Microsoft Entra – Exploring – Microsoft Entra Password Protection

Hi All,

Greetings for the day!!!

Exploring and Implementing Microsoft 365 SECURITY continues.

Today I am discussing one more important SECURITY feature – Microsoft Entra Password Protection

What is Microsoft Entra Password Protection

• Microsoft Entra Password Protection detects and blocks known weak passwords and their variants. It also block other weak terms that are specific to our organization.
• Microsoft Entra Password Protection automatically applies default global banned password lists. This applies to all users in a Microsoft Entra tenant.
• To support our own business and security needs, we can also define entries in a custom banned password list. 
• When users change or reset their passwords, Microsoft 365 checks these banned password lists. This is to enforce the use of strong passwords.
• We can enable custom banned password list from Microsoft Entra admin center.
  • We have detailed article on how to enable “Custom Banned Password List“. Microsoft Entra – Microsoft Entra Password Protection – How to enable / configure “Custom Banned Passwords” – https://knowledge-junction.in/2025/01/04/msentra-password-protection-how-to-enable-custom-banned-passwords/

ROLES NEEDED TO ACCESS MICROSOFT ENTRA PASSWORD PROTECTION

• Global Administrator
• Security Administrator
• or Privileged Role Administrator

Global banned passwords list

• Microsoft’s Microsoft Entra Identity Protection team constantly analyzes Microsoft Entra security telemetry data.
• Team looks for commonly used weak or compromised passwords. 
• The team conducts an analysis. They look for base terms that users often use. These terms are the basis for weak passwords.
• When the team finds weak terms, they add them to the global banned password list.
• The contents of the global banned password list aren’t based on any external data source. Instead, the results of Microsoft Entra security telemetry and analysis determine the list’s contents.
• Microsoft 365 uses the current version of the global banned password list. It validates the strength of any changed or reset password.
• This validation check results in stronger passwords for all Microsoft Entra ID customers.
• Microsoft 365 automatically applies the global banned password list to all users in a Microsoft Entra tenant.
• Microsoft doesn’t publish the contents of the global banned password list.

Custom banned passwords list

• We can use the “Custom banned password list.” to add our own entries on top of terms from the “Global banned password” list.
• When an organization adds terms to the custom banned password list, Microsoft Entra Password Protection combines these terms. It integrates them with those in the global banned password list.
• Microsoft 365 then validates password change or reset events against the combined set of these banned password lists.
• Microsoft Entra ID limits the custom banned password list to a maximum of 1,000 terms.
• We can enable / configure “Custom banned passwords” list from Microsoft Entra admin center.
  • We have detailed article for the same. Microsoft Entra – Microsoft Entra Password Protection – How to enable / configure “Custom Banned Passwords” – https://knowledge-junction.in/2025/01/04/msentra-password-protection-how-to-enable-custom-banned-passwords/

REFERENCES

• Microsoft Entra – Microsoft Entra Password Protection – How to enable / configure “Custom Banned Passwords” – https://knowledge-junction.in/2025/01/04/msentra-password-protection-how-to-enable-custom-banned-passwords/