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

Microsoft Security Service Edge Now Generally Available

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced the general availability of its Security Service Edge (SSE) offering, Global Secure Access (GSA). GSA encompasses Entra Internet Access, a cloud-based Secure Web Gateway, and Entra Private Access, a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution for accessing private data and applications on-premises.

ZTNA vs. VPN

Entra Private Access will be a compelling alternative to traditional VPN solutions such as Windows Always On VPN. Where traditional VPNs grant the endpoint an IP address on the internal network, Entra Private Access provides more granular access and does not require the device to be directly connected to the network.

GSA Client

Administrators must install the GSA client on all endpoints using Entra Internet Access or Entra Private Access. Today, the client is available for Windows and Android devices. iOS and macOS clients are forthcoming.

Private Network Connector

The Entra Private Access solution relies on the Entra Private Network Connector. The Entra Private Network Connector is a software component installed on-premises that provides remote access connectivity. Previously, it was called the Azure AD Application Proxy. Essentially, it is the same technology extended to support TCP and UDP network access in addition to HTTP.

Limitations

Entra Private Access is the way of the future for secure remote access. However, today, there are still some important limitations associated with this technology.

Private DNS

Although Microsoft announced general availability for Entra Private Access, it still lacks the private DNS feature many organizations require to provide feature parity with their existing VPN. This feature is still in private preview at the time of this writing. Hopefully, Microsoft will release this feature soon.

Device Connection

Entra Private Access does not support device-based connections. This limits its capabilities for domain-joined devices. If your organization uses hybrid Entra join today, consider sticking with Always On VPN until you move to native Entra joined endpoints.

Licensing

Global Secure Access (Entra Private Access and Entra Internet Access) are included in the Microsoft Entra Suite license. More information about Entra licensing can be found here.

Additional Information

Microsoft Global Secure Access Now Generally Available

Microsoft Entra Global Secure Access (GSA) Overview

Microsoft Entra Security Service Edge (SSE) on the RunAs Radio Podcast

Microsoft Entra Plans & Pricing

Mastering Certificates with Intune Training Course

I’m excited to announce I’ll present a three-day LIVE online training event covering all things Microsoft Intune and certificates. This training event takes place on the ViaMonstra online academy January 28-30, 2025.

Course Material

This training course comprehensively examines all aspects of delivering certificates using Microsoft Intune, including common deployment scenarios, PKCS and SCEP configuration, Intune certificate connector configuration, high availability strategies, implementation and security best practices, and troubleshooting.

Cloud PKI

Cloud PKI, a new cloud-based PKI-as-a-Service solution from Microsoft, will also be covered in depth. I’ll provide an overview of the service and discuss the advantages and limitations of Cloud PKI. We’ll also cover different configuration and deployment scenarios, including Bring Your Own CA (BYOCA). In addition, I’ll share security best practices for Microsoft Cloud PKI deployments.

Register Now

Space is limited, so don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to learn about these critically essential technologies. Reserve your spot in this training class today!

Additional Information

Mastering Certificates and Microsoft Intune

Microsoft Cloud PKI

ViaMonstra Online Academy