Inventory applications and resources, attributes needed from users, and owners
Implementation Effort: High – This task requires coordinated efforts to audit applications, identify required user attributes, and assign or confirm ownership, involving multiple stakeholders across IT and security teams.
User Impact: Low – The inventory process is administrative and does not necessitate direct user involvement or notification.
Overview
Conducting a comprehensive inventory of applications and resources in scope for access management within Microsoft Entra ID is a critical step in establishing effective governance of access. This process involves cataloging all enterprise applications and service principals, documenting the specific user attributes each application requires, and identifying or assigning responsible owners for each application.
Understanding the attributes needed by applications is essential for configuring accurate attribute mappings during user provisioning. Microsoft Entra ID allows customization of attribute mappings to align with the application's requirements, ensuring that user profiles contain the necessary information for access and functionality .
Assigning ownership to applications is vital for ongoing management and accountability. Owners have the authority to manage configurations, handle user assignments, and oversee the application's lifecycle. In cases where applications lack assigned owners, it's important to proactively designate responsible individuals to prevent orphaned applications, which can pose security and compliance risks .
This inventory process aligns with the Zero Trust principles by enforcing the "Verify explicitly" approach, ensuring that access decisions are based on comprehensive and up-to-date information about applications and user attributes. It also supports "Use least privilege access" by enabling precise control over who has access to what resources, based on clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
Neglecting to perform this inventory can lead to unmanaged applications, incorrect attribute configurations, and lack of accountability, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches.