Implement monitoring of guest accounts
Implementation Effort: Medium – IT and identity governance teams must configure monitoring tools, analyze guest activity data, and establish processes for ongoing oversight.
User Impact: Low – This is an administrative process; guest users are not directly involved unless subsequent actions are taken based on monitoring outcomes.
Overview
Implementing monitoring of guest accounts in Microsoft Entra ID is essential for maintaining a secure and compliant collaboration environment. Over time, guest accounts can accumulate, leading to potential security risks if not properly managed. By establishing robust monitoring processes, organizations can ensure that guest users have appropriate access and that inactive or unnecessary accounts are identified and addressed.
Microsoft Entra ID provides tools to facilitate this process. Administrators can utilize the inactive guest report to gain insights into guest user activity, identifying accounts that have not signed in within a specified period. This report offers a comprehensive view of guest account activity, enabling administrators to make informed decisions about account management.
In addition to the inactive guest report, audit logs can be leveraged to track guest user activities, including sign-ins and resource access. These logs provide a detailed record of user actions, supporting compliance and security audits. By analyzing audit logs, organizations can detect unusual or unauthorized activities, enhancing their security posture.
Implementing these monitoring processes aligns with the Zero Trust principles by enforcing "Verify explicitly" through continuous validation of user access and "Assume breach" by proactively identifying and mitigating potential security threats. Failure to monitor guest accounts effectively can result in unauthorized access, data leakage, and increased attack surfaces.