Introduction
Azure Single Sign-On (SSO) is a cloud-based authentication service provided by Microsoft Azure, which allows users to access multiple applications and services with just one set of login credentials. This means that users only have to remember one username and password to access all their applications, instead of having separate login information for each one. SSO streamlines the login process and makes it more convenient for users, while also providing improved security and management capabilities for organizations.
Understanding Azure Single Sign-On
Azure Single Sign-On (SSO) is a cloud-based service provided by Microsoft Azure that allows users to securely access multiple applications and services with just one set of login credentials. It eliminates the need for users to remember and manage multiple usernames and passwords for different applications and services.
To enable Azure SSO, an organization must have an Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) tenant. Azure AD is a cloud-based identity management service that stores user identities and manages authentication and authorization for Azure SSO.
When a user attempts to access an application or service, they are redirected to the Azure AD sign-in page. The user enters their credentials on this sign-in page, and Azure AD authenticates the user’s identity. If the user is authenticated, Azure AD generates a security token and redirects the user back to the application or service.
The security token contains the user’s identity information and also includes specific permissions for the user, based on their role and access level in Azure AD. The application or service verifies the token and grants access to the user without requiring them to enter their login credentials again.
In the background, Azure SSO uses various authentication protocols, such as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), OpenID Connect, and OAuth 2.0, to facilitate the secure transfer of user identities and permissions between the identity provider (Azure AD) and the application or service.
Azure SSO offers a seamless and secure user experience, simplifies user authentication and access management, and provides greater control and visibility over user access to applications and services. It also allows organizations to enable multi-factor authentication and other advanced security features to secure user access.
Setting Up Azure Active Directory
Creating an Azure AD Tenant:
Log into the Azure portal at https://portal.azure.com using your Microsoft account.
In the portal, click on “Create a resource” in the left menu, then type “Azure Active Directory” into the search box.
Select “Azure Active Directory” from the search results and click on “Create” on the next screen.
On the “Create Directory” screen, enter a name for your directory and select your desired location. Then click on “Create” to create your Azure AD tenant.
Configuring User Accounts and Groups:
In the Azure portal, click on “Azure Active Directory” in the left menu.
Under the “Manage” section, click on “Users” to view a list of users in your tenant.
To create a new user, click on “New user” at the top of the page. Enter the user’s information and click on “Create” at the bottom. You can also bulk-add users by selecting “Bulk create” instead.
To create a new group, click on “New Group” at the top of the “Users” page. Enter a name for the group, select its type (such as security or Office 365), and add members to the group. Click on “Create” at the bottom to finish.
You can also manage user and group permissions by clicking on “Roles and Administrators” under the “Security” section in the left menu. Here, you can assign roles to users and groups, giving them access to specific Azure AD resources.
Understanding Azure AD Roles and Permissions:
Azure AD has five main roles: Global administrator, User administrator, Password administrator, Service administrator, and Billing administrator.
The Global administrator has access to all administrative features and can manage all users, groups, and resources in the tenant.
The User administrator can manage all aspects of user accounts, such as creating, deleting, and resetting passwords.
The Password administrator can reset user passwords and manage password policies.
The Service administrator can manage service requests and monitor service health.
The Billing administrator can manage invoices and billing notifications.
Additionally, there are built-in roles that provide more granular access to specific resources, such as application registration, device management, and directory reader.
Roles can be assigned at the tenant level, directory level, or resource level, giving administrators the ability to control access at different levels.
Configuring Applications for Azure SSO
Adding Applications to Azure AD:
Log in to the Azure portal using your administrator account.
In the left navigation menu, click on “Azure Active Directory”.
On the Azure AD overview page, click on “Enterprise applications” from the menu.
Click on the “+ New application” button in the top-left corner.
In the “Add an application” page, select the desired option for adding the application. This can be either from the Azure AD App Gallery, your organization’s custom application, or a non-gallery application.
Follow the prompts to add the application to Azure AD.
Configuring Single Sign-On Settings for Applications:
After adding the application to Azure AD, click on the application from the “Enterprise applications” list.
In the application’s overview page, click on “Single sign-on” from the menu.
In the “Single sign-on” page, select the desired authentication method for the application. This can be either “Password-based single sign-on” or “Single sign-on with SAML”.
Follow the prompts to configure the single sign-on settings for the application. This may include providing the application’s login URL, SAML metadata, or setting up password-based authentication.
Save the changes and test the single sign-on to ensure it is working correctly.
Understanding Different Authentication Methods Supported by Azure SSO:
Password-based single sign-on (SSO) allows users to sign in to an application with the same credentials used for the Azure AD account. This method requires the application to support password-based authentication.
Single sign-on with SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is a standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between two parties. This method allows for a more secure authentication process and is typically used for SaaS (Software as a Service) applications.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide additional verification, such as a code sent to their phone, when signing into an application.
Federation authentication enables users to sign in to an application using their on-premises credentials through Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS).
Application Proxy allows users to access on-premises applications securely from outside the network without the need for a VPN.
Implementing Azure SSO Integration
Step 1: Configure Azure AD for SSO
Log into your Azure account.
Navigate to the Azure Active Directory service.
Select “Enterprise Applications” from the left menu.
Click on “New application” button and choose “Non-gallery application” from the list.
Give your application a name and click “Add”.
Select “Single sign-on” from the left menu.
Under the “Single Sign-on Mode” section, select “SAML-based Sign-on”.
Click “Edit” under step 2 to set up SAML configuration.
In the “Basic SAML Configuration” form, fill in the following fields:
Identifier (Entity ID): This is typically the URL of your application.
Reply URL (Assertion Consumer Service URL): This is the URL that Azure will send the SAML response to after successful authentication.
Sign on URL: This is the URL that users will be redirected to for login.
10. Download the “Federation Metadata XML” file and keep it handy for the next steps.
Step 2: Configure your web application for SSO
Access your web application’s codebase.
In your web application’s authentication or login module, add functionality to handle SSO requests. This typically involves parsing the SAML response for user information and redirecting the user to the application’s main page.
Add the Azure AD certificate as a trusted certificate in your application’s certificate store. This will be used to verify the SAML response from Azure.
Add code to generate SAML requests and send them to Azure for authentication.
Configure your application to accept and process the SAML response from Azure.
Step 3: Test the Azure SSO integration
Log out of your web application.
Access your web application’s login page.
Click on the “Single Sign-On” button.
You will be redirected to the Azure AD login page.
Enter your Azure AD credentials and complete the authentication process.
You should be redirected back to your application’s main page and be automatically logged in.
Congratulations! You have successfully implemented Azure SSO integration with your web application. You can now repeat these steps for any additional applications that you wish to integrate with Azure SSO.
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