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Introduction:
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) has introduced a long-awaited graphical user interface (GUI) for managing application authentication policies, a feature previously configurable only through complex PowerShell scripting. This development, highlighted by security experts in the Microsoft ecosystem, marks a significant shift towards improving accessibility and adoption of critical security controls for cloud applications. The move democratizes advanced security configuration, potentially reducing misconfigurations and strengthening an organization’s identity perimeter.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the core components and security implications of Microsoft Entra application authentication policies.
- Learn to navigate and utilize the new GUI for policy management within the Azure portal.
- Master the underlying PowerShell commands that provide granular control and automation capabilities for these policies.
You Should Know:
1. Navigating the New Application Policies GUI
The new interface is accessible via a specific URL in the Azure portal, particularly within the preview environment.
`https://preview.portal.azure.com/view/Microsoft_AAD_IAM/StartboardApplicationsMenuBlade/~/AppAppsPreview/menuId~/null`
Step‑by‑step guide:
- Log in to the Azure portal with a user account possessing Global Administrator or Security Administrator privileges.
- Navigate to Azure Active Directory > Applications > Application authentication policies (Preview).
- This blade presents the tenant-wide policy. The GUI allows for the configuration of restrictions, such as limiting authentication to specific token versions or disabling legacy authentication protocols like IMAP and SMTP, which are common attack vectors.
2. The Foundational PowerShell: Get-TenantPolicy
Before the GUI, everything was done via PowerShell. The primary command to retrieve the current tenant-wide application authentication policy remains essential for auditing and automation.
`Get-AzureADPolicy -Id $(Get-AzureADPolicy | Where-Object Type -eq “AppAuthenticationPolicy”).Id`
Step‑by‑step guide:
- Connect to Azure AD using the `Connect-AzureAD` cmdlet in your PowerShell session.
- Execute the command above. This one-liner first fetches all policies, filters for the type “AppAuthenticationPolicy”, and then retrieves the full details of that policy.
- The output will display the JSON-based policy definition, showing rules like `”RestrictAppIdToAppCondition”` which defines which applications the policy affects.
3. Creating a Custom Policy via PowerShell
The GUI currently manages the default tenant policy. For granular, application-specific policies, PowerShell is still required. This allows for a defense-in-depth strategy.
`New-AzureADPolicy -Definition @(‘{“AppAuthenticationPolicy”:{“Applications”:{“AppId”:”xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx”,”AccessTokenVersion”:2}}}’) -DisplayName “Custom App Policy – Token v2” -Type “AppAuthenticationPolicy”`
Step‑by‑step guide:
- Identify the Application ID (AppId) of the enterprise application you want to protect from the Azure AD portal.
- Replace `xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx` in the command above with the actual AppId.
- Run the command. This creates a new policy that forces the specified application to only use version 2 access tokens, which are more secure than their v1 counterparts.
4. Enforcing Modern Authentication by Disabling Legacy Auth
Legacy authentication is a primary entry point for password spray attacks. This policy snippet disables it for all applications, a critical baseline security posture.
`New-AzureADPolicy -Definition @(‘{“AppAuthenticationPolicy”:{“Applications”:{“Protocols”:{“SAML”:”Enabled”,”OAuth”:”Enabled”,”WSFed”:”Enabled”,”OpenIDConnect”:”Enabled”}}}}’) -DisplayName “Block Legacy Authentication – Tenant Wide” -Type “AppAuthenticationPolicy” -IsTenantDefault $true`
Step‑by‑step guide:
- The policy definition explicitly enables modern protocols (SAML, OAuth, WSFed, OIDC). The absence of `Synchronization` (for ADSync) and `Federation` (for ADFS) settings implies a default block on legacy protocols like Basic Auth for POP3, IMAP, and older SMTP clients.
- The `-IsTenantDefault $true` parameter applies this policy to all applications in the tenant that do not have a more specific policy assigned. Test this carefully in a pilot group before tenant-wide deployment.
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Applying a Policy to a Specific Service Principal
Creating a policy is only half the battle; it must be linked to a service principal (the enterprise application’s identity in your tenant) to take effect.
`Add-AzureADServicePrincipalPolicy -Id -RefObjectId `
Step‑by‑step guide:
- Retrieve the Object ID of your target service principal using `Get-AzureADServicePrincipal -Filter “AppId eq ‘app-id-goes-here'”`
2. Retrieve the Object ID of the policy you created usingGet-AzureADPolicy. - Execute the `Add-AzureADServicePrincipalPolicy` cmdlet with the correct IDs. This binding enforces the custom policy rules on that specific application.
6. Auditing Policy Assignments for Compliance
Maintaining a secure environment requires continuous auditing. This command helps you verify which policies are applied to which service principals.
`Get-AzureADServicePrincipalPolicy -Id `
Step‑by‑step guide:
- To audit a specific application, find its Service Principal Object ID.
- Run the command above. It will list all policies directly assigned to that service principal.
- For a full tenant audit, you would script a loop that gets all service principals and checks their applied policies, comparing them against your security baselines.
7. Removing a Policy Assignment
If an application breaks due to a policy, you need to know how to quickly revert the change.
`Remove-AzureADServicePrincipalPolicy -Id -PolicyId `
Step‑by‑step guide:
- Identify the Service Principal Object ID and the Policy Object ID involved.
- Executing this command severs the link between the policy and the application.
- The application will then fall back to the tenant default policy. Remember to investigate and fix the policy rule itself before attempting to re-apply it.
What Undercode Say:
- Democratization of Security: The GUI’s primary victory is lowering the barrier to entry. Security policies are no longer the exclusive domain of PowerShell-savvy admins, enabling a broader team to participate in securing the identity layer.
- The Power Under the Hood: While the GUI simplifies common tasks, complex, granular configurations still demand PowerShell. The true power-user will leverage the GUI for quick wins and baseline policies while using scripting for precise, automated control and reporting.
- Analysis: Microsoft’s introduction of a GUI is a strategic acknowledgment that for security features to be effective, they must be usable. A powerful feature locked behind a complex scripting interface has a limited security impact due to low adoption. This move aligns with a core principle of modern security: usability enhances enforcement. However, it creates a two-tiered administration model. Junior admins will use the GUI for broad strokes, while senior architects and automation pipelines will continue to rely on the deep, programmatic control of PowerShell. Organizations must train their teams on both interfaces to fully leverage this critical security feature.
Prediction:
The GUI-ification of Entra ID’s advanced features will significantly accelerate the adoption of strong authentication policies across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. We predict a measurable decrease in identity-based attacks stemming from legacy authentication misconfigurations over the next 18-24 months as more organizations easily implement these controls. Furthermore, this sets a precedent. Expect Microsoft to continue migrating complex PowerShell-exclusive security modules—like Conditional Access policy tuning or Identity Protection configuration—into intuitive GUIs, making proactive cloud security a standard practice rather than an advanced skill.
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Reported By: Nathanmcnulty Jan – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
