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Entra.Chat

Merill Fernando

Entra Chat is a weekly podcast hosted by Merill Fernando and delivers practical insights for Microsoft administrators and security professionals through conversations with identity experts who've been in the trenches. Episodes feature seasoned Entra practitioners sharing real-world deployment experiences and Microsoft Entra team members who build the features you use daily. Get the inside track on best practices, implementation strategies, and upcoming capabilities directly from those who design and deploy Microsoft identity solutions. Join us for actionable takeaways you can apply immediately in your Microsoft 365, Azure, and Entra environments. --- Entra.Chat, its content and opinions are my (Merill Fernando) own and do not reflect the views of my employer (Microsoft). All postings are provided “AS IS” with no warranties and is not supported by the author. All trademarks and copyrights belong to their owners and are used for identification only.

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  • 24 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 50 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • #56
    April 18 · 59 min

    Stop Leaving the Door Open: The Entra ID Hardening Checklist Security Experts Actually Use

    Microsoft Entra security is evolving and the way organizations think about identity protection needs to evolve with it. In this episode, I’m joined by Sean Metcalf, one of the foremost identity security experts in the industry, whose work has helped shape how many organizations approach securing both Active Directory and Microsoft Entra.Sean shares the hardening steps many teams still overlook, and why advances in AI are making it easier for both defenders and attackers to work faster than ever before. From MFA and application controls to protecting privileged accounts and reducing unnecessary exposure, this conversation offers a practical look at where strong identity security starts and why getting the fundamentals right matters more than ever. Subscribe with your favorite podcast player or watch on YouTube 👇 About Sean Metcalf Sean Metcalf is the Identity Security Architect at TrustedSec and a renowned expert in Microsoft identity security. He holds the rare Certified Master in Active Directory certification and has spoken at major security conferences including Black Hat, DEF CON, and BlueHat on how to defend cloud and hybrid environments. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmmetcalf/ 🔗 Related Links * Securing Entra ID Administration: Tier 0 - https://trustedsec.com/blog/securing-entra-id-administration-tier-0 * Managing Privileged Roles in Microsoft Entra ID: A Pragmatic Approach - https://trustedsec.com/blog/managing-privileged-roles-in-microsoft-entra-id-a-pragmatic-approach * Improve Entra ID Security More Quickly - https://adsecurity.org/?p=4825 * Microsoft Graph Skill - https://graph.pm 📗 Chapters 00:04:05 AI and the Evolution of Attacks 00:06:42 The Importance of Hardening Fundamentals 00:12:03 Securing Entra ID Quickly 00:16:24 Protecting Tokens with VBS and TPM 00:19:58 Restricting Consent and Guest Users 00:23:40 Managing Rogue Tenants 00:27:36 Cloud Admin Workstation Strategies 00:34:14 Delegated Admin Privileges 00:44:32 The Danger of Application Permissions 00:57:06 Artemis Mission Trivia Podcast Apps 🎙️ Entra.Chat - https://entra.chat 🎧 Apple Podcast → https://entra.chat/apple 📺 YouTube → https://entra.chat/youtube 📺 Spotify → https://entra.chat/spotify 🎧 Overcast → https://entra.chat/overcast 🎧 Pocketcast → https://entra.chat/pocketcast 🎧 Others → https://entra.chat/rss Merill’s socials 📺 YouTube → youtube.com/@merillx 👔 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/merill 🐤 Twitter → twitter.com/merill 🕺 TikTok → tiktok.com/@merillf 🦋 Bluesky → bsky.app/profile/merill.net 🐘 Mastodon → infosec.exchange/@merill 🧵 Threads → threads.net/@merillf 🤖 GitHub → github.com/merill Get full access to Entra.News - Your weekly dose of Microsoft Entra at entra.news/subscribe

  • #55
    April 11 · 56 min

    How to Design Bullet-Proof Conditional Access Policies in Microsoft Entra ID

    If you can’t immediately name your break glass accounts and the last time you tested them → you’re already at risk. In this episode of Entra Chat, Microsoft MVP Per Torben walks through the conditional access mistakes he sees even large enterprises making, and the practical framework he actually uses with customers. You’ll learn how to set up emergency access accounts the right way, why your CA policies should be built more like a firewall than a checklist, and the one naming convention that makes managing dozens of policies actually manageable. 🎧 Hit play, your tenant will thank you. Sponsored by: Entra ID Gaps That Cause Outages In Microsoft Entra ID, outages often start small: an expired client secret, a lapsed certificate, or a suddenly failing integration. Traditional controls don’t track credential expiry or enforce application ownership, so issues appear only after something breaks. Teams are left asking: * Which applications can access Microsoft 365 data? * Is that access still appropriate? * Who owns the app? Unclear answers stall reviews, weaken accountability, and slow delivery. ENow App Governance Accelerator closes these gaps by highlighting expiring credentials, surfacing permission risks, and identifying ownership gaps before they disrupt operations. New Standard Tier pricing makes it accessible for organizations under 10,000 users, typically $3,500–$9,500 annually. Subscribe with your favorite podcast player or watch on YouTube 👇 About Per Torben Per Torben is a Senior Architect at Crayon and a Microsoft MVP for Identity and Access. Based in Norway, he frequently writes highly-read posts featured on Entra.News and runs the collaborative tech blog “Agder in the Cloud”. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pertorbensorensen/ 🔗 Related Links * Agder in the Cloud - https://agderinthe.cloud * I.D.E.A. for creating/configuring break-glass accounts * GitHub - https://github.com/Per-Torben/I.D.E.A. * Blog - https://agderinthe.cloud/2026/01/06/introducing-i-d-e-a-and-i-d-e-a-001/ * Protected actions: https://agderinthe.cloud/2025/02/12/protected-actions-adding-extra-guards-to-your-entra-id-gate/ * Conditional Access hardeing (series): https://agderinthe.cloud/2024/12/05/how-to-fix-the-fundamental-flaw-in-conditional-access-part-1-introduction-and-coverage-gapsCA geo filter (series): https://agderinthe.cloud/2025/11/06/diving-into-geo-filter-with-entra-conditional-access-part-1 * Entra Backup - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/role-based-access-control/backup-restore 📗 Chapters 06:22 The importance of Break Glass accounts 09:02 Securing emergency access with FIDO2 and RMAUs 18:10 Configuring Conditional Access: The “Block by Default” strategy 27:26 Managing scope and preventing accidental lockouts 29:31 Persona-based naming conventions for CA policies 35:38 Grouping settings and avoiding bloated policies 41:54 Handling exceptions and travel access with Access Packages 44:55 The flaw in Protected Actions for Conditional Access 53:38 Using the new Entra Backup feature for quick restores Podcast Apps 🎙️ Entra.Chat - https://entra.chat 🎧 Apple Podcast → https://entra.chat/apple 📺 YouTube → https://entra.chat/youtube 📺 Spotify → https://entra.chat/spotify 🎧 Overcast → https://entra.chat/overcast 🎧 Pocketcast → https://entra.chat/pocketcast 🎧 Others → https://entra.chat/rss Merill’s socials 📺 YouTube → youtube.com/@merillx 👔 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/merill 🐤 Twitter → twitter.com/merill 🕺 TikTok → tiktok.com/@merillf 🦋 Bluesky → bsky.app/profile/merill.net 🐘 Mastodon → infosec.exchange/@merill 🧵 Threads → threads.net/@merillf 🤖 GitHub → github.com/merill Get full access to Entra.News - Your weekly dose of Microsoft Entra at entra.news/subscribe

  • #54
    April 4 · 1 hr

    5 Entra ID Updates You Can’t Afford to Ignore in 2026 (Backup, Governance, CA Agent & Risk Score Exposed)

    Microsoft just dropped a massive wave of features for Entra, and the rules of Tenant Governance have officially changed. Join us as we talk to three world-class MVPs about their hands-on experience with the new Entra Backup and Recovery and Tenant Governance features. Our Microsoft MVP guests Nathan McNulty, Ru Campbell, and Thomas Naunheim break down the most exciting new features in Microsoft Entra. In this episode, we explore: * The “Shadow Tenant” Problem: One org found 700+ Entra tenants they didn’t know they had. * Version Control for Admins: Why “Difference Reports” are a total game-changer for troubleshooting. * Recovery Safeguards: How to protect your tenant from accidental deletions and “sneaky” background changes. * Backup & Recovery: The truth about Entra Backup vs. Third-Party ISV tools. Subscribe with your favorite podcast player or watch on YouTube 👇 About The Guests Nathan, Ru, and Thomas are highly experienced MVPs specializing in identity security, governance, and Microsoft Entra. Nathan McNulty - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanmcnulty/ Ru Campbell - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlcam/ Thomas Naunheim LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasnaunheim/ 🔗 Related Links * Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery Documentation - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/backup/overview * Microsoft Entra Tenant Governance - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/id-governance/tenant-governance/overview * Synced Passkeys - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/authentication/how-to-authentication-passkeys-fido2 * Microsoft Work IQ CLI (Public Preview) - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/extensibility/workiq-overview * Playwright https://playwright.dev/ * Entra Auth Tracer (Chrome Extension) - https://github.com/darrenjrobinson/EntraAuthTracer * Unified Risk Score - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-xdr/investigate-users#risk-score-tab-preview 📗 Chapters 00:00 Intro to New Entra Features 02:04 Entra Backup and Recovery Deep Dive 10:41 Difference Reports Explained 15:54 Intro to Tenant Governance 23:34 Managing Multi-Tenant Organizations 33:31 Conditional Access Optimization Agent 36:55 The Great Passkey Debate 47:22 Retirements: SP-less Auth & ACS for SharePoint 48:46 Unified Risk Score in Defender 52:38 MVP Tips of the Week Podcast Apps 🎙️ Entra.Chat - https://entra.chat 🎧 Apple Podcast → https://entra.chat/apple 📺 YouTube → https://entra.chat/youtube 📺 Spotify → https://entra.chat/spotify 🎧 Overcast → https://entra.chat/overcast 🎧 Pocketcast → https://entra.chat/pocketcast 🎧 Others → https://entra.chat/rss Merill’s socials 📺 YouTube → youtube.com/@merillx 👔 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/merill 🐤 Twitter → twitter.com/merill 🕺 TikTok → tiktok.com/@merillf 🦋 Bluesky → bsky.app/profile/merill.net 🐘 Mastodon → infosec.exchange/@merill 🧵 Threads → threads.net/@merillf 🤖 GitHub → github.com/merill Get full access to Entra.News - Your weekly dose of Microsoft Entra at entra.news/subscribe

  • #54
    March 28 · 1 hr 1 min

    Finding Every MFA Gap: Testing 250 Million Conditional Access Combinations in Under 20 Minutes

    Emilien Socchi, Cloud Security Research Engineer at Storebrand, joins us to discuss CA Insight and AZTier. Two open-source tools Emilien built to find gaps in Conditional Access policies and categorize Azure/Entra roles based on attack paths. Learn how CA Insight evaluates 250 million sign-in combinations offline in minutes instead of days, why the What If API doesn't scale, and how AZTier helps defenders and pen testers understand privilege escalation risks across Entra ID, Azure, and Microsoft Graph. Together, these projects help security teams move from reactive log monitoring to a proactive defense strategy. What’s Breaking and Slowing Your Entra ID Environment? In Microsoft Entra ID, the same visibility gaps cause two problems: * Things break * Work slows down Expired client secrets disrupt integrations. Certificates lapse and authentication fails. New apps appear with excessive permissions and no clear ownership. At the same time, teams struggle to answer basic questions, which applications have access to Microsoft 365 data, whether that access is still required, and who is responsible for it. When answers are not immediate, reviews stall and projects slow down. ENow App Governance Accelerator Credential Guard helps identify expiring credentials and expose permission and ownership gaps. For organizations under 10,000 users, pricing ranges from $3,500 to $9,500 annually through March 31, 2026. Subscribe with your favorite podcast player or watch on YouTube 👇 About Emilien Socchi Emilien Socchi is a Cloud Security Research Engineer at Storebrand (Oslo, Norway) focusing on the proactive discovery of security issues. With an extensive background in application and cloud penetration testing, Emilien has published practical research and tooling used by defenders. He also maintains several open‑source projects, including Azure administrative tiering models and Entra ID role‑monitoring utilities. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilien-socchi 🔗 Related Links * CA Insight- https://github.com/emiliensocchi/entra-ca-insight * Azure Administrative Tiering (AzTier) - https://aztier.com * AzTier Source: https://github.com/emiliensocchi/azure-tiering * AzTier Deployer - https://github.com/emiliensocchi/aztier-deployer 📗 Chapters 00:00 The Story Behind CA Insights 16:52 Why the ‘What If’ API Doesn’t Scale 21:09 Building an Offline Evaluation Engine 45:22 Deep Dive into AZTier: A Red Team Perspective Podcast Apps 🎙️ Entra.Chat - https://entra.chat 🎧 Apple Podcast → https://entra.chat/apple 📺 YouTube → https://entra.chat/youtube 📺 Spotify → https://entra.chat/spotify 🎧 Overcast → https://entra.chat/overcast 🎧 Pocketcast → https://entra.chat/pocketcast 🎧 Others → https://entra.chat/rss Merill’s socials 📺 YouTube → youtube.com/@merillx 👔 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/merill 🐤 Twitter → twitter.com/merill 🕺 TikTok → tiktok.com/@merillf 🦋 Bluesky → bsky.app/profile/merill.net 🐘 Mastodon → infosec.exchange/@merill 🧵 Threads → threads.net/@merillf 🤖 GitHub → github.com/merill Get full access to Entra.News - Your weekly dose of Microsoft Entra at entra.news/subscribe

Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes