June 2024 Updates and New Features

June 2024

General Availability - Security Improvements to Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Connect Health
Type: Changed feature
Service category: Provisioning
Product capability: Entra Connect

Action Recommended: Security Improvements to Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Connect Health

Since September 2023, we have been autoupgrading Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Microsoft Entra Connect Health customers to an updated build as part of a precautionary security-related service change. For customers who previously opted out of autoupgrade, or for whom autoupgrade failed, we strongly recommend that you upgrade to the latest versions by September 23, 2024.

When you upgrade to the latest versions, you ensure that when the service change takes effect, you avoid service disruptions for:

Microsoft Entra Connect Sync
Microsoft Entra Connect Health agent for Sync
Microsoft Entra Connect Health agent for ADDS
Microsoft Entra Connect Health agent for ADFS
See documentation here: Security improvements to the autoupgrade process for upgrade-related guidance, versioning information, and further details on the expected impacts of the service change.

Public Preview - MS Graph API support for per-user multifactor authentication
Type: New feature
Service category: MFA
Product capability: Identity Security & Protection

MS Graph API support for per-user multifactor authentication

Starting June 2024, we're releasing the capability to manage user status (Enforced, Enabled, Disabled) for per-user multifactor authentication through MS Graph API. This replaces the legacy MSOnline PowerShell module that is being retired. The recommended approach to protect users with Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication is Conditional Access (for licensed organizations) and security defaults (for unlicensed organizations).

Public Preview - Easy authentication with Azure App Service and Microsoft Entra External ID
Type: Changed feature
Service category: B2C - Consumer Identity Management
Product capability: B2B/B2C

We've improved the experience when using Microsoft Entra External ID as an identity provider for Azure App Service’s built-in authentication, simplifying the process of configuring authentication and authorization for external-facing apps. You can complete initial configuration directly from the App Service authentication setup without switching into the external tenant.

General Availability - Refactored account details screen in Microsoft Authenticator
Type: Plan for change
Service category: Microsoft Authenticator App
Product capability: User Authentication

In July, enhancements for the Microsoft Authenticator app UX will roll out. The account details page of a user account will be reorganized to help users better understand, and interact with, the information and buttons on the screen. Key actions that a user can do today will still be available in the refactored page, but they'll be organized in three sections or categories that will help better communicate to users:

Credentials configured in the app
Additional sign in methods they can configure
Account management options in the app

General Availability - SLA Attainment Report at the Tenant Level
Type: New feature
Service category: Reporting
Product capability: Monitoring & Reporting

In addition to providing global SLA performance, Microsoft Entra ID reports tenant-level SLA performance for organizations with at least 5,000 monthly active users. This feature entered general availability in May 2024. The Service Level Agreement (SLA) sets a minimum bar of 99.99% for the availability of Microsoft Entra ID user authentication, reported on a monthly basis in the Microsoft Entra admin center.

Private Preview – QR code sign-in, a new authentication method for Frontline Workers
Type: New feature
Service category: Authentications (Logins)
Product capability: User Authentication

We're introducing a new simple way for Frontline Workers to authenticate in Microsoft Entra ID with a QR code and PIN, eliminating the need to enter long UPNs and alphanumeric passwords multiple times during their shift.

With the private preview release of this feature in August 2024, all users in your tenant see a new link ‘Sign in with QR code’ on navigating to https://login.microsoftonline.com > ‘Sign-in options’ > ‘Sign in to an organization’ page. This new link, ‘Sign in with QR code’, will be visible only on mobile devices (Android/iOS/iPadOS). If you are not participating in the private preview, users from your tenant won't be able to sign-in through this method while we're still in private preview. They'll receive an error message if they try to sign-in.

The feature will have a ‘preview’ tag until it's generally available. Your organization needs to be enabled to test this feature. Broad testing will be available in public preview, which we'll announce later.

While the feature is in private preview, no technical support is provided.