Application Security
- Active Directory (AD) and the Azure Active Directory (AAD). What are they? How do they relate? What is their purpose within the context of Application Security?
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems as a set of processes and services.[1][2] Initially, Active Directory was only in charge of centralized domain management. However, Active Directory became an umbrella title for a broad range of directory-based identity-related services.
Active Directory (AD) is a Microsoft product that consists of several services that run on Windows Server to manage permissions and access to networked resources. Active Directory stores data as objects. An object is a single element, such as a user, group, application or device, such as a printer.
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service, which helps your employees sign in and access resources in: … Internal resources, such as apps on your corporate network and intranet, along with any cloud apps developed by your own organization.
Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based Identity as a Service (IDaaS) platform that provides identity and access management features for users and groups in an organization. By integrating your Azure Active Directory with Kisi, empower your employees with both digital and physical access to the office efficiently.
The Active Directory and the Azure Active Directory relates to the way it operates. For instance, if an individual has no ability to get all the applications and have something which they require in their servers, then they can utilize the virtual machines which are supported by the Active Directory and the Azure Active Directory. Therefore, one can use either the Active Directory or the Azure Active Directory to deploy the domain controller on other virtual machines. Therefore, these two directives synchronize so that the users can be able to get whatever they need.
Pertaining to Application security, the Active Directory and the Azure Active Directory provides ways in which an organization can manage its applications through the provision of a single identity system for the cloud and on-premises applications. An individual can be able to add their software as a service application on the premises applications and in line with the business to these directives to ensure that they stay secure. To ensure that these applications are secure, the users are expected to sign in securely and seamlessly be able to access all the applications. Signing in enables the application to remain safe since those unauthorized will not pass the authentication stage.
- How can AD and AAD be used to make a custom application more secure?
Active Directory and the Azure Active Directory can be used in making various applications to be more secure. For the Active directory, it can be used by the network administrators o simplify the maintenance of network processes within the entire organization. Rather than carrying out the updates manually, a network administrator has the ability to update one object within a single process. This is because these network administrators also utilize the active directories in allowing or restricting access to specific plications by the end user through the three existing in a network.
Additionally, the active directory helps in keeping the larger network organized and updated without necessarily carrying out individual processes. Since an active directory supports the networks in a distributed environment, it is complex and thus needs the network administrator who has technological know-how regarding these tools. However, with the absence of an active directory, it would not be easy for a large company to store its information effectively and, most importantly, securely.
Consequently, the Azure active directory as well provides critical functionality for the organization’s zero-trust strategy. This implies that the zero trust strategy will enable an organization to have a strong authentication together with a point of integration for the device security. The Azure active directive also ensures the core of the uses of the organization’s centric policies and privilege access thus ensuring that security is always attained. With the fact that Azure active directory offers conditional access and capabilities, the policy decision point also offers access to the resources through user-based identity and privileges allocated to such user. All the processes guarantee the security of the applications of an organization.
- Discuss authentication and authorization in the context of Application Security.
In the context of Application security, the authentication can be described as the first step in ensuring that the users of applications are the expected individuals. It is apparent that modern software applications provide an organization with numerous ways of authorizing users to access specific applications and also trusting the authorization by the third parties popularyl known as the identity providers. In this regard, the authentication involves ensuring that the person accessing a particular application has the permission of the organization to do so and thus granted the necessary permission.
The authorization as well in the application security, entails the provision of the necessary permissions to access particular application. The authorization process entails the confirmation of various processes, including the identity of the person accessing such an application. These is attainable through the use of biometrics and login details such as passwords. The passwords are given to only authorized personnel who will then be able to access the applications.