Plan entitlements

Plan entitlements are an essential aspect of managing access to company resources, particularly when it comes
to preparing for the SC-300: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam. This exam tests a candidate’s
ability to implement and manage an organization’s identity and access management systems using Microsoft Azure
AD and related Microsoft services. Understanding how to manage plan entitlements is critical for the secure and
efficient operation of these systems.

Understanding Plan Entitlements

Plan entitlements in Azure AD are essentially permissions and access levels that are packaged together and
assigned to users, so they can access certain resources or services as part of their role within an organization.
These entitlements can include access to applications, membership in groups, and permissions to data or other
resources.

Entitlement Management is a feature of Azure AD’s Identity Governance capabilities that allows administrators
to manage access to groups, applications, and SharePoint Online sites for internal and external users. This is
critical for maintaining a secure environment, ensuring that users have only the access they need to fulfill
their role, termed as the principle of least privilege.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Within Azure AD, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is used to assign permissions to users or groups. For instance,
a user may be assigned the role of ‘Global Reader’ to review configurations and settings, but they cannot make
changes. In contrast, a ‘User Administrator’ can manage all aspects of users and groups, including assigning roles
and resetting passwords.

Example Table of Common Azure AD Roles and Their Entitlements:

Assigning and Managing Entitlements

Entitlements can be managed in multiple ways. One of them is through Azure AD Access Packages. Access Packages
allow administrators to bundle together a set of resources and define who can access these resources and the
conditions under which they can be accessed.

Access packages make it possible to manage the lifecycle of user access, from granting access when a user joins
a team, changes roles, or works on a project, to revoking access when it’s no longer needed.

Example Scenario:

Imagine a scenario where a new employee joins the marketing department. An Access Package for the marketing team
might include:

• Membership in the ‘Marketing Group’ within Azure AD.
• Access to the ‘Marketing SharePoint’ site.
• Licensing for the ‘Dynamics 365 for Marketing’ app.

When the employee’s role or project changes, their access can be reassigned, or if they leave the company, access
can be revoked to maintain security compliance.

Conditional Access Policies

An integral part of plan entitlements is ensuring that access is not just governed by roles but also by context.
Conditional Access Policies in Azure AD handle this by applying the right access controls under the conditions
that the organization defines. For example, a policy could require multi-factor authentication if an employee is
trying to access resources from a new device or from a location outside the company’s primary offices.

Auditing and Reviewing Access

To ensure that the right access levels are maintained, Azure AD provides auditing and review capabilities. Access
reviews enable administrators to periodically review group memberships, access to enterprise applications, and
role assignments.

Regular access reviews, especially of privileged roles, ensure continuous compliance and mitigate the risks of excessive
or unnecessary permissions. It also ensures that users have the permissions they need to be productive, without
compromising on security.

Conclusion

For professionals preparing for the SC-300 exam, mastering how to manage and audit plan entitlements is critical.
By understanding roles, access packages, and conditional access policies, as well as how to conduct access reviews,
candidates will be well-prepared to take on the responsibilities of an Identity and Access Administrator, capable
of keeping their organization’s data and resources secure while ensuring productivity.