Description

Designated users are prompted to use their multi-factor authentication (MFA) process when signing in.

Rationale

Enabling multi-factor authentication is a recommended setting to limit the use of Administrative accounts to authenticated personnel.

Impact

There is an increased cost, as Conditional Access policies require Microsoft Entra ID P1. Similarly, MFA may require additional overhead to maintain. There is also a potential scenario in which the multi-factor authentication method can be lost, and administrative users are no longer able to log in. For this scenario, there should be an emergency access account. Please see References for creating this.

Note: Starting July 2024, Microsoft began requiring MFA for all users, including break-glass accounts. By the end of October 2024, this requirement was enforced. Physical FIDO2 security keys or a certificate kept on secure removable storage can fulfill this MFA requirement. If opting for a physical device, that device should be kept in a secure, documented physical location.

Audit

From Azure Portal

1. In the Azure portal, open the portal menu in the upper left and select Microsoft Entra ID.
2. Select Security.
3. Select Conditional Access.
4. Select Policies.
5. Select the policy you wish to audit.
6. Click the blue text under Users.
7. Under Include, review the users and groups to whom the policy is applied. Ensure the emergency access account is not in the list.
8. Under Exclude, review the users and groups to whom the policy is not applied.

Default Value

Starting October 2024, MFA will be required for all accounts by default.

References

1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/conditional-access/howto-conditional-access-policy-admin-mfa
2. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/role-based-access-control/security-emergency-access
3. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/conditional-access/troubleshoot-conditional-access-what-if
4. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/conditional-access/howto-conditional-access-insights-reporting
5. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/conditional-access/plan-conditional-access
6. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/mcsb-identity-management#im-7-restrict-resource-access-based-on--conditions

Additional Information

These policies should be tested by using the What If tool in the References. Setting these can create issues with users logging in until they use an MFA device linked to their accounts. Further testing can also be done via the insights and reporting resource in References, which monitors Azure sign-ins.