What is Conditional Access?

Nowadays, keeping our information safe is more important than ever. Imagine if you had a magic doorkeeper for your digital data – someone who could decide who gets in and who doesn't, based on different things like where they are, what device they're using, or how risky their login looks. That's basically what conditional access is all about!

What is Conditional Access?

Conditional access is a smart way to control who can see and use your organisation's digital resources. It's like having a super-smart security guard for your apps and data. This guard doesn't just check if someone has the right password - it looks at lots of different things before deciding whether to let them in or not.

What are Conditional Access Policies?

Conditional access policies are the rules you set up to tell your digital security guard how to make decisions. These policies are at the heart of any conditional access system, whether you're using Microsoft's Azure AD Conditional Access, Google's Context Aware Access, or another similar solution. These policies can be based on all sorts of things, like:

• Who the person is (their job role or which group they're in)
• Where they're trying to log in from (location-based access control)
• What kind of device they're using (device-based conditional access)
• How risky their login attempt looks (risk-based conditional access)
• What time of day it is (time-based access control)
• Which application or resource they're trying to access (app-based conditional access)

For example, you might set up a policy that says, "If someone's trying to access project files from outside the office, make them prove it's really them by using an extra security step."

How Does Conditional Access Work?

When someone tries to use one of your apps or access some data, the conditional access system springs into action. It checks the person's login against all the policies you've set up. This process is often called real-time access evaluation or dynamic access control. Here's a step-by-step breakdown:

1. User Attempts to Access a Resource: This could be logging into an app, opening a file, or accessing a network.
2. Identity Verification: The system checks the user's credentials (username and password).
3. Policy Evaluation: If the credentials are correct, the conditional access engine evaluates the login attempt against all relevant policies.
4. Additional Factors: Based on the policies, the system might require additional authentication factors (multi-factor authentication or MFA).
5. Access Decision: The system decides to grant access, deny access, or require additional steps.
6. Continuous Monitoring: Many advanced systems continue to monitor the session, applying continuous authentication principles.

If everything matches up with what your policies say is okay, they get in. If something doesn't look right, the system might ask for more proof that it's really them (step-up authentication), or it might not let them in at all.

The Difference Between Conditional Access and Context-Aware Access

You might hear people talk about "context-aware access" or "context-based access control" too. These are really similar to conditional access, and sometimes people use the terms interchangeably. But there are some differences between them:

Conditional Access

• Usually refers to the broader concept of controlling access based on various conditions. It’s also referred to as contextual access.
• Often associated with Microsoft's Azure Active Directory (AD) Conditional Access system.
• Typically involves pre-defined policies that are evaluated at the time of access attempt.

Context-Aware Access

• Sometimes used to describe Google's version of this technology in Google Workspace (formerly G Suite).
• Might focus more on the specific context of the access attempt, like location or device status.
• Can be seen as a specific type of conditional access.
• Often emphasises real-time evaluation of the user's context.
• May include more dynamic, AI-driven decision-making.

Context-Based Access Control

• A more general term that encompasses both conditional access and context-aware access.
• Emphasises how important it is to look at the whole situation of an entry attempt.
• May include elements of user behaviour analytics and adaptive authentication.

In practice, all these terms are talking about the same basic idea: making smart decisions about who gets access to what, based on more than just a username and password. They all fall under the broader umbrella of adaptive access control systems.

Why is Conditional Access Important?

In the old days, keeping things secure was simpler. You had a big wall (firewall) around your company's network, and as long as someone was inside that wall, they could access everything. But now, with people working from home, using their own device and accessing cloud services, that old way doesn't work so well anymore.

Conditional access is important because:

• It helps keep your data safe, even when people are working from anywhere
• It can stop unauthorised access from hackers who might have stolen someone's password
• It makes sure the right people can access the right things without making it too hard for them to do their jobs
• It helps companies fulfil data safety compliance policies and regulations

How to Set Up Conditional Access

Setting up conditional access might sound complicated, but many systems try to make it as easy as possible. Here's a basic idea of how you might set it up:

1. Decide What You Want to Protect: Start by thinking about which apps or data need extra protection.
2. Think About Your Users: Consider different groups of users and what they need access to.
3. Consider the Conditions: What factors do you want to check? Location? Device type? Time of day?
4. Choose Your Actions: Decide what should happen in different situations. Extra security checks? Blocking access?
5. Create Your Policies: Use your system's tools to create policies based on your decisions.
6. Test Your Policies: Always test new policies with a small group first to make sure they work as expected.
7. Monitor and Adjust: Keep an eye on how your policies are working and be ready to make changes if needed.

Examples of Conditional Access Policies

Extra Security for Important Resources:

Policy: "If someone's trying to access financial data, make them use an extra security step (like entering a code from their phone) no matter what."

Keeping an Eye on Unusual Locations:

Policy: "If a login attempt comes from a country we don't usually do business in, don't let them in and alert our security team."

Making Sure Devices are Secure:

Policy: "Only let people access company emails on phones that have our security app installed."

Protecting Against Stolen Passwords:

Policy: "If someone's login looks risky (if it's from an unusual location or at a strange time), ask for an extra security check."

Limiting Access for Temporary Workers:

Policy: "Contractors can only access our systems during normal business hours and from approved devices."

Benefits of Using Conditional Access

• Enhanced Security: By checking more than just passwords, you can stop many types of attacks. This multi-factor authentication drastically reduces the risk of unauthorised access.
• Flexibility for Workers: People can work from different places and devices but in a secure way. This supports modern work practices like remote work and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).
• Easier for IT Teams: Instead of having to set individual permissions for everyone, they can create broader policies. This policy-based approach streamlines access management.
• Quicker Response to Threats: If a new security risk pops up, you can quickly add new policies to protect against it. This agility is crucial in today's fast-changing threat landscape.
• Compliance Support: Many industries have strict rules about data protection. Conditional access can help you follow these rules by enforcing appropriate access controls.
• Improved User Experience: Instead of having the same strict security for everything, you can adjust based on the situation, making things easier for users when possible. This context-aware approach balances security and usability.
• Cost-Effective Security: By tailoring security measures to specific scenarios, you can often achieve better protection without investing in multiple point solutions.
• Centralised Policy Management: A unified dashboard for controlling all rules makes it simpler to manage security with most conditional access systems.

Challenges in Implementing Conditional Access

• Policy Complexity: It can be tricky to create policies that keep things secure without making it too hard for people to do their jobs. Balancing security and usability is an ongoing challenge.
• Keeping Policies Updated: As your organisation changes and grows, you'll need to keep updating your policies. This requires ongoing management and attention.
• User Education: You'll need to help your users understand why these security measures are in place and how to work with them. This often requires a comprehensive change management approach.
• Technical Integration: Depending on your setup, integrating conditional access with all your systems might be complicated. This is especially true in heterogeneous IT environments.
• Balancing Security and Usability: There's always a trade-off between making things super secure and making them easy to use. It might be difficult to get the ideal balance and might require frequent modifications.
• Handling Exceptions: There will always be scenarios that don't fit neatly into your policies. Managing these exceptions without creating security loopholes can be challenging.

Best Practices for Conditional Access

To get the most out of conditional access policies, here are some tips:

• Start Simple: Begin with basic policies and gradually add more complex ones as you get comfortable with the system. This incremental approach helps in managing complexity.
• Use a Layered Approach: Don't rely on just one type of check. Combine different factors for better security. This is often referred to as defence in depth.
• Regular Reviews: Check your policies regularly to make sure they're still working well and haven't started causing problems. This is part of the continuous improvement process in security management.
• Thorough Testing: Always test new policies thoroughly before applying them to everyone. Use a staged rollout approach to minimise disruption.
• Have a Backup Plan: Make sure there's a way for legitimate users to get help if they're accidentally blocked. This might include a secondary authentication method or a quick-response support team.
• Keep Learning: Keep updated on conditional access best practices and new features. The field of cybersecurity is constantly evolving, and it's important to keep pace.
• Involve the Right People: Get input from different departments to make sure your policies work for everyone. This cross-functional approach ensures that security measures align with business needs.
• Monitor and Analyse: Use the logging and reporting features of your conditional access system to gain insights into access patterns and potential security issues.

The Future of Conditional Access

As technology keeps changing, conditional access is likely to become even smarter and more important. Here are some trends to watch:

1. AI and Machine Learning: Systems might get better at spotting unusual behaviour and adjusting access automatically.
2. More Factors to Consider: We might see access decisions based on new things, like how someone types or moves their mouse.
3. Integration with More Services: Conditional access might become a standard feature in more and more apps and services.
4. Easier Management: Tools for setting up and managing policies might become more user-friendly and powerful.
5. Focus on Privacy: As we collect more data to make access decisions, there will likely be more emphasis on protecting user privacy.

Conclusion

Conditional access policies are powerful for keeping your organisation's data and systems safe in today's complex world. Looking at more than just passwords helps make sure that the right people have the right access at the right time while keeping the bad guys out.

While it can seem complicated at first, understanding the basics of conditional access is important for anyone involved in managing or using an organisation's IT systems.

At InstaSafe, we offer state-of-the-art conditional access solutions tailored to your organisation's needs. Our platform provides top-tier security without compromising user experience or productivity.

As our work continues to change and evolve, tools like conditional access will play a big role in helping us stay secure and productive.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How does conditional access differ from MFA?

Conditional access is broader than MFA. It uses various factors to decide whether to grant access, including location and device type. MFA is just one security measure that conditional access might require.

2. How do you enable conditional access?

To enable conditional access, you define policies in your identity management system. These policies specify conditions for access and actions to take, like requiring MFA or blocking access in certain situations.

3. What licence is needed for conditional access?

Conditional access typically requires a premium licence from your identity provider. For example, with Microsoft, you'd need Azure AD Premium P1 or P2 or certain Microsoft 365 licences.

4. What is an example of conditional access?

An example of conditional access is a policy that requires extra authentication when someone tries to access your sensitive data from an unknown location or device, enhancing security for important information.