite a guest user:

1. Navigate to the Azure portal and go to Azure Active Directory.
2. Select “Users” and then click “New guest user”.
3. Provide the required information about the guest user like the name and email.
4. Optionally, you can add a personal message and set group memberships.

An invitation will be sent to the guest user’s email address, which they must accept to start accessing the resources you’ve shared.

Managing Guest User Permissions

Permission to resources in Azure is based on the Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) model, which allows you to assign roles to users at different scopes – the subscription, resource group, or specific resource level.

For guest users, least privilege access is highly recommended, which means giving them the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks. For example, if a guest user needs to view virtual machine performance but not manage the VMs, you might assign them the “Reader” role on the specific resource.

Monitoring Guest Users

After granting guest users access, Azure AD provides you with the ability to monitor their activities. The Azure AD sign-ins report allows you to see their login attempts, including successes and failures. You can also audit the resources they access through Azure’s activity logs.

Guest User Policies

Azure AD Conditional Access is used to enforce access policies for guest users. You might set a policy that requires multi-factor authentication (MFA) when guests attempt to access certain resources or define a session lifetime for a guest access session. Additionally, you can also define specific conditions such as sign-in risk levels, and apply access controls based on those conditions.

Here is a comparison between standard Azure AD user policies and recommended guest user policies:

Managing the Lifecycle of Guest Accounts

Azure AD provides capabilities to manage the lifecycle of guest accounts. You can set up expiration dates for guest access, ensuring that the guest’s access is automatically revoked after the project ends or their collaboration is no longer needed. The Access Reviews feature enables administrators to periodically review guest user permissions and access.

To set up an access review:

1. Go to Azure AD and select “Identity Governance”.
2. Click on “Access reviews” and then “New access review”.
3. Define the scope, settings, and review frequency, then start the review process.

Cleaning Up Guest Accounts

Regularly cleaning up guest accounts that are no longer needed is an essential part of guest account management. This can be done manually by administrators or automated through access reviews and expiration policies.

Best Practices for Managing Guest Accounts

• Verify external users’ identities through MFA.
• Limit access using least privilege principles.
• Monitor guest users’ activities in your Azure environment.
• Conduct regular access reviews to ensure necessary and appropriate access.
• Utilize Azure AD’s automation features to manage guest users efficiently.

In conclusion, managing guest accounts in Azure requires a careful approach that balances ease of collaboration with security and compliance. As an Azure Administrator, leveraging the tools and features provided by Azure AD will ensure you maintain a secure and well-managed cloud environment.