Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID is a cloud-based identity and access management solution. It is a directory and identity management service that operates in the cloud and offers authentication and authorization services to various Microsoft services, such as Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure, and third-party services. Entra ID provides users with a single sign-on experience, called "work or school accounts", regardless of whether their applications are cloud-based or on-premises.
Entra ID offers various authentication methods, including password-based, multi-factor, smart card, and certificate-based authentication. It also includes several security features, such as conditional access policies, risk-based authentication, and identity protection.
On July 11, 2023, Microsoft announced the renaming of Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID to improve consistency with other Microsoft cloud products. The name change took place on July 15, 2023.
Security
On July 14, 2025, a security vulnerability allowing a user to gain administrator privileges to every Entra ID directory was discovered. A fix was issued on July 17, 2025.Migrating devices to Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID supports registering and joining devices for cloud-based identity and access management; however, it does not provide native functionality for migrating existing endpoints, local user profiles, or device state from on-premises Active Directory or hybrid joined environments.Organizations transitioning devices from on-premises Active Directory or hybrid Azure AD join to Entra ID join commonly encounter challenges such as preserving user profiles, maintaining application configurations, minimizing end-user disruption, and re-enrolling devices into modern management platforms like Microsoft Intune. As a result, organizations may use third-party migration solutions, such as Opsole Migrate or Quest, to assist with device reprovisioning and user profile transition during these migrations.