In the digital world, strong authentication, data encryption, and proactive monitoring are key to establishing trust and securing access. With cyberattacks on the rise, organisations of all sizes face the challenge of safeguarding their digital estates. Recognising this need, Microsoft introduced the Microsoft Entra product family, offering a vision to secure millions of connections that occur every second between people, machines, apps, and devices. Today marks the celebration of the next milestone in this journey as two new products, Microsoft Entra Internet Access and Microsoft Entra Private Access, are introduced.
Protecting Identities and Access: The Rising Threat Landscape
Over the past year, cyberattacks have become more frequent and sophisticated, affecting organisations worldwide. Password attacks alone have skyrocketed, averaging over 4,000 attacks per second, nearly three times the previous year’s rate. These attacks often manage to circumvent critical defenses, such as multifactor authentication, compromising access tokens and infiltrating critical data.
Introducing Microsoft Entra: Easy Access, Enhanced Security
To tackle the ever-evolving security challenges, Microsoft Entra extends beyond conventional user authentication and directory management. Today, the introduction of two new products is announced, instilling trust not just in digital experiences but also in every digital interaction that drives organisational operations.
Microsoft Entra Internet Access: This identity-centric Secure Web Gateway protects access to the internet, software as a service (SaaS), and Microsoft 365 apps and resources. By extending Conditional Access policies with network conditions, it guards against malicious internet traffic and other threats. For Microsoft 365 environments, it ensures best-in-class security, visibility, and seamless access, boosting productivity for users anywhere.
Microsoft Entra Private Access: As an identity-centric Zero Trust Network Access solution, it secures access to private apps and resources. With Microsoft Entra Private Access, users can quickly and securely connect to private apps across hybrid and multicloud environments, private networks, and data centres. By replacing legacy VPNs and providing granular security controls, it reduces operational complexity and cost.
Microsoft Entra ID: Unifying Identity Solutions In addition to these new products, Microsoft announced that Microsoft Azure Active Directory is transitioning to Microsoft Entra ID. This name change simplifies the product family and unifies the multicloud identity and network access solutions. Azure AD’s capabilities, licensing plans, sign-in URLs, and APIs remain unchanged. The transition will be completed by the end of 2023.
Empowering Organizations with Microsoft Entra Microsoft Entra provides organisations with an extensive portfolio of identity and network access solutions to protect against evolving threats. Exciting innovations such as Microsoft Entra ID Protection, which prevents identity takeover in real time, and Microsoft Entra ID Governance, automating access governance, further strengthen defenses against attackers.
Looking Ahead with Microsoft Entra
At Veracloud, our commitment to building a more secure world aligns with Microsoft’s vision. By expanding Microsoft Entra, we aim to offer comprehensive coverage and an agile model that empowers individuals, organisations, applications, and smart devices to make real-time access decisions with confidence. Together, we are dedicated to creating a safer digital environment for all.
