AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies Exam

Author and Assign Custom Role Definitions

Creating custom roles in Azure and Microsoft Entra ID helps enforce least-privilege access, which means giving users only the permissions they need. This approach reduces potential security risks by limiting what users can do. Unlike built-in roles, custom roles can be tailored to match unique organizational requirements. By defining roles at the subscription, resource group, or directory level, admins can apply more precise control over who can access what.

To author these roles, you can use several tools such as the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, or the REST API. Each tool supports importing or writing a JSON file that lists the desired permissions. You can choose to clone an existing role, start from scratch, or modify a JSON template to build your custom role definition. This process ensures you include only necessary Actions, DataActions, or any exceptions through NotActions and NotDataActions, supporting the principle of least-privilege access.

Roles are made up of two main parts: the set of permissions and the assignable scopes. Permissions define what actions a user can perform, and scopes determine where the role applies. Scopes can include management groups, subscriptions, resource groups, or specific resources. Understanding how these two parts interact is vital to avoid giving broad or unintended access. Azure tenants can hold up to 5,000 custom roles, making it critical to plan and organize your definitions.

After creation, it is important to test your custom roles to confirm they behave as expected. You assign the role to a user, group, or service principal and verify access only to the intended resources. Regular audits help track usage and identify roles that may need adjustment due to evolving requirements. Ongoing management ensures custom roles stay aligned with security policies and organizational changes.

Conclusion

In summary, authoring and assigning custom role definitions in Azure and Microsoft Entra ID ensures adherence to the least-privilege access model by creating tailored custom roles. By using the Azure portal, PowerShell, CLI, or REST API, you define precise permissions and assignable scopes that fit your security needs. Thorough testing, regular auditing, and ongoing refinement help maintain control and compliance across subscriptions and resources. Mastery of these steps is essential for robust and secure identity and access management in Azure.