{"id":3162,"date":"2024-06-28T15:17:22","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T14:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cwsisecurity.com\/?p=3162"},"modified":"2026-04-07T17:01:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:01:16","slug":"what-is-microsoft-azure-b2b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cwsisecurity.com\/nl\/what-is-microsoft-azure-b2b\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Microsoft Azure B2B?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Granting external users access to your resources while maintaining security can be quite the challenge. Efficiently granting access to external suppliers and collaborators is essential for organisations, as it allows them to leverage the specialised skills of their partners. However, these external users often lack the same onboarding, offboarding, and governance procedures as internal employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many organisations still provide external users with access by creating a local account within their directory and giving them username and password logins. The downside of this approach is that it introduces an extra set of credentials that the security team needs to protect and manage. Additionally, this method disassociates the partner’s access from their own company. This means that if users leave their original organisation, they may still retain access to your systems, posing a significant security threat. In this blog post, we will explore what Azure<\/a> B2B (now Entra<\/a> B2B) is and how it can help facilitate collaboration with external partners without increasing security risks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What is Azure Active Directory?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Azure<\/a> Active Directory (Azure AD) is the core of identity management<\/a> services and features in Azure. It offers traditional username and password identity management, allowing users to be created in Azure AD manually using the Azure portal or programmatically using the Azure SDK, PowerShell, and the Graph API.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azure AD also offers roles and permission management, known as role-based access control (RBAC), to give access and permissions to various resources in Azure, such as management and resource groups, databases, applications, and more. In addition, Azure AD provides enterprise-grade solutions, such as multifactor authentication (MFA)<\/a>, application monitoring, solution monitoring, and alerting. Azure AD can easily be integrated with your on-premises Active Directory to create a hybrid infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Azure B2B?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Azure AD B2B is a feature of Azure AD that facilitates seamless and secure collaboration with external users. By using the Azure B2B invitation manager API, you can create a shadow user object in your directory and provision access while linking this access to the partner’s company identity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During authentication, the user will identify with their company account. You maintain full control over their access permissions and your corporate data. Azure AD B2B is suitable for partners of any size, regardless of whether they have Azure AD or an IT department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Benefits of Azure B2B<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Azure B2B offers a robust and versatile solution for managing external collaboration and access. By leveraging Azure B2B, organisations can enjoy numerous benefits that enhance productivity, security, and control. Here are some of the key advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Integration with Office 365<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Azure B2B is fully integrated into Office 365 apps, making it easy to share rich experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Compatibility with Custom Apps<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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It works seamlessly with custom apps and resources that use Azure AD, allowing guests to access your custom business applications and third-party applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Seamless Collaboration<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Azure B2B enables smooth collaboration<\/a> between your organisation\u2019s users and trusted guests from external organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Secure Access<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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External users can sign in with their own credentials and securely access shared resources and applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Full Control<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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You maintain complete control over what external users can access, ensuring your data remains protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Does Azure B2B Authentication Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Azure B2B authentication works by linking external users’ access to their own organization’s credentials. When an external user is invited to collaborate, they receive an email invitation. Upon accepting, they authenticate using their home organisation’s identity provider. Azure AD then creates a shadow account for the user in your directory, allowing you to manage their permissions and access without having to manage their credentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, Azure AD B2B provides a robust solution for organisations looking to collaborate securely with external partners. By integrating external users through their existing credentials, Azure B2B minimises security risks and simplifies access management. This makes it an ideal choice for any organisation aiming to enhance collaboration while maintaining a strong security posture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Enabling Azure AD B2B<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sign In<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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To begin enabling Azure AD B2B, sign in to the Azure B2B portal using a global administrator account. Then, open the Azure Active Directory service. Select \u2018External Identities\u2019, then \u2018External collaboration settings\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Guest User Access<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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This is where you will select your guests\u2019 user access level:<\/p>\n\n\n\n