Empowering Least Privilege Access with Entra ID and AdminByRequest

In the ongoing journey to secure organizational environments and mitigate risks, enforcing the principle of least privilege is paramount. Microsoft recently introduced new capabilities in Entra ID that significantly enhance our ability to manage local administrator privileges effectively. These enhancements, coupled with tools like AdminByRequest, can create a robust, secure, and streamlined approach to managing local administrator access.

Understanding the New Entra ID Capabilities

When a computer is connected to Microsoft Entra ID, it typically associates two roles automatically:

1. Global Administrators - Users with this role are granted local administrator access on connected devices.
2. Local Admins via Entra Join - The user who performs the connection (device enrollment) is also made a local admin.

While this approach ensures operational flexibility, it often violates the principle of least privilege, creating potential security vulnerabilities. For example, excessive admin rights can lead to accidental system misconfigurations, malware infections, or privilege escalation attacks.

Thankfully, Microsoft has introduced new settings to address this challenge:

• Global administrator role as local admin: You can now disable this default behavior, preventing global admins from automatically being local admins on devices.
• Registering user as local admin: You can fine-tune whether the registering user is granted local admin rights. Options include:
  • Granting admin rights to all users.
  • Granting admin rights to selected users.
  • Disabling admin rights entirely for registering users.

These capabilities enable IT teams to eliminate unnecessary local admin privileges and adopt a more secure, least-privileged access model.

The Role of AdminByRequest in Securing Local Admin Access

While Entra ID’s new capabilities are a great step forward, organizations often require a more comprehensive solution for managing and auditing local administrator access. This is where AdminByRequest excels.

AdminByRequest is an endpoint privilege management (EPM) solution that eliminates standing local admin rights while providing users with a secure and controlled way to elevate privileges when necessary.

Key Features of AdminByRequest

1. On-Demand Privilege Elevation
   Users can request temporary admin access for specific tasks, which can be approved by IT admins or pre-configured workflows. This eliminates the need for permanent admin rights while still supporting operational flexibility.

2. Comprehensive Auditing
   AdminByRequest tracks every elevation request and admin action, giving IT teams full visibility into who elevated privileges, when, and why. This creates a detailed audit trail for compliance purposes.

3. Pre-Approved Applications
   Organizations can create a list of pre-approved applications that users can run with elevated privileges without needing to request admin access. This streamlines workflows while maintaining security.

4. Policy-Based Management
   AdminByRequest allows you to define granular policies, ensuring that only specific users or groups can elevate privileges under certain conditions.

5. Break-Glass Access
   In emergency scenarios, IT admins can grant immediate access without compromising long-term security.

6. Integration with Ticketing and SIEM Systems
   The tool integrates with platforms like Microsoft Sentinel, ServiceNow, and Slack/Teams, ensuring seamless workflows and real-time monitoring.

Why Use AdminByRequest with Entra ID?

Combining Entra ID’s new settings with AdminByRequest creates a layered approach to privilege management:

1. Enhanced Control over Local Admins
   Entra ID’s settings ensure only authorized users can become local admins, while AdminByRequest removes the need for permanent admin access altogether.

2. Auditing and Accountability
   While Entra ID provides basic control, AdminByRequest delivers detailed logs and analytics, helping organizations meet compliance requirements like ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDPR.

3. Flexibility Without Sacrificing Security
   AdminByRequest ensures users can perform necessary tasks with elevated privileges while preventing misuse, malware infections, or accidental changes.

4. Ease of Deployment and Management
   AdminByRequest’s seamless integration with Microsoft Entra ID and other tools means IT teams can quickly deploy and manage the solution without overburdening their resources.

Recommended Approach

Here’s a suggested strategy for implementing least privilege access using Entra ID and AdminByRequest:

1. Review Default Settings
   Disable global administrator and registering user roles as default local admins using Entra ID’s new settings.

2. Implement AdminByRequest
   Deploy AdminByRequest to eliminate standing local admin rights across all devices. Configure policies to allow secure, temporary privilege elevation.

3. Build a Pre-Approved Apps List
   Identify commonly used applications that require admin rights and pre-approve them in AdminByRequest to reduce approval delays.

4. Monitor and Audit
   Use AdminByRequest’s logs and integration with tools like Sentinel to monitor admin activity and identify potential misuse or anomalies.

5. Train Your Teams
   Educate users about the new workflows and the importance of least privilege access. Ensure IT staff understand how to manage and approve requests effectively.

Conclusion

With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated, eliminating standing admin rights is no longer optional. Microsoft’s new Entra ID capabilities, combined with a robust solution like AdminByRequest, provide the tools necessary to enforce least privilege access while maintaining operational efficiency.

By adopting this dual approach, organizations can significantly reduce their attack surface, improve compliance, and enhance overall security. Now is the time to take control of local admin access and empower your organization to work securely.