Tutorial / Cram Notes
Access Reviews in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) allow organizations to manage and review access rights of members (employees) and guests (external users) to company resources such as Microsoft Teams. The primary goal is to ensure that users have access only to what they need and to minimize the security risks associated with unnecessary permissions.
Setting Up Access Reviews
To set up Azure AD access reviews for Microsoft Teams members and guests, you need to follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Azure AD Portal: Open the Azure portal and locate Azure Active Directory.
- Access Reviews: Under Azure AD, find the “Identity Governance” section and click on “Access Reviews”.
- Create New Access Review: Select “New access review” to initiate a review for a specific team or group.
- Define the Scope: Choose whether the review is for guests, members, or both, and select the specific Teams group you want to review.
- Configure Settings: Decide on the frequency, duration, and end-users who will perform the review.
- Apply Reviews: Assign reviewers, which could be group owners, members, or selected individuals. Optionally, you can auto-apply results to automatically revoke or maintain access based on the review outcome.
Scheduling and Monitoring Access Reviews
Scheduling ensures that reviews occur periodically. By default, you can schedule access reviews to occur one time, annually, semi-annually, quarterly, or monthly. Monitoring the progress of these reviews is crucial; administrators can track participation, see the current status of reviews, and receive notifications about unreviewed access.
Access Review Policies
It is important to establish clear policies for access reviews. These policies guide reviewers on making decisions about whether to approve or deny access. Below are the typical components of an Access Review Policy:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Reviewers | Defines who is responsible for performing the review |
| Scope | Specifies which resources or groups are subject to review |
| Frequency | How often a review occurs (e.g., monthly, quarterly) |
| Duration | The time frame in which the review should be completed |
| Remediation Actions | Actions that follow the review (e.g., revoke access) |
| Notifications | Communication procedures for starting and ending of reviews |
Conducting An Access Review
Here’s how a typical access review for Microsoft Teams is conducted:
- Reviewers receive a notification that a review is due.
- They log in to the review portal, where they can see access details for each user.
- Reviewers then approve or deny access for each member or guest based on the need for access and the policies in place.
- After the review, reports can be generated to detail the actions taken.
Automating Access Review Decisions
Azure AD allows automation of decision-making during access reviews through policies that can apply decisions under certain conditions. This automation ensures that access is revoked for users who do not meet the criteria predefined in the policy.
Benefits and Challenges
Managing Azure AD access reviews effectively contributes to an organization’s security and compliance posture. The benefits include increased visibility into user access, regular attestation of user rights, and streamlined compliance processes. However, challenges like coordinating reviewer schedules and ensuring accurate decision-making remain.
In conclusion, managing Azure AD access reviews for members and guests efficiently is a significant part of administering Microsoft Teams. Structured access reviews help keep Teams environments secure and compliant, which aligns with the objectives of the Microsoft Teams MS-700 certification exam. A clear understanding of the process and best practices ensures that users have the necessary access to fulfill their roles without compromising corporate data or over-privileging users.
Practice Test with Explanation
T/F: Azure AD access reviews can be used to manage both members and guest user access in Teams.
- True
Correct answer: True
Explanation: Azure AD access reviews enable organizations to efficiently manage group memberships, access to enterprise applications, and role assignments for members and guests.
T/F: An access review can only be performed by global administrators in Azure AD.
- False
Correct answer: False
Explanation: Access reviews can be performed by users assigned to the User Administrator, Global Administrator, or Privileged Role Administrator roles or a custom role with the appropriate permissions.
Which of the following can initiate an access review in Azure AD? (Single Select)
- a) Any user
- b) User Administrator
- c) Guest user
- d) An Azure AD application owner
Correct answer: b) User Administrator
Explanation: User administrators are among the roles that can initiate access reviews in Azure AD, along with Global Administrators and Privileged Role Administrators.
T/F: Access review policies in Azure AD can be applied automatically based on dynamic group membership.
- True
Correct answer: True
Explanation: Access reviews can be automatically applied to group memberships, including dynamic groups, in Azure AD.
In Azure AD, what is the purpose of setting up an access review? (Single Select)
- a) To manage storage accounts
- b) To review user access permissions regularly
- c) To review Azure AD role assignments only
- d) To check the Azure subscription status
Correct answer: b) To review user access permissions regularly
Explanation: The purpose of setting up an access review in Azure AD is to regularly review and certify user access permissions to Teams and other resources.
T/F: When configuring an access review, you can define what happens to users’ access if they do not respond to the review.
- True
Correct answer: True
Explanation: When creating an access review, you can specify the action to be taken for non-respondents, such as retaining or removing their access.
Which of the following actions can be taken upon completion of an access review? (Multiple Select)
- a) Retain user access
- b) Remove user access
- c) Upgrade user licenses
- d) Automatically renew the access review
Correct answer: a) Retain user access, b) Remove user access, d) Automatically renew the access review
Explanation: Upon completion of an access review, you can retain or remove user access based on the review results and you can set the access review to recur automatically at a defined frequency.
T/F: You can create access reviews for Microsoft Teams directly from the Teams Admin Center.
- False
Correct answer: False
Explanation: Access reviews for Microsoft Teams are managed in the Azure AD portal, not directly from the Teams Admin Center.
An access review can be scheduled to recur at specific intervals. Which of the following frequencies can be set for recurrence? (Single Select)
- a) Daily
- b) Weekly
- c) Monthly
- d) Yearly
Correct answer: c) Monthly
Explanation: Access reviews can be scheduled to recur on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, but not daily or weekly.
Which feature of Azure AD is primarily used for managing external collaborators in Microsoft Teams? (Single Select)
- a) Conditional Access policies
- b) Entitlement Management
- c) PIM (Privileged Identity Management)
- d) B2B Collaboration
Correct answer: d) B2B Collaboration
Explanation: B2B (Business-to-Business) Collaboration in Azure AD is the key feature used for managing external collaborators (guest users) in Microsoft Teams.
T/F: Azure AD access reviews are available only for Azure AD Premium P2 customers.
- True
Correct answer: True
Explanation: The access review feature is part of Azure Active Directory (AD) Premium P2, which is a paid edition providing the most comprehensive Identity and Access Management solution.
In an Azure AD access review, which role is typically responsible for reviewing and approving access? (Single Select)
- a) The guest user themselves
- b) The resource owner
- c) Any member of the team
- d) IT support staff
Correct answer: b) The resource owner
Explanation: The resource owner, often a group owner or application owner, is typically responsible for conducting reviews of user accesses within their scope of control.
Interview Questions
What is Azure AD access review?
Azure AD access review is a feature that helps administrators to review, manage, and monitor user and group access to Azure AD and Microsoft 365 resources.
How does Azure AD access review work?
Azure AD access review allows admins to define who needs to be reviewed, the scope of the review, the time period, and the reviewers.
What is the difference between user and group access review?
User access review is used to review and manage the access of individual users to resources, while group access review is used to review and manage the access of groups to resources.
How can I create an access review in Azure AD?
To create an access review in Azure AD, you can use the Azure portal, Azure AD PowerShell, or the Microsoft Graph API.
What are the benefits of using Azure AD access review?
Azure AD access review helps organizations to ensure that user and group access to resources is appropriate and in compliance with regulations and policies.
How often should access reviews be performed?
Access reviews should be performed regularly, according to your organization’s security policies and regulatory requirements.
How can I manage guest access with Azure AD access review?
Azure AD access review can be used to manage guest access to resources in Microsoft 365, such as SharePoint Online and Microsoft Teams.
Can I automate access reviews in Azure AD?
Yes, Azure AD access review can be automated using PowerShell and the Microsoft Graph API.
What happens when an access review is completed?
When an access review is completed, the reviewers can submit their recommendations, which are then used by administrators to update user and group access to resources.
What is the difference between an active and an inactive access review?
An active access review is a review that is currently in progress, while an inactive access review is a review that has been completed or cancelled.
Can I use Azure AD access review to manage access to on-premises resources?
No, Azure AD access review is only used to manage access to Azure AD and Microsoft 365 resources.
What is the difference between an access review and an access audit?
An access review is a proactive process that reviews and manages user and group access to resources, while an access audit is a reactive process that reviews access logs to detect and investigate suspicious or unauthorized activity.
What types of reports can be generated from Azure AD access review?
Azure AD access review can generate reports on access review results, user and group access to resources, and reviewer activity.
How can I ensure that my access reviews are compliant with regulations and policies?
To ensure compliance with regulations and policies, you should define access review policies that align with your organization’s security and compliance requirements.
Can I delegate access review management to other users or groups?
Yes, access review management can be delegated to other users or groups, allowing them to perform access reviews on your behalf.
This blog post on managing Azure AD access reviews for members and guests is a lifesaver!
Can anyone explain how often access reviews should be conducted for guest users in Azure AD?
This is a super helpful guide for preparing for the MS-700 exam. Thanks!
I think it’s important to set up recurring reviews for both members and guests to maintain security.
Does enabling access reviews affect the performance of Microsoft Teams?
Great content! This will definitely help me in my role as a Teams Admin.
I appreciate the detailed steps outlined in the blog. Very useful for practical application.
Is there an automated way to remind reviewers to complete their access reviews in Azure AD?