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Free Entra Certificate-Based Authentication Training Course

I’m pleased to announce I’ll present a FREE online training course on Microsoft Entra Certificate-Based Authentication (CBA). The course will be delivered through the ViaMonstra Online Academy on Wednesday, November 6, beginning at 10:00 AM CST. Once again, this training course is entirely FREE, so don’t hesitate to register now! If you can’t attend the live session, you can always view the presentation recording later.

Course Highlights

Join me for this 90-minute live, online training session where you will learn:

  • How certificate-based authentication offers more robust protection than passwords alone and mitigates phishing and MFA bypass risks
  • How Entra CBA enables a seamless, passwordless user experience while maintaining high security and assurance
  • How Entra CBA eliminates the need for physical authentication devices such as FIDO keys or security tokens, reducing costs and complexity
  • How to configure and manage affinity binding and authentication strength policies for Entra CBA

When you attend the live event, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions directly during the presentation, so be sure to register today and join us for this free training session!

Additional Information

Mini-Course – Microsoft Entra Certificate-Based Authentication

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by Richard M. Hicks on October 14, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in Active Directory Certificate Services, AD CS, ADCS, administration, authentication, Azure Active Directory, Azure Conditional Access, CBA, Certificate Authentication, Certificate Authority, Certificate Services, Certificate-Based Authentication, certificates, cloud, Cloud PKI, Cloud Service, Compliance, Conditional Access, Cryptography, Device Management, education, Encryption, Enterprise, Entra CBA, Entra Certificate-Based Authentication, Infrastructure, learning, MFA, Microsoft, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Intune, Mobile Device Management, Multifactor Authentiction, Operational Support, PKI, public cloud, public key infrastructure, SCEP, Security, Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol, systems management, TPM, Training, Trusted Platform Module, webinar, Windows 10, Windows 11
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on October 14, 2024

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2024/10/14/free-entra-certificate-based-authentication-training-course/

Microsoft Deprecates Legacy VPN Protocols

It’s long overdue, but Microsoft has finally announced the formal deprecation of the Point-to-Point Tunnel Protocol (PPTP) and the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) in Windows Server Routing and Remote Access (RRAS) Servers. Both protocols have long since been replaced with more secure alternatives such as the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) and Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEV2). However, many organizations have RRAS servers configured using these legacy protocols to support ad-hoc, on-demand access for non-managed users and devices.

Deprecated Protocols

There are a few reasons why Microsoft has deprecated these legacy protocols. Consider the following.

PPTP

It’s been widely known for many years that PPTP is broken and terribly insecure. Using this VPN protocol today is tremendously risky.

L2TP

L2TP is still considered secure, for the most part. However, it has been replaced with IKEv2, which is more secure and efficient.

Future Support

Although Microsoft made the announcement recently, the protocols will still be included in Windows Server 2025 when released later this year. However, Microsoft may remove these protocols from future Windows Server releases.

Always On VPN

Those who have deployed Microsoft Always On VPN are likely already using modern, secure VPN protocols, so this deprecation announcement won’t impact them. Although PPTP and L2TP are technically supported with Always On VPN, they are not commonly configured.

Recommendations

Administrators using Windows Server RRAS for VPN access using PPTP are encouraged to migrate to another protocol immediately. Those continuing to use L2TP should consider migrating soon.

Additional Information

Always On VPN Protocol Recommendations for Windows Server RRAS

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by Richard M. Hicks on October 11, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in administration, Always On VPN, AOVPN, Deployment, end of life, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, EOL, IKEv2, L2TP, Microsoft, Mobility, Operational Support, PPTP, Remote Access, routing, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, SSTP, TLS, VPN, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on October 11, 2024

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2024/10/11/microsoft-deprecates-legacy-vpn-protocols/

Always On VPN Security Updates August 2024

Today is the second Tuesday of the month, so Windows Server administrators everywhere know what that means – it’s Update Tuesday! For Always On VPN administrators in particular there are a few security updates that affect Windows Server Routing and Remote Access (RRAS), which is a popular VPN server used to support Always On VPN implementations. While many of these updates address Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities, non are considered critical.

RRAS Updates

This month there are six vulnerabilities disclosed affecting Windows Server RRAS.

CVE-2024-38120 – Windows RRAS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (Important)

CVE-2024-38121 – Windows RRAS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (Important)

CVE-2024-38128 – Windows RRAS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (Important)

CVE-2024-38130 – Windows RRAS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (Important)

CVE-2024-38154 – Windows RRAS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (Important)

CVE-2024-38214 – Windows RRAS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (Important)

Additional Updates

In addition to the updates addressing vulnerabilities in Windows Server RRAS, there are also updates available for the Windows Network Address Translation (NAT), Windows Transport Layer Security (TLS), and Windows IP Routing Management snapin that could potentially impact Always On VPN deployments.

Recommendations

None of the security vulnerabilities disclosed this month are critical. Although the RRAS vulnerabilities are remote code execution, exploitation is unlikely. However, administrators are encouraged to update their systems as soon as possible.

Additional Information

Microsoft August 2024 Security Updates

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by Richard M. Hicks on August 13, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in administration, Always On VPN, AOVPN, CVE, Enterprise, Hotfix, Microsoft, Mobility, Operational Support, Remote Access, routing, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, Security Update, SSL, SSL and TLS, TLS, Update, VPN, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on August 13, 2024

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2024/08/13/always-on-vpn-security-updates-august-2024/

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