Define requirements to onboard new partner organizations
Implementation Effort: Medium – IT and governance teams must establish onboarding procedures, configure connected organizations, and assess partner security postures.
User Impact: Low – This is an administrative process; external users are not directly involved unless subsequent actions are taken based on onboarding outcomes.
Overview
Defining requirements to onboard new partner organizations in Microsoft Entra ID involves establishing a structured process to manage external collaborations securely and efficiently. This process includes creating connected organizations, assigning internal sponsors, configuring external access settings, and understanding the security posture of partner organizations.
Creating a connected organization in Microsoft Entra ID allows you to represent external partners within your directory. This setup enables users from these organizations to request access to resources through access packages. Assigning internal sponsors to these connected organizations ensures accountability and oversight of external user access.
Configuring external access settings involves determining the appropriate authentication methods for external users, such as Microsoft Entra ID, SAML/WS-Fed identity providers, or one-time passcodes. Additionally, you can set up policies that define who can request access, whether approval is required, and the duration of access.
Understanding the security posture of partner organizations is crucial. This includes assessing their identity management practices, compliance with security standards, and the robustness of their authentication mechanisms. In some cases, non-technical steps such as signing agreements or conducting security assessments may be necessary to establish trust and define the scope of collaboration.
Implementing these onboarding requirements aligns with the Zero Trust principles by enforcing "Verify explicitly" through authentication and approval processes, and "Assume breach" by ensuring that external access is granted based on a thorough understanding of the partner's security posture. Failure to define and implement structured onboarding requirements can lead to inconsistent access controls, increased security risks, and challenges in managing external collaborations.