What is Entra ID Governance?
Microsoft Entra ID Governance bundles identity governance — entitlement management, access reviews, lifecycle workflows, and PIM — into a single product. Learn what it does.
What is Entra ID Governance?
Definition
Microsoft Entra ID Governance is Microsoft's identity governance and administration (IGA) solution layered on top of Entra ID. It combines several capabilities — Entitlement Management, Access Reviews, Lifecycle Workflows, and Privileged Identity Management (PIM) — into a unified product to ensure people have the right access at the right time and that access is reviewed and removed when no longer needed.
Entra ID Governance is licensed separately (Entra ID Governance SKU) and complements Entra ID P2.
In simple terms:
Entra ID Governance is Microsoft's IGA suite for the cloud — joiner/mover/leaver, access requests, reviews, and JIT privilege.
Why Governance Matters
- Most identity risk comes from stale, unreviewed, accumulated access — not malicious intent.
- Compliance frameworks (SOX, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA) require periodic access certification.
- Manual access management doesn't scale beyond small organizations.
- Joiner/mover/leaver (JML) workflows are critical to lifecycle hygiene.
Core Capabilities
1. Entitlement Management
Bundle resources (groups, apps, SharePoint sites, Teams) into Access Packages that users can request via a self-service portal. Access can require approval, have time limits, and require periodic review.
2. Access Reviews
Periodic certification of access to:
- Groups (security and M365).
- Applications.
- Roles (PIM-eligible and active).
- Guest users.
Reviewers approve or deny each user's continued access; denied access can be removed automatically.
3. Lifecycle Workflows
Automated workflows triggered by:
- Joiner events (new hire).
- Mover events (role/department change).
- Leaver events (departure).
Workflows can grant licenses, add to groups, send notifications, run custom Logic Apps, disable accounts, remove memberships, etc.
4. Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
JIT activation of privileged roles (covered separately).
5. Connected Organizations
Manage external organizations and their guest users uniformly.
6. Custom Extensions / Logic Apps Integration
Extend governance flows with custom logic.
Entitlement Management Deep Dive
Access Package Structure
- Catalog — collection of resources (groups, apps, sites).
- Resource roles — what the user gets (e.g., Member of Group X, Reader of App Y).
- Policy — who can request, approval steps, expiration, recurring access reviews.
Lifecycle in an Access Package
- User requests access.
- Approver(s) approve.
- Resources assigned automatically.
- Periodic review (optional) per policy.
- Auto-removal on expiration or non-review.
Access Reviews Deep Dive
What Can Be Reviewed
- Group memberships.
- App assignments.
- PIM-eligible role assignments.
- Active role assignments.
- Guest users in groups, apps, or tenant-wide.
Reviewer Options
- Members themselves (self-review).
- Group/team owners.
- Specific users (e.g., manager).
- Multi-stage with escalation.
Outcomes
- Approve / Deny / Don't know.
- Auto-apply removal on Deny.
- Justification required.
- Recommendation engine (last sign-in, sign-in activity).
Lifecycle Workflows Deep Dive
Triggers
- User created.
- Custom attribute change.
- Scheduled (e.g., 7 days before employee end date).
Tasks
- Send welcome email.
- Generate Temporary Access Pass.
- Add to groups.
- Assign licenses.
- Disable user.
- Remove from all groups.
- Delete user.
- Run custom task extension (Logic App).
Real-World Examples
1. New Hire Day-1 Access
Lifecycle Workflow triggered on hire date: assigns license, adds to default groups, generates Temporary Access Pass for first sign-in, sends welcome email.
2. Role Change
User moves from Marketing to Finance. Lifecycle Workflow removes Marketing groups, adds Finance starter groups, opens Access Package for Finance app.
3. Quarterly GA Review
Access Review on Global Administrator role: each GA reviewed by tenant owner. Stale GAs removed automatically.
4. Guest Cleanup
Access Review on guests with no sign-in in 90 days: each guest reviewed by inviter. Inactive guests removed.
5. Project Access via Access Package
Project team self-registers via Access Package. Approver in PMO approves; resources granted for 90 days; review at expiration.
Common Pitfalls
- Access Reviews configured but reviewers ignore them. Without escalation or auto-deny on no-action, reviews become rubber stamps.
- Lifecycle Workflows not connected to authoritative HR data.
- Entitlement Management not adopted — admins still grant manual group memberships.
- PIM and Access Reviews not connected — PIM-eligible assignments grow unchecked.
- Custom workflows not maintained — Logic Apps break, no one notices.
- Governance for clouds-only identities — on-premises AD remains ungoverned.
Best Practices
- Adopt Entitlement Management for new access requests; deprecate manual group adds.
- Quarterly Access Reviews on all privileged roles, role-assignable groups, and high-value apps.
- Annual Access Reviews on broader scopes (M365 groups, app assignments).
- Auto-deny / auto-remove on no-review-action.
- Use Lifecycle Workflows for joiner/mover/leaver, integrated with HR.
- Manager-driven recertification for direct reports.
- Sign-in activity recommendation to help reviewers decide.
- Treat Access Packages as products with owners.
- Combine with PIM for privileged access governance.
- Audit governance actions in SIEM.
Entra ID Governance Checklist
- Entra ID Governance licensed for in-scope users?
- Entitlement Management replaces manual group adds?
- Quarterly reviews on privileged roles + role-assignable groups?
- Annual reviews on broader access?
- Auto-removal on no-review-action?
- Lifecycle Workflows connected to HR (joiner/mover/leaver)?
- Guest access reviewed?
- Access Packages owned and documented?
- Reports / metrics tracked (review completion, removed access)?
- Findings actioned in SIEM?
How Forestall Helps
Forestall complements Entra ID Governance by surfacing:
- Privileged access not under any review.
- Stale assignments in groups never reviewed.
- Risky paths created by ungoverned access packages.
- Apps and SPs without owners.
- Effective reach of access — not just nominal assignments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Entra ID Governance the same as Identity Governance?
Microsoft now uses "Microsoft Entra ID Governance" as the formal product name. Older docs say "Identity Governance."
Do I need a separate license?
Yes — Entra ID Governance is licensed in addition to Entra ID P2 for users covered by governance features.
Can it replace Sailpoint / Saviynt / Omada?
For cloud-centric organizations, often yes. For complex enterprise IGA needs (heavy on-premises, custom apps, complex workflows), traditional IGA suites still have advantages — though the gap closes yearly.
Does it govern Azure RBAC?
PIM for Azure Resources covers RBAC at the privileged tier. Broader RBAC governance is more limited.
How do I make reviews actually happen?
Enforce auto-deny on no-action, escalate to managers, report on completion rates, and tie to compensation cycles.
Conclusion
Entra ID Governance brings entitlement management, access reviews, lifecycle workflows, and PIM together into a coherent IGA platform for the Microsoft cloud. Used well, it automates the joiner/mover/leaver lifecycle, certifies access regularly, and reduces standing privilege — addressing the dominant source of identity risk in most organizations. Combined with continuous identity attack-path analysis, it converts identity governance from a compliance chore into measurable risk reduction.
See where governance gaps create identity risk.
Forestall surfaces ungoverned access — privileged roles, groups, and apps without owners or reviews.