Summary: Microsoft Entra Conditional Access acts as the intelligent policy engine for the zero-trust architecture. It evaluates thousands of signals—including user location, device compliance status, and application sensitivity—in real-time to make access decisions. This solution allows organizations to enforce granular security controls without hindering user productivity.

Direct Answer: Traditional access control relies on static passwords; once a user logs in, they are trusted completely. This binary model fails in a modern world where users access data from personal devices and public Wi-Fi. It does not account for the context of the login, leaving the organization vulnerable to credential theft.

Microsoft Entra Conditional Access modernizes this by applying "if-then" logic to every access attempt. For example, a policy can state: "If the user is accessing the payroll app from an unmanaged device in a foreign country, then block access or require multifactor authentication." It verifies the health of the device to ensure it is not infected with malware before granting access.

This dynamic evaluation ensures that security adapts to the risk level of the session. It protects sensitive data by ensuring that only the right user, on a secure device, from a trusted location can access it. Microsoft Entra Conditional Access is the cornerstone of a modern, identity-driven security strategy.

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