What Does Resmo Offer for Azure AD Users? A Deep-Dive

Managing Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) comes with its challenges. For example, when an employee changes roles but still has access to sensitive data from their old role, it creates a security risk. Or when connecting new SaaS apps to Azure AD, if not done carefully, it can lead to security gaps. These are everyday issues for Azure AD administrators, along with managing unauthorized apps and keeping track of SaaS licenses.

Resmo is here to help simplify these aspects of Azure AD management. It provides tools to keep an eye on user access and secure your SaaS integrations, making sure your Azure AD setup stays safe and efficient.

The management and security challenges behind Azure AD

As a cloud-based identity and access management service, Azure AD plays a crucial role in providing secure access to various applications and resources across the enterprise. It enables organizations to manage user identities and create policies for access control, making it an indispensable tool in the realm of corporate IT security and management.

However, the expansive use of Azure AD also brings forth a set of challenges for IT and security teams. Let’s explore each of these with common examples.

On a quick note, you can both use Azure AD as your directory tool for SaaS security and leverage Resmo's resource tracking, security policy creation and alerting tailored for Azure AD environments. A directory tool is a starting point for Resmo to get the SaaS discovery and employee identification up and running.

1. Overseeing user access and permissions

As an organization grows, so does the complexity of managing access across a multitude of applications and services. Azure AD users often find themselves having a hard time finding who has access to what, especially in dynamic environments where roles and responsibilities frequently change.

Example: An IT manager might struggle to keep track of who has access to sensitive data, especially in large teams where roles frequently change. For instance, an employee who has moved from a finance to a marketing role might retain access to financial data, posing a security risk. This might also be even riskier for employee offboarding scenarios.

2. Security risks in SaaS integration

Integrating various SaaS applications with Azure AD is essential for operational efficiency but can introduce security vulnerabilities. Unchecked or misconfigured integrations can open up avenues for data breaches.

Example: For instance, an organization adopts a new cloud storage solution such as DropBox and integrates it with Azure AD for easy access. If the integration isn't configured with strict security protocols, it might inadvertently allow overly permissive access, making sensitive data vulnerable. A case in point could be an employee unintentionally sharing confidential files outside the organization due to misconfigured sharing settings.

3. Shadow IT and unsanctioned application use

Shadow IT, where employees use unsanctioned applications, often presents significant security and compliance risks. These applications can be integrated with Azure AD without the knowledge of IT departments, leading to potential data leaks and compliance violations..

Example: A team in the organization might start using an unapproved project management tool such as Monday, Trello, Asana etc., that they find more user-friendly. They integrate this tool with Azure AD for convenience, unknown to the IT department. This tool, not vetted for security, could become a gateway for data breaches or non-compliance with data handling regulations.

4. Real-time security incident management

Azure AD administrators need to constantly monitor access patterns to identify any unusual activity. An access attempt from a foreign location, especially if it deviates from the user's normal pattern, can be a red flag indicating a potential security breach. Swiftly responding to security incidents in Azure AD managed environments is crucial but challenging.

Example: Detecting and responding to unusual login attempts or access patterns in real time is vital. For instance, an alert about a login attempt from an unusual location after hours could signal a potential security breach.

How does Resmo help you solve these problems?

Resmo offers a suite of features and capabilities that directly address the specific challenges faced by Azure AD users. Here's a more detailed look at how Resmo provides solutions:

1. Inventory and query Azure AD resources

With Resmo's integration to Azure Active Directory (AzureAD), you gain the ability to comprehensively inventory and monitor your AzureAD resources from a singular, centralized location. The resources you can inventory and monitor with Resmo include:

• AD Organization
• AD Service Principal
• AD User
• AD User Group
• See all available resources

Additionally, Resmo simplifies the process of querying and analyzing your AzureAD assets by allowing you to use a simplified SQL language. This means you can easily retrieve specific information about your AzureAD resources without the need for advanced SQL knowledge, making the management of your AzureAD resources more efficient and user-friendly.

Common queries:

• Examine verified domains within your AzureAD organization.
• List guest user accounts.
• Inspect OAuth2 permissions assigned to Service Principals.
• Identify user groups without role assignability.
• Catalog user accounts that are currently inactive or disabled.

2. Automate Azure AD security checks

Anything you can query can turn into a security policy! Resmo runs automated checks using both managed and custom rules for your Azure AD. This ensures that your configurations adhere to Azure AD security best practices and your organization's specific policies.

3. Use historical data for security investigations

Resmo allows you to discover historical data for your resource changes, queries, and rule violations. This historical insight is invaluable for tracking changes over time and understanding the evolution of your AzureAD environment.

4. Streamline user access and permissions management

Resmo's capability to perform continuous and automated audits helps organizations keep track of all user permissions and roles in real-time. This feature is crucial for identifying access anomalies or outdated permissions that may pose security risks.

You can configure custom alerts for any unauthorized changes in user roles or permissions. For instance, if a user suddenly gains administrative privileges without proper authorization, Resmo can immediately alert the IT security team. There’s also a report generation option that can be used as a compliance evidence such as for SOC2 audits.

5. Secure SaaS integrations

Resmo conducts in-depth assessments of SaaS applications integrated with Azure AD. It checks for vulnerabilities, ensuring that these integrations do not expose the organization to potential security breaches.

It verifies that the configurations of these SaaS applications comply with your organization's internal security policies and industry standards, mitigating risks associated with misconfigurations. These include:

• Shared accounts
• Weak and reused passwords
• Visibility configurations set to public such as GitHub repositories
• Accounts without a multi-factor authentication (MFA)

6. Eliminate Shadow IT risks

Resmo discovers unsanctioned SaaS applications that employees might integrate with Azure AD or SSO logins with it. This discovery process includes identifying potentially risky applications that have not undergone official vetting.

After identifying unsanctioned applications, Resmo evaluates their risk levels and provides detailed reports that include:

• App security profile
• App owners and users
• Number of accounts
• App usage
• Vulnerabilities
• OAuth permissions
• App-2-App connections
• Audit log

This information helps IT managers make informed decisions about whether to sanction, restrict, or remove these applications.

7. Get a real-time heads-up

By leveraging ChatOps with integrations in platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams, Resmo enables you to receive personalized alerts directly in your communication tools.

When Resmo identifies a security issue, you'll receive real-time alerts in your chat applications such as Slack and Microsoft Teams, allowing for swift action and significantly improved response times.

The alerting system also includes notifications through channels like Opsgenie, PagerDuty, email, and webhooks, providing flexibility in how you receive alerts. These alerts give you instant information about potential vulnerabilities, helping your IT and security teams act quickly to address and resolve issues.

8. Offboard with confidence

Under the broader scope of how Resmo aids in solving Azure AD challenges, a key feature is its ability to streamline the offboarding process. When an employee leaves your organization, Resmo ensures that their access to all Azure AD-linked resources is revoked promptly and thoroughly. 

This feature is crucial for maintaining security, as it prevents former employees from accessing sensitive information or systems post-departure. With Resmo, you can manage this process efficiently, minimizing the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access, and giving you the confidence that offboarding is handled securely and effectively.

Also read: Best Offboarding Tools for IT Teams

Here’s how it works

Resmo connects to Azure AD through a straightforward OAuth flow, ensuring a secure, one-click,  and hassle-free integration process. Once integrated, Resmo begins polling your Azure AD resources. The initial polling gathers your existing resources, setting the stage for ongoing, near real-time monitoring.

Although a directory integration like Azure AD is an almost perfect start for your SaaS security journey, we also recommend making sure that your users download the Resmo browser extension to fully benefit from the Shadow app discovery.

Since you have stuck around so far, why don’t you try and see it for yourself? You have 14 days of free trial with no credit card requirement. Give it a try.