How to use Azure Multi-Factor Authentication for the Cloud Apps

Today Security is one of the most critical task for the IT world to protect the company data . As the Cloud is in our lives every day then the Security can be more difficult.

Fortunate in recent years more and more companies are launching Applications that can protect your environemnt, while offer more Security layers.

Multi Factor Authentication is one of the most secure ways to protect your identities, especially when you have data or application in the Cloud.

Azure can enable you to use Multi Factor Authentication with different ways based on your requirements.

Today I would like to explain how you can use the Azure Multi Factor Authentication to protect Cloud Applications, especially the Azure portal.

Prerequisites

If you will decide to proceed with the Azure Multi Factor Authentication then you will need to have the followings

• Azure administration access 
• Microsoft Authentication App in the User/Users Mobile that will apply the Condition Access.

How to enable the Azure Multi Factor Authentication with Conditional Access

Before proceeding with the following steps to enable the Multi Factor Authentication, make sure that you will proceed with a test account, and it's working to avoid to locked down out of the Azure Portal.

• Open the Azure Portal

• From the left side click on Protect & Secure -- Conditional Access
• Otherwise you can write conditional access in search.
• Click on New Policy.

• Type  a Name that you want to give in Policy.
• Select the user or Group that  you want to apply the Conditional Access Policy.

• Click on Cloud apps or Action. 
• In the Select what this policy applies to select the Cloud Apps
• Check the Select apps
• In the Select click on None to find out which cloud app will be included in the Conditional Access Policy.

• As a common scenario I will select  the Microsoft Azure Management which is the Azure Portal.

• Next option is the Grant.
• Click on 0 controls selected.

• Verify that the check is in Grant Access.
• Check the Require Multi Facto Authentication as well.
• Click Select.

• In the bottom you will find an option Enable Policy.
• You can enable or disable the Policy, but if you would like to test the Policy first you can use the Report Only option.

• If you will enable the policy , the next step is to test it..
• Open the Azure Portal sign in from a another Web Browser and try to connect with the user that you have apply the Conditional Policy.