Expanded Cloudflare Microsoft relationship helps organizations enhance zero-trust security

Content delivery network provider Cloudflare Inc. today announced an expansion of its relationship with Microsoft Corp. to help customers deploy, automate and enhance their organization’s zero-trust security.

The new integrations between Cloudflare and Microsoft allow customers to seamlessly deploy zero-trust security tools in minutes, with no complex code changes. The integration also includes claimed industry-first features, such as Cloudflare’s Remote Browser Isolation technology.

With the integration, Cloudflare now provides a comprehensive identity-driven approach to protect applications, users, devices and networks from attacks. The integration pairs Microsoft Identity solutions and Cloudflare network security tools to create a quality zero-trust offering.

Cloudflare and Microsoft Azure Active Directory customers can deploy zero trust security without changing one line of code. Joint customers can define specific rules in either Azure AD or Cloudflare Access, accessing specific applications based on various factors such as user risk level, device platform, or location.

Customers can isolate high-risk users automatically with browser isolation technology. Through the integration of Cloudflare’s Remote Browser Isolation with Azure AD, high-risk users, such as temporary employees, are contained in a remote browser session for added security.

Cloudflare Access now uses the System for Cross-Domain Identity Management to directly integrate with Azure AD. Groups are automatically synced across Cloudflare and Azure Active Directory platforms and groups, saving hundreds of hours of manual work from IT teams.

On the privacy side, the new connection between Azure Government Cloud and Cloudflare’s global network via the Secure Hybrid Access program keeps sensitive Government data off the public Internet. Government customers can also define and enforce granular rules defining who can access what using the joint solution from the dashboard without any code changes.

“When I speak with CIOs, I continue to hear that their number one concern remains security, closely followed by adapting to the new hybrid world,” Matthew Prince, chief executive officer and co-founder at Cloudflare, said in a statement. “We want to make it easier than ever for IT leaders to deploy zero trust security across the enterprise and keep users safe wherever they are working from.”

Image: Cloudflare