Conditional access

As explained in Microsoft Azure in Action

Conditional Access is a Microsoft Entra access-control capability that applies policies based on identities, applications, devices, locations, and other conditions.

Conditional access turns access rules into a practical MFA checkpoint: selected users or groups must satisfy a condition before access is granted. section 6.5

A basic policy workflow includes:

• Open Security > Conditional Access in the Microsoft Entra ID area of the Azure portal. section 6.5
• Name the policy and select the users or groups it affects. section 6.5
• Choose an access grant, such as requiring multifactor authentication, and identify the target application. section 6.5

Alpaca-Ma-Bags

A policy for Alpaca-Ma-Bags applies MFA to a broad user group, keeping coverage effective and administration simple as new users join. section 6.5

Figure 6.21 Defining users and groups for a conditional access policy

Shows how users and groups are selected for a conditional access policy; pair it with the access-grant configuration. section 6.5

How Microsoft Azure in Action covers it

How deep it goes

Walks through portal configuration, policy scope, access grants, and applications, but does not develop broader condition types.

Examples

Uses the Alpaca-Ma-Bags scenario, broad user groups, target applications, and text-message or phone-call MFA confirmation.

What it assumes

Assumes Entra ID users and groups, while defining policies as rules and explaining MFA access grants.

What you can do after

Configure an MFA conditional access policy through the Azure portal for selected users, groups, and applications.

How it connects

Connects conditional access with Microsoft Entra ID, multifactor authentication, policies, users, groups, and applications.

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Also explained in

• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Azure SecurityA conditional access policy is a Microsoft Entra access rule that evaluates assignments and conditions to apply access controls.

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Related concepts

• multifactor authenticationconfigures · Multifactor authentication is an authentication method that verifies identity using evidence from at least two distinct authentication-factor categories.
• conditionpart of · A condition is a contextual boolean requirement that determines whether an authorization policy or access requirement applies.
• dynamic evaluationuses · Dynamic evaluation is runtime evaluation in which executable content or decision criteria are determined from current values or context.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Microsoft Azure in Action. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.