Azure AD registered is when you create your account in the Azure AD portal and then register your domain with Azure AD.
Azure AD joined is when your domain is already registered with Azure AD and you just need to sign in to the Azure AD portal and connect your domain to your Azure AD account.
There are a few main differences between registered and joined:
1. Registered users have full access to all the features and resources of Azure AD, while joined users only have access to the resources that are associated with their domain.
2. Registered users can create applications and services in the Azure AD portal, while joined users can only create services.
3. Registered users can manage their identities and access rights in the Azure AD portal, while joined users can only manage their identities and access rights through the Azure AD management portal.
4. Registered users can join devices in the Azure AD tenant, while joined users can only join devices in their own domain.
5. Registered users can manage their subscriptions in the Azure AD portal, while joined users can only manage their subscriptions in the Azure AD management portal.
6. Azure AD administrators can manage both registered and joined users in the Azure AD portal.
7. Azure AD administrators can deploy applications and services to registered and joined users in the Azure AD portal.
8. Azure AD administrators can configure authentication options for registered and joined users in the Azure AD portal.
9. Azure AD administrators can manage user consent settings in the Azure AD portal.
10. Azure AD administrators can audit registered and joined users in the Azure AD portal.
The predecessor of Azure AD: Window’s Active Directory
Microsoft’s Azure AD is the successor to Windows Active Directory (AD). In Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft introduced Active Directory, which quickly became the de facto standard for enterprise identity management.
Domain Controllers are servers that host Active Directory on-premises (DC). Every DC maintains a database of all the people and machines that have been granted access to the network. DCs accept either Kerberos or NTLM credentials for user authentication.
Given that the Varonis Incident Response team investigates attacks, many of which involve Active Directory (AD), AD security is one of our favorite topics. It could be an attempt to gain access to a high-level administrative account, or it could be as simple as a brute-force attack on an old NTLM password.
Many conference speakers have addressed the topic of Active Directory security, and we’ve published an extensive guide to pen testing your AD environment to verify its resistance to common commercially available attacks.
We’ll get into why AD classic must be mentioned in any discussion of Azure AD later on in this post.
Azure AD Lets You Protect Your Data Against Hackers
Azure AD is a cloud-based service that provides identity management for enterprises. It provides organizations with a centralized place to manage all their identities and data. Azure AD is the newest addition to Microsoft’s suite of enterprise cloud services, including Office 365, Dynamics 365, and Intune.
Azure AD also includes features like conditional access controls that let you control the resources users have access to based on how they authenticate or what device they are accessing the resource from. It also has audit logs that help you track who is accessing your data so you can identify potential threats and take steps to prevent them from happening in the future.
In order to use Azure AD, you first need an Azure subscription which can be purchased as part of an Office 365 subscription or separately with Microsoft Azure credits.
Azure AD vs. Windows AD: Which should you use?
The only real similarities between Azure AD and Windows AD are that they are both IAM systems developed by Microsoft. They are distinct in nature but coexist in a networked business setting.
The answer to the question, “so which one do I use?” is probably both. If you have an existing enterprise network, you probably already use Windows Active Directory and are now implementing Azure Active Directory to control your cloud resources.
It’s possible that Azure Active Directory will be all you need if you’re starting a brand new company from scratch and intend to use only cloud-based resources.
Another possible inquiry is, “Which one is more complicated to set up?” Also, in terms of reconfigurability and safety, I wouldn’t say that one is better than the other. For networks with more than 100 users, both systems necessitate the assistance of a trained professional for optimal management and security. Overall, Azure AD management will be less of a burden for smaller businesses.
Summary and Conclusions
The main difference between registered and joined is that registered users have full access to all the features and resources of Azure AD, while joined users only have access to the resources that are associated with their domain. The other main difference is that registered users can join devices in the Azure AD tenant, while joined users can only join devices in their own domain.
Other differences include the management of subscriptions and authentication options.
