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Implementation

Details about the implementation of Entra at Texas A&M University are documented here.

Authentication Payload​

Entra ID supports the following authentication protocols:

OpenID Connect​

You can follow Microsoft documentation for OIDC integrations, also called "App Registrations" in Entra ID.

These do not require special permissions for basic directory information release (user.givenname, user.surname, user.userprincipalname).

SAML​

SAML integrations, also called "Enterprise Applications", require the following information:

  • Entity ID
  • ACS/Reply URL
  • Claims Required (such as eduPersonUniqueId or mail)

Application Permissions​

In addition to getting attributes about users on sign-in, some third-party applications may request access to additional data within the Entra tenant using the Microsoft Graph, such as Directory.Read.All.

Sometimes, as is the case with Directory.Read.All, this requires "Admin Consent".

  • If the application requests addtional data about a user using the "Delegated" permission model (meaning the user must authorize the release of this data), then it does not usually require Admin Consent.
  • If the application is using the "Application" permission model, most data requires Admin Consent.
Approval Requests

Approvals for Admin Consent are handled by the Cloud & Platform Security team (cloudsecurity@tamu.edu).

Vendor-Provided Application Installation​

Some vendors may have enterprise application "installers" or web interfaces that list a requirement for being run by a Global Administrator, and automate setup by using that role.

It is the policy of Texas A&M University Technology Services' IT Security & Risk team to require vendors to instead explicitly enumerate the permissions they require in our enviroment. This policy is in alignment with control AC-6.