Azure Active Directory
By Microsoft
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), rebranded by Microsoft as Microsoft Entra ID, is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service, providing authentication and single sign-on for Microsoft 365, Azure resources, and…
Definition
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), rebranded by Microsoft as Microsoft Entra ID, is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service, providing authentication and single sign-on for Microsoft 365, Azure resources, and thousands of third-party applications.
Overview
Azure Active Directory grew out of Microsoft's long history with on-premises Active Directory, but it is a distinct, cloud-native identity service rather than simply that product moved to the cloud. It serves as the identity backbone for both Azure resource access and Microsoft 365 services, and organizations commonly extend it to control access to thousands of third-party SaaS applications through single sign-on. Core capabilities include user and group management, application registration for both first-party Microsoft apps and custom-built applications, and multi-factor authentication to strengthen sign-in security beyond passwords alone. Conditional Access policies let administrators require additional verification, or block access entirely, based on signals like the user's location, device compliance state, or detected sign-in risk — a practical implementation of zero trust principles rather than relying purely on network perimeter security. Microsoft renamed the service Microsoft Entra ID in 2023 as part of consolidating its identity products under the Entra brand, though the older Azure Active Directory name remains widely used and understood, particularly by teams that adopted it under its original name and in existing documentation and tooling that hasn't fully migrated to the new naming.
Key Features
- Centralized identity and access management for Azure and Microsoft 365
- Single sign-on (SSO) support for thousands of third-party SaaS applications
- Multi-factor authentication for stronger sign-in security
- Conditional Access policies based on location, device, and risk signals
- Application registration for custom-built and third-party applications
- B2B and B2C identity scenarios for external users and customers
- Integration with on-premises Active Directory via Azure AD Connect
- Rebranded as Microsoft Entra ID as part of Microsoft's identity product family