Secure Authentication Protocols for Remote Access

📢 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮 is extending 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆‑𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 access controls directly to the core of 𝗼𝗻‑𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 infrastructure: 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀. 🆔 🔒 The new 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 is now in 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄, enabling organizations to apply 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 and 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶‑𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗠𝗙𝗔) to internal resources authenticating via 𝗞𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀. 🛡️ 🛠️ By deploying a lightweight 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿 on domain controllers, organizations can intercept 𝗞𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀 authentication and enforce 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 — even for protocols that don’t natively support them — eliminating 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 inside the network perimeter. 🛡️ 🏢 This ensures consistent protection across 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲, 𝗼𝗻‑𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀, and 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 environments, while keeping 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 local for performance and sending 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 to Entra for 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 📡 🧩 This capability also unlocks 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 (𝗜𝗧𝗗𝗥) for hybrid users, verifying every 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁, blocking 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, and enforcing 𝗠𝗙𝗔 at the domain controller layer for sensitive on‑premises 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 🕵️♂️ 📊 Admins can define 𝗦𝗣𝗡‑𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 — for example, requiring MFA for `cifs/*` file shares, enabling compliant device access to `MSSQL/*` servers, or applying step‑up authentication for critical 𝗥𝗗𝗣 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀. 📂 ✅ Built‑in flexibility supports phased rollouts with 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗦𝗣𝗡 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗨𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, and 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲 for emergencies — ensuring 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 without disrupting 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 🧯 📌 This approach delivers 𝗼𝗻‑𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗙𝗔 𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 without third‑party 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 or complex 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀, modernizing 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 for 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 while integrating seamlessly with existing 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. 🔗 👉 Discover how to start testing today: https://lnkd.in/ea3hMGgH 🔗 Microsoft Security #Cybersecurity #ZeroTrust #MicrosoftEntra #IdentitySecurity #ConditionalAccess #MFA #ITDR #NetworkSecurity #AccessControl #Kerberos #ActiveDirectory #ZTNA #SecurityServiceEdge #IdentityProtection | Ashish Jain, Yann Duchenne, Franck Heilmann

Enable Passwordless Authentication with FIDO2 Security Key for Remote Desktop Connection 🔐 🔐 Go Passwordless with FIDO2 for RDP Use FIDO2 security keys to enable secure, passwordless Remote Desktop access—aligned with Zero Trust principles. 🖥️ Remote Desktop Connection Configuration ▪️ Launch mstsc.exe, go to Advanced tab ▪️Under User Authentication, select: “Use a web account to sign in” ▪️Enter remote device name and Entra ID credentials ▪️Choose Security Key at prompt ▪️Insert key, enter PIN, touch to complete authentication ▪️Approve RDP consent prompt → session starts 🔁 Hybrid Entra ID-Joined Devices ▪️ Create an AzureADKerberos RODC object in Entra ID (not linked to on-prem AD) ▪️ Use PowerShell to register it and enable Kerberos authentication ▪️ Verify object in Active Directory Users and Computers ▪️ Follow the same RDP steps as Entra ID-joined devices 🧾 Conditional Access for RDP Security ▪️ In Entra ID Portal → Security > Conditional Access ▪️Assign users/groups, choose Microsoft Remote Desktop app ▪️Under Grant, require Phishing-resistant authentication (FIDO2) ▪️Save and enable policy ⚠️ Note for Hybrid Join ▪️Avoid using domain admin or high-privilege AD accounts to log in—partial TGT won’t be issued. 📌 Read More : https://lnkd.in/gAa3WjSi

SAML, OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect: Complementary Protocols in Modern IAM Architecture In enterprise identity architecture, SAML, OAuth 2.0, and OIDC are often misunderstood as competing standards. In reality, they serve distinct but complementary purposes, each addressing specific aspects of authentication and authorization. SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) Primarily used for browser-based Single Sign-On (SSO), SAML facilitates the exchange of authentication assertions between an Identity Provider (IdP) like Okta, Azure AD, or PingFederate and a Service Provider (SP) such as SailPoint IIQ, SAP, or Salesforce. While effective for enterprise SSO, SAML is not designed for securing APIs or mobile applications. OAuth 2.0 (Authorization Framework) OAuth 2.0 is focused on delegated access and API authorization. It enables applications to access user resources without exposing credentials. A common use case is allowing SailPoint to integrate with HR systems like Workday via secured APIs. OAuth 2.0 provides access and refresh tokens but lacks native identity information. OpenID Connect (OIDC) OIDC extends OAuth 2.0 by introducing an identity layer. It issues ID tokens in JWT format, making it suitable for authentication in modern web and mobile applications. Identity platforms like Azure AD, Okta, Auth0, and PingOne use OIDC for user authentication and session management. Integration in IAM Ecosystems Modern IAM platforms leverage these standards based on context: SailPoint IdentityNow uses OIDC for SSO and OAuth 2.0 for API-based provisioning. Okta employs SAML for enterprise application federation and OAuth 2.0/OIDC for customer identity and mobile apps. Azure AD supports all three protocols to accommodate hybrid cloud deployments. Ping Identity integrates SAML and OIDC for SSO and uses OAuth 2.0 for secure API access and delegation. Key Consideration When architecting identity systems across federated applications and APIs, ensure session coherence and identity context continuity. Bridging between SAML-based authentication and OAuth-secured APIs often requires identity brokering, token exchange, and claims transformation to maintain consistent authorization and auditability. Conclusion A robust IAM strategy does not rely on a single protocol but orchestrates SAML, OAuth 2.0, and OIDC based on application architecture, security posture, and user experience requirements. Mastering their integration is essential for building secure, scalable, and interoperable identity ecosystems. #IAM #SAML #OAuth2 #OIDC #SSO #FederatedIdentity #IdentityArchitecture #SailPoint #Okta #AzureAD #PingIdentity #Cybersecurity #Authentication #EnterpriseSecurity