Implementing Azure AD Privileged Identity Management

Overview

Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) provides time-based and approval-based role activation to mitigate risks from excessive, unnecessary, or misused access to critical resources. PIM replaces permanent (standing) privilege assignments with eligible assignments that require users to explicitly activate their role before use, with configurable duration, MFA enforcement, approval workflows, and justification requirements. This is a core component of Zero Trust identity governance in Microsoft environments.

When to Use

• When deploying or configuring implementing azure ad privileged identity management capabilities in your environment
• When establishing security controls aligned to compliance requirements
• When building or improving security architecture for this domain
• When conducting security assessments that require this implementation

Prerequisites

• Microsoft Entra ID P2 or Microsoft Entra ID Governance license
• Global Administrator or Privileged Role Administrator role
• Azure subscription for Azure resource role management
• MFA configured for all privileged users
• Microsoft Authenticator or FIDO2 key for admin accounts

Core Concepts

Assignment Types

Type	Behavior	Use Case
Eligible	User must activate the role before use; expires after configured duration	Day-to-day admin work
Active	Role is always active; no activation needed	Service accounts, break-glass accounts
Time-Bound	Either type with explicit start/end dates	Temporary project access, contractor access

PIM Activation Flow

User with Eligible Assignment
        │
        ├── Opens PIM portal → My Roles
        │
        ├── Clicks "Activate" on the desired role
        │
        ├── Provides justification and optional ticket number
        │
        ├── Completes MFA challenge (if required)
        │
        ├── [If approval required] → Notification sent to approvers
        │       │
        │       ├── Approver reviews and approves/denies
        │       └── User notified of decision
        │
        ├── Role activated for configured duration (e.g., 8 hours)
        │
        └── Role automatically deactivated when duration expires