Azure Active Directory
Azure Active Directory
Azure Active Directory (AAD) is a cloud-based identity and access management service
provided by Microsoft. It is an integral part of the Azure cloud platform and is used to
securely manage the identities of users and devices within an organization. AAD enables
organizations to easily manage access to their various resources, including cloud
applications, on-premises applications, and external resources. It also provides single sign-
on (SSO) capabilities, allowing users to access all of their resources with a single set of
credentials.
One of the key benefits of AAD is that it allows organizations to centralize their identity
management and access control, making it easier to manage user permissions and access to
resources. This can help to reduce the risk of unauthorized access and improve overall
security. AAD also integrates with other Microsoft cloud services, such as Office 365 and
Dynamics 365, as well as a wide range of third-party applications. This makes it easier for
organizations to manage access to all of their resources, both within and outside of the
Azure ecosystem.
AAD offers a variety of features and tools for managing identities and access, including:
Identity and access management: AAD provides tools for creating and managing user
accounts, groups, and roles, as well as defining and enforcing access policies. This includes
the ability to create custom attributes for user accounts and define access rules based on
those attributes. AAD also includes a self-service password reset feature, allowing users to
reset their own passwords without the need for IT intervention.
Single sign-on: AAD enables users to access all of their resources with a single set of
credentials, reducing the need for multiple login processes and improving user productivity.
This can be particularly useful for organizations that have a large number of applications and
resources, as it reduces the burden on users to remember multiple sets of login credentials.
AAD also offers a number of additional features and tools for managing identities and
access, including:
Identity synchronization: AAD includes tools for synchronizing identities between on-
premises and cloud environments, allowing organizations to manage user accounts and
access across both environments. This can be particularly useful for organizations that are in
the process of migrating to the cloud and want to maintain a single set of user accounts and
access policies.