Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) is critical for identity and access management, but its settings are not natively backed up by Microsoft. This means any accidental or malicious changes can leave your organization vulnerable. In this blog, we explore the risks of not documenting Entra-based services like Conditional Access Policies, Groups, PIM, and Enterprise Applications, common challenges IT managers face, and how 360 Visibility’s 365 Entra Export provides automated daily snapshots to ensure quick recovery.
If you manage Microsoft Entra settings and want an easy way to safeguard them, read on to learn more.
Protecting Your Microsoft Entra ID Settings: The Missing Backup Layer
As an IT manager, you likely have backups in place for critical business data—emails, files, applications, and even entire virtual environments. But what about your Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) settings?
Microsoft Entra is the backbone of identity and access management (IAM) for businesses using Microsoft 365, Azure, and other cloud services. However, there’s a major gap in its resilience: Microsoft does not natively back up Entra settings. That means if configurations are changed, deleted, or compromised—either accidentally or maliciously—you have no rollback option.
What Information Is Stored in Microsoft Entra ID?
Microsoft Entra ID holds a vast amount of critical identity and security configurations, including:
- Conditional Access Policies (CA): Defines who can access what and under which conditions.
- Group Memberships: Determines user access to applications and resources.
- Privileged Identity Management (PIM) Settings: Controls role-based access and just-in-time admin privileges.
- Authentication and Security Policies: Includes multi-factor authentication (MFA), self-service password resets, and device trust settings.
- App Registrations and Enterprise Applications: Governs third-party integrations and API permissions.
- User and Device Settings: Dictates access restrictions and compliance policies.
The Risk of Not Documenting Microsoft Entra Settings
Without an up-to-date record of your Entra configuration, recovering from an incident becomes a time-consuming, manual process. Here’s why this is a growing concern:
- Accidental Misconfiguration: IT teams routinely tweak settings for business needs. A misconfiguration can disrupt user access or security controls.
- Human Error or Forgetfulness: IT managers often juggle multiple responsibilities, and manually documenting Entra settings is rarely a priority.
- Malicious Actions: Whether from a cyberattack or an insider threat, unauthorized changes to Entra can create security gaps, disable key protections, or lock out admins.
- Compliance & Audit Challenges: Many organizations need a record of IAM configurations for compliance and security audits. Without documentation, proving policy enforcement becomes difficult.
FAQ: Common IT Manager Questions About Microsoft Entra Backup & Security
How do I back up Microsoft Entra settings?
Microsoft does not provide native backup options for Entra configurations. You need a third-party solution like 365 Entra Export, which captures daily snapshots of all settings and stores them in Azure for redundancy.
How can I protect my Conditional Access policies from accidental deletion?
With 365 Entra Export, you can review past snapshots to see what your CA policies looked like on any given day, making it easier to reimplement settings if they are altered or removed.
What happens if someone deletes my Entra settings?
Without a backup, restoring settings can be extremely difficult. 365 Entra Export provides a historical record in JSON format, allowing you to manually restore configurations as needed.
Where are Microsoft Entra settings stored?
Microsoft Entra settings are stored in Microsoft’s cloud, but they are not backed up in a way that allows for rollback. 365 Entra Export enables you to store daily snapshots in Azure for easy retrieval.
How can I export Microsoft Entra configurations for auditing?
365 Entra Export provides daily exports in JSON format, giving you a clear point-in-time record of your Entra settings. This makes audits and compliance reporting significantly easier.
What tools are available to track changes in Entra settings?
Microsoft provides limited logging capabilities, but they do not offer rollback or restoration. 365 Entra Export acts as a version history of your settings, helping you track changes over time.
How can I ensure my PIM assignments are correctly documented?
365 Entra Export records your Privileged Identity Management (PIM) configurations and assignments daily, allowing you to confirm role-based access settings at any point in time.
What’s the best way to compare Entra configurations over time?
By storing daily JSON snapshots, 365 Entra Export enables IT teams to compare settings from different dates, making it easier to identify unauthorized changes or accidental misconfigurations.
The Solution: Automated Daily Snapshots of Microsoft Entra Settings
Since Microsoft does not provide native backup options for Entra-based services, IT managers must take control of their own documentation. 360 Visibility’s 365 Entra Export service offers a simple and effective solution:
- Daily Snapshots in JSON Format: Automatically export a full backup of your Entra settings every day in JSON format, ensuring easy review and tracking.
- Secure Storage in Azure: Keep historical snapshots stored in Azure for redundancy and quick retrieval.
- Point-in-Time Documentation: Enables IT teams to reference past configurations, such as:
- Viewing Conditional Access policies from a previous date.
- Checking group memberships on a given day.
- Reviewing Privileged Identity Management (PIM) configurations and assignments.
- Assistance in Restoration: While this tool does not automatically restore settings, it provides the necessary data to manually reconfigure settings in case of deletion or unauthorized changes.
- Ready-to-Deploy Infrastructure: While some infrastructure is required to run the service, 360 Visibility has everything set up and ready to go, ensuring a seamless implementation.
- Cost-Effective Protection: Starting at just $1.25 per user per month, it’s an affordable safety net for your Microsoft Entra settings.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
Many IT teams already invest in data backups, but identity settings are just as critical. Losing or altering Entra configurations can have far-reaching consequences, from security vulnerabilities to operational disruptions.
With 365 Entra Export, you gain peace of mind knowing your identity settings are securely backed up and ready for recovery when needed.
Get Started Today
Don’t leave your Microsoft Entra settings vulnerable to human error, accidental deletion, or security incidents. Start protecting your Entra configurations with 365 Entra Export for just $1.25 per user per month. Contact 360 Visibility to learn more and get started.
