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Microsoft Entra authentication strengths API overview

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Namespace: microsoft.graph

Authentication strengths allow administrators to require specific combinations of Microsoft Entra authentication methods to access a resource. Each authentication strength comprises one or more combinations of authentication methods, where each combination is one or more authentication methods. When the strength is applied to a scenario as a grant control in Conditional Access, a user in scope of the policy is required to satisfy one of those allowed combinations at sign-in before they can access the resource. As part of Conditional Access, authentication strengths can also be paired with other Conditional Access controls such as user risk and location.

For example, an administrator can require users to authenticate using phishing-resistant authentication methods before they can access a sensitive resource. The administrator can also allow users to authenticate using less-secure multifactor authentication (MFA) combinations, such as password and SMS, for them to access non-sensitive applications.

This article introduces the Microsoft Graph APIs that allow administrators to programmatically manage authentication strengths.

Authentication strength policies

Authentication strength policies define the authentication strengths that are available for use in the tenant. Use the authenticationStrengthPolicy resource type and its associated methods to define and manage these policies. The policies include the following configurations:

  • The name, identifier, and description of the policy.
  • Authentication method combinations that are part of the policy.
  • Whether the policy, when the authentication method requirements are satisfied, can be used to satisfy an MFA claim in the access token.

Microsoft Entra ID supports both built-in and custom authentication strength policies. Microsoft has supplied the following three built-in policies:

  • Multifactor authentication
  • Passwordless multifactor authentication
  • Phishing resistant multifactor authentication

You can only read built-in policies, but you can create up to 15 custom policies to suit your requirements.

Authentication method combinations

Core to a policy are the authentication method combinations. A combination consists of one or more authentication methods in a comma-separated list. Combinations are pre-defined and are used to define an authentication strength. These authentication methods are based the authenticationMethodModes flagged enumeration. Some example combinations include:

Example allowed combination Description
fido2 The user must sign in using a FIDO2 security key to satisfy the authentication strength requirement.
password,microsoftAuthenticatorPush The user must sign in using both password and Microsoft Authenticator push approval to satisfy the authentication strength requirement.
password,softwareOath The user must sign in using both password and software OATH token to satisfy the authentication strength requirement.

Microsoft Entra ID provides the predefined, read-only combinations using the following principles:

  • Single factor authentication methods that can be used as first factors such as password and SMS.
  • Combinations of password and a second factor that make a valid multifactor authentication combination ("something you have" and "something you know").
  • Passwordless multifactor authenticators such as FIDO2 and x509 certificate authentication.

Built-in authentication strengths use these combinations, and combinations can be used in custom authentication strengths.

To view the details of the supported authentication methods and the allowed combinations, call the List authenticationMethodModes API.

The authentication combinations of built-in policies are read-only. To see all built-in policies and their configurations, call the List authenticationStrengthPolicies API.

To create a custom authentication strength policy, you must configure the authentication method combinations using the allowed combinations.

Combination configurations

You can apply further restrictions on certain authentication methods to control which instances of the method a user can use to authenticate. These kinds of restrictions are combination configurations and can also be part of an authenticationStrengthPolicy object.

A combination configuration may apply to one or more combinations that include the specific authentication method. Today, FIDO2 is the only method that supports combination configurations.

For example, a custom policy allows the following combinations: password,softwareOath, fido2, and x509CertificateMultiFactor. For this policy, you can restrict the FIDO2 security keys that the user can use to authenticate by configuring a combination configuration with specific Authenticator Attestation GUIDs (AAGUIDs).

An authentication strength policy has zero or more combination configurations.

Apply authentication strength policies in Conditional Access

After defining the authentication strength policy, you apply and enforce it for the protected resource using Microsoft Entra conditional access policies.

In the Conditional Access grant controls, configure the authenticationStrength relationship by assigning the authenticationStrengthPolicy object that should be associated with the conditional access policy. When a conditional access policy applies to a sign-in and that policy has an authentication strength grant control, the user will be required to use one of the allowed authentication method combinations to sign in. Authentication strength policies can also be enforced for guest users through both conditional access policies and cross-tenant access inbound trust settings.

The authenticationStrength object corresponds to the 'Require authentication strength' control of the Conditional Access policy's UX on the Microsoft Entra admin center.

You can't configure authentication strengths and the multifactor authentication grant control on the same conditional access policy.

Next steps