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Using Modern Authentication with MS Teams

Modern authentication allows you to audit MS Teams environments without using an account with basic authentication. The configuration procedure includes several manual steps, as described below.

Access MS Teams Using Modern Authentication​

This option is recommended for organizations that use modern authentication as the identity management approach, having multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled for their user accounts. In this scenario, Auditor will access the cloud-based infrastructure via Microsoft Graph and other modern APIs, being authenticated through a preconfigured Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) application with appropriate access permissions.

If you plan to implement this scenario, you should register an Microsoft Entra ID app manually and provide its settings to Netwrix Auditor when configuring a monitored item.

Configure the Microsoft Entra ID App for Auditing MS Teams​

Follow the steps to use a data collecting account with modern authentication:

Step 1 – Create an Microsoft Entra ID app that will be used for modern authentication. See the Create and Register a New App in Microsoft Entra ID section for additional information.

Step 2 – Grant required permissions to that application using Microsoft Entra ID app manifest. See the Grant Required Permissions topic for additional information.

Step 3 – Configure client secret for that application. See the Configure Client Secret section for additional information.

Step 4 – Obtain the tenant ID. You will need it when configuring a monitored item (Microsoft 365 tenant) settings. See the Obtain Tenant Name topic for additional information.

Create and Register a New App in Microsoft Entra ID​

You will need to create a dedicated app for each cloud-based data source you plan to audit:

  • Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD)
  • Exchange Online
  • SharePoint Online
  • MS Teams

If you plan to audit all of them, you need to create 4 apps.

Follow the steps to register a new Microsoft Entra ID application.

Step 1 – Sign into the Microsoft 365 Admin Center with your Global Administrator, Application Administrator or Cloud Application Administrator account and go to the Microsoft Entra ID admin center.

Step 2 – Under the App registrations section, select New registration.

Step 3 – In the Name field, enter the application name.

Step 4 – In the Supported account types select who can use this application – use the Accounts in this organizational directory only option.

Step 5 – Click the Register button. Application Redirect URI is optional, you can leave it blank.

Step 6 – Your Application (client) ID is now available in the Overview section. Copy it to a safe location.

See the following Microsoft article for additional information on how to create an application and service principal using Microsoft Entra ID Admin portal: Create an Microsoft Entra ID application and service principal that can access resources.

Grant Required Permissions​

You need to grant your new application the required API permissions. Microsoft Entra ID applications can be assigned Delegated or Application permissions:

  • Delegated permissions require a signed-in user present who consents to the permissions every time an API call is sent.
  • Application permissions are consented by an administrator once granted.

For the newly created app, you should use the Application permissions.

Follow the steps to grant required permissions.

Step 1 – Assign granular Application permissions required for Netwrix Auditor to collect data from the application. To do so, perform the following steps:

  • Go to the App registrations and open the app you created to assign Auditor permissions.
  • Go to Manage > API permissions and click Add a permission button.
  • Assign the required permissions.

Permission assignment will depend on the data you plan to collect: activity data only or both activity and state-in-time data.

  • RequirementComment
    Microsoft Entra ID app requires the following Application permissions: 1. Microsoft Graph - Application.ReadWrite.All - AuditLog.Read.All - Directory.Read.All - Sites.Read.All - TeamMember.Read.All 2. Microsoft 365 Management APIs - ActivityFeed.Read 3. SharePoint - Sites.FullControl.AllTo learn how to assign required permissions, see the Configure the Microsoft Entra ID App for Auditing MS Teams topic for additional information.

NOTE: You can also assign application permissions by editing Microsoft Entra app manifest. See the Using Modern Authentication with MS Teams topic for additional information on how to assign the required permissions. Information about manifest is also described in the following Microsoft article:  Microsoft Entra app manifest.

Step 2 – Grant admin consent to the tenant (that is, for the Microsoft 365 organization whose audit data will be collected by the newly registered app).

See the following Microsoft article for additional information: Grant admin consent in App registrations.

Go to the Microsoft Entra ID admin center > Applications > App registrations > API permissions and click Grant admin consent for <tenant name>. When prompted to confirm, click Yes.

NOTE: For Microsoft 365 permissions, go to Request API Permissions > APIs my organization users and type "Microsoft 365" in the search bar.

See the following Microsoft article for additional information on how to create an application and service principal using Microsoft Entra ID Admin portal: Create an Microsoft Entra application and service principal that can access resources.

Configure Client Secret​

Follow the steps to create a new client secret to be used by the app.

Step 1 – Go to Manage > Certificates & secrets and click New client secret.

Step 2 – Enter the description. From the expiration options select 24 months.

Step 3 – Click Add.

Step 4 – The new secret will be displayed in the list. Click Copy to clipboard icon on the "Value" parameter on the right side of the screen.

See the following Microsoft article for more information on how to add a client secret: Add a client secret.

Add MS Teams monitoring plan​

Follow the steps to add MS Teams monitoring plan in the Netwrix Auditor.

Step 1 – In the Monitoring Plans, click Add Plan button.

Step 2 – Create a monitoring plan with the MS Teams data source.

Step 3 – Add the "Microsoft 365 tenant" item.

Step 4 – Click Select.

Step 5 – Enter your tenant name.

Step 6 – Choose modern authentication.

Step 7 – Enter Application ID and Application secret you have created before.

Step 8 – Click Add.

MS Teams monitoring plan has been added to Auditor and initial data collection has begun.

Obtain Tenant Name​

Follow the steps to obtain the tenant name.

Step 1 – Navigate to Microsoft Entra ID > Overview.

Step 2 – In the Tenant information locate the Primary domain field, copy its value and store to a safe location.

See the following Microsoft article for additional information on how to obtain tenant name: Locate important IDs for a user.

Then, create a corresponding monitoring plan in Netwrix Auditor and add an item (Microsoft 365 tenant) to it. See the Microsoft Entra ID topic for additional information.