How to Use Conditional Access to Grant and Revoke Contractor Access in 60 Minutes

Managing contractor loginscan be a real headache. You need to grant access quickly so work can begin, butthat often means sharing passwords or creating accounts that never get deleted.It’s the classic trade-off between security and convenience, and securityusually loses. What if you could change that? Imagine granting access withprecision and having it revoked automatically, all while making your jobeasier.

You can, and it doesn’t takea week to set up. We’ll show you how to use Entra Conditional Access to createa self-cleaning system for contractor access in roughly sixty minutes. It’sabout working smarter, not harder, and finally closing that security gap forgood.

The Financial and Compliance Casefor Automated Revocation

Implementing automated access revocationfor contractors is not just about better security; it's a critical component offinancial risk management and regulatory compliance. The biggest risk incontractor management is relying on human memory to manually delete accountsand revoke permissions after a project ends. Forgotten accounts with lingeringaccess, often referred to as “dormant” or “ghost” accounts, are a prime targetfor cyber-attackers. If an attacker compromises a dormant account, they can operateinside your network without detection, as no one is monitoring an"inactive" user.

For example, many security reports cite theTarget data breach in 2013 as a starkillustration. Attackers gained initial entry into Target's network bycompromising the credentials of a third-party HVAC contractor that hadlegitimate, yet overly permissive, access to the network for billing purposes.If Target had enforced the principle of least privilege, limiting the vendor'saccess only to the necessary billing system, the lateral movement thatcompromised millions of customer records could have been contained or preventedentirely.

By leveraging Microsoft Entra ConditionalAccess to set a sign-in frequency and instantly revoke access when a contractoris removed from the security group, you eliminate the chance of lingeringpermissions. This automation ensures that you are consistently applying theprinciple of least privilege, significantly reducing your attack surface anddemonstrating due diligence for auditors under regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.It turns a high-risk, manual task into a reliable, self-managing system.

Set Up a Security Group forContractors

The first step to taming the chaos isorganization. Applying rules individually is a recipe for forgotten accountsand a major security risk. Instead, go to your Microsoft Entra admin center (formerly AzureAD admin center) and create a new security group with a clear, descriptivename, something like 'External-Contractors' or 'Temporary-Access'.

This group becomes your central controlpoint. Add each new contractor to it when they start, and remove them whentheir project ends. This single step lays the foundation for clean, scalablemanagement in Entra.

Build Your Set-and-ForgetExpiration Policy

Next, set up the policy that automaticallyhandles access revocation for you. Conditional Access does the heavy lifting soyou don’t have to. In the Entra portal, create a new Conditional Access policyand assign it to your “External-Contractors” group. Then, define the conditionsthat determine how and when access is granted or removed.

In the “Grant” section, enforceMulti-Factor Authentication to add an essential layer of security. Next, under“Session,” locate the “Sign-in frequency” setting and set it to 90 days, orwhatever duration matches your contracts. This not only prompts regular loginsbut ensures that once a contractor is removed from the group, they can nolonger re-authenticate, automatically locking the door behind them.

Lock Down Access to Just the ToolsThey Need

Think about whata contractor actually does. A freelance writer needs access to your contentmanagement system, but probably not your financial software. A web developerneeds to reach staging servers, but has no business in your HR platform. Yournext policy ensures they only get the keys to the rooms they need.

Next, create asecond Conditional Access policy for your contractor group. Under “Cloud apps,”select only the applications they are permitted to use, such as Slack, Teams,Microsoft Office, or a specific SharePoint site. Then, set the control to“Block” for all other apps. Think of this as building a custom firewall aroundeach user. It’s a powerful way to reduce risk, applying the principle of leastprivilege: give users access only to the tools and permissions they need to dotheir job, and nothing more.

Add an Extra Layer of Security withStrong Authentication

For an even more robust setup,you can layer in device and authentication requirements. You are not going tomanage a contractor’s personal laptop, and that is okay. However, it is yourbusiness and systems they will be using, and this means that you get to controlhow they prove their identity. The goal is to make it very difficult for anattacker to misuse their credentials.

You can configure a policy thatrequires a compliant device, then use the “OR” function to allow access if theuser signs in with a phishing-resistant method, such as the MicrosoftAuthenticator app. This encourages contractors to adopt your strongest authenticationmethod without creating friction, while fully leveraging the securitycapabilities of Microsoft Entra.

Watch the System Work for You Automatically

The greatest benefit is that onceconfigured, contractor access becomes largely automatic. When a new contractorjoins the security group, they instantly receive the access you’ve defined,complete with all security controls. When their project ends and you removethem from the group, access is revoked immediately and completely, includingany active sessions, eliminating any chance of lingering permissions.

This automation removes the biggest risk,relying on someone to remember to act. It turns a high-risk, manual task into areliable, self-managing system, eliminating concerns about forgotten accountsand their security risks, so you can focus on the business work that reallymatters.

Take Back Control of Your CloudSecurity

Managing contractor access doesn’t have tobe stressful. With a little upfront setup in Conditional Access policies, youcan create a system that’s both highly secure and effortlessly automatic. Grantprecise access for a defined period, and enjoy the peace of mind that comesfrom knowing access is revoked automatically. It’s a win for security,productivity, and your peace of mind.

Take control of contractor access today,contact us to build your own set-and-forget access system.

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