Directory
Are you looking for information about Active Directory? In this archive you will find all our posts about Active Directory.
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Configure Exchange Online SMTP Relay with a Static Public IP Address
Microsoft has announced the gradual deprecation of Basic Authentication for SMTP AUTH in Exchange Online. Existing tenants will still be able to use the feature for now, but a complete removal is planned in the long term. Details about the current roadmap and the deprecation timeline are published in the Exchange Team Blog: Updated Exchange Online SMTP AUTH Basic Authentication Deprecation Timeline | Microsoft Community Hub
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Secure Device Registration in Microsoft Entra and Microsoft Intune
By default, users can register devices in Microsoft Entra ID. Each device is represented as an object in Microsoft Entra ID and can be used for authentication and access. Once a user account is compromised, attackers can register their own devices and establish persistent access. Device registration is a security-critical process and must be secured. It is essential to define who is allowed to register devices, under which conditions registration is permitted, and which device types are accepted. Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Intune provide multiple control mechanisms that can be combined to enforce these requirements. Only when device registration is properly controlled can device compliance and Microsoft Entra Conditional…
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Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery: Prerequisites, Backup, and Restore in Detail
Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery is a backup and recovery capability for directory objects that is natively integrated into Microsoft Entra. Supported objects are automatically backed up once per day and retained for five days (backup history). Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery helps restore identity objects, policies, and application objects to a previously known state after unintended or unwanted changes.
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Microsoft Entra Access Reviews: Governance for User and Guest Access
In Microsoft Entra ID, user and guest access evolves incrementally over time, for example as a result of role changes, project assignments or temporary external collaboration. Access rights that are granted once often remain in place, even when the original business or organizational requirement no longer exists. As a result, common countermeasures such as manual access reviews, follow-ups with group owners or occasional spot checks provide only limited, point-in-time transparency and do not enable a consistent and regular review of access. Decisions are often not documented consistently and are therefore difficult to audit retrospectively.
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WatchTra: Automated Attribute Compliance for Microsoft Entra ID
In many Microsoft Entra ID environments, the quality of user attributes remains an often underestimated factor in security and governance. WatchTra enhances attribute compliance in Microsoft Entra ID and ensures consistent identity data across the organization. In practice, attributes frequently contain inconsistent spellings or values, for example, “Switzerland” instead of “Swiss” or “IT” instead of “Information Technology”, as well as missing or outdated entries. Such discrepancies can result in incorrect dynamic group memberships, inaccurate reporting or incomplete policy enforcement.However, a consistent validation of these attributes against organization-wide standards is rarely implemented in real-world environments.