Stop Leaving the Door Open: The Entra ID Hardening Checklist Security Experts Actually Use

Microsoft Entra security is evolving and the way organizations think about identity protection needs to evolve with it. In this episode, I’m joined by Sean Metcalf, one of the foremost identity security experts in the industry, whose work has helped shape how many organizations approach securing both Active Directory and Microsoft Entra.Sean shares the hardening steps many teams still overlook, and why advances in AI are making it easier for both defenders and attackers to work faster than ever before. From MFA and application controls to protecting privileged accounts and reducing unnecessary exposure, this conversation offers a practical look at where strong identity security starts and why getting the fundamentals right matters more than ever.Subscribe with your favorite podcast player or watch on YouTube 👇About Sean MetcalfSean Metcalf is the Identity Security Architect at TrustedSec and a renowned expert in Microsoft identity security. He holds the rare Certified Master in Active Directory certification and has spoken at major security conferences including Black Hat, DEF CON, and BlueHat on how to defend cloud and hybrid environments.LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmmetcalf/🔗 Related Links* Securing Entra ID Administration: Tier 0 - https://trustedsec.com/blog/securing-entra-id-administration-tier-0* Managing Privileged Roles in Microsoft Entra ID: A Pragmatic Approach - https://trustedsec.com/blog/managing-privileged-roles-in-microsoft-entra-id-a-pragmatic-approach* Improve Entra ID Security More Quickly - https://adsecurity.org/?p=4825* Microsoft Graph Skill - https://graph.pm📗 Chapters00:04:05 AI and the Evolution of Attacks00:06:42 The Importance of Hardening Fundamentals00:12:03 Securing Entra ID Quickly00:16:24 Protecting Tokens with VBS and TPM00:19:58 Restricting Consent and Guest Users00:23:40 Managing Rogue Tenants00:27:36 Cloud Admin Workstation Strategies00:34:14 Delegated Admin Privileges00:44:32 The Danger of Application Permissions00:57:06 Artemis Mission TriviaPodcast Apps🎙️ Entra.Chat - https://entra.chat🎧 Apple Podcast → https://entra.chat/apple📺 YouTube → https://entra.chat/youtube📺 Spotify → https://entra.chat/spotify🎧 Overcast → https://entra.chat/overcast🎧 Pocketcast → https://entra.chat/pocketcast🎧 Others → https://entra.chat/rssMerill’s socials📺 YouTube → youtube.com/@merillx👔 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/merill🐤 Twitter → twitter.com/merill🕺 TikTok → tiktok.com/@merillf🦋 Bluesky → bsky.app/profile/merill.net🐘 Mastodon → infosec.exchange/@merill🧵 Threads → threads.net/@merillf🤖 GitHub → github.com/merill Get full access to Entra.News - Your weekly dose of Microsoft Entra at entra.news/subscribe