Microsoft Entra MFA: Managing Reauthentication Alerts and Session Lifetimes

Hello Connections,

It has come to my mind to share something which is useful for the security prospectus. Where we will ensure that being an IAM engineer you have placed the right protection to your organization.

So, let’s talk about the benefits that why we should apply, and it benefits.

Enhanced Security: Regular reauthentication ensures that only authorized users maintain access, reducing the risk of unauthorized access due to stolen or compromised credentials.

Reduced Risk of Session Hijacking: Shorter session lifetimes limit the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit an active session, enhancing overall security.

Compliance: Helps organizations meet regulatory requirements by enforcing strict access controls and session management policies.

User Awareness: Frequent reauthentication prompts keep users aware of their security responsibilities and can alert them to any unusual activity on their accounts.

Flexibility: Administrators can customize session lifetimes and reauthentication prompts based on the sensitivity of the application or data, balancing security and user convenience.

Minimized Impact of Credential Theft: Even if credentials are compromised, the need for reauthentication can prevent prolonged unauthorized access.

Requirements to deploy it

To deploy Conditional Access policies for reauthentication prompts and session lifetime in Microsoft Entra (Azure AD), you need to meet certain requirements. Here are the key requirements:**

Licensing Requirements
Azure AD Premium P1 or P2- Conditional Access policies require Azure AD Premium P1 or P2 licenses. Ensure that your organization has the appropriate licenses for the users to whom you will apply the policies.

Administrative Permissions or Role required
Global Administrator or Conditional Access Administrator Role:
You need to have the Global Administrator or Conditional Access Administrator role in Azure AD to create and manage Conditional Access policies.

Prerequisites**
Azure AD Environment- Your organization must be using Azure Active Directory for identity and access management.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) Setup- Ensure that MFA is set up and configured for your users. This can be done through the Azure AD MFA settings.

Pilot Testing- Before deploying the policy organization-wide, consider testing it with a small group of users to ensure it works as expected and does not disrupt business operations.

User Communication- Inform users about the new reauthentication requirements and how it will impact their sign-in experience to minimize confusion and support requests.

Additional Considerations- Clearly define the scope of the policy, including which users, groups, and applications it will apply to.

Exclusions- Consider excluding certain accounts (Break Glass account or Admin account or Emergency) from the policy to prevent lockouts.

How to Deploy

Sign in to the Azure Portal:
Go to the Azure Portal and sign in with your admin credentials.

Navigate to Azure Active Directory:
In the left-hand navigation pane, select "Azure Active Directory."

Access Conditional Access:
Under the "Security" section, select "Conditional Access."

Create a New Policy:
Click on "+ New policy" to create a new Conditional Access policy.

Name Your Policy:
Provide a meaningful name for your policy, such as "Reauthentication Policy."

Assign Users and Groups:
Under "Assignments," select "Users and groups."
Choose the users or groups to which this policy will apply. You can select all users or specific groups as needed.

Select Cloud Apps or Actions:
Under "Assignments," select "Cloud apps or actions."
Choose the applications or actions that will trigger this policy. You can select specific apps or all cloud apps.

Configure Conditions (Optional):
If you want to apply the policy under specific conditions (e.g., locations, devices), configure these under the "Conditions" section.

Configure Access Controls:
Under "Access controls," select "Grant."
choose "Require multifactor authentication" to enforce MFA.

Session Controls:
Under "Session," select "Sign-in frequency."
Configure the frequency for reauthentication prompts. For example, you can set it to require reauthentication every 1 hour, 1 day, etc.
Optionally, you can also configure "Persistent browser session" to control whether users remain signed in on the web.

Enable Policy:
Under "Enable policy," set the policy to "On" to activate it.

Review and Create:
Review your settings to ensure everything is configured correctly.
Click "Create" to save and enable the policy.

For More Information, please feel free to visit- Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication prompts and session lifetime - Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn