Microsoft to Launch New Converged Platform to Streamline Cloud Access Management

Key Takeaways:

• Microsoft’s new converged platform integrates AI and machine learning to streamline risk discovery and remediation.
• The upcoming platform will provide administrators with advanced tools to manage and secure identities and permissions across enterprise environments.
• Microsoft Entra ID has added support for device-bound passkeys and external authentication methods.

Microsoft has announced a new converged platform to enhance risk management within enterprise environments. This new platform aims to streamline risk discovery and remediation, offering administrators insights and control over identities and permissions.

This new converged platform will be built on Microsoft’s existing Entra ID products, including Privileged Identity Management (PAM), Permissions Management (CIEM), ID Governance (IGA), and Workload ID (IAM for workloads). Microsoft also plans to incorporate AI and machine learning to improve these technologies. It should help organizations identify major risks and develop effective remediation strategies to safeguard cloud environments.

Microsoft emphasizes that the new platform will give administrators comprehensive insights into all identities and permissions, making detecting and addressing risky permissions easier. Moreover, the service will offer recommendations for remediating these risks.

The converged platform will allow IT admins to access appropriate permissions for specific roles and durations. They will also be able to use automated policies to ensure continuous compliance.

“At Microsoft, we’re committed to bringing this vision to life for our customers through the advancement and innovation of our newly converged platform, designed to secure access to resources in any cloud. Additionally, this vision extends to securing access to resources anywhere, including on-premises and business apps,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft Entra ID gets expanded passkey support

Microsoft recently announced several new features and capabilities for Entra customers. Entra ID now supports device-bound passkeys in the Authenticator app for Android and iOS. Additionally, Entra ID has added support for external authentication methods, allowing integration with various identity providers such as Cisco, Ping, Symantec, THALES, and TrustBuilder.

Lastly, Microsoft has announced that Entra External ID is now generally available for commercial customers. The new solution helps organizations protect all identities, streamline collaboration, and accelerate the development of secure applications. The company also announced the integration of Microsoft Entra Permissions Management with Microsoft Defender for Cloud, allowing customers to manage permissions across multiple cloud platforms.