How to Fix: Enforce Certificate Credentials for Applications
Step-by-step guide to implement enforce certificate credentials for applications in your Microsoft 365 environment.
15-20 minutes
Estimated Time
4
Steps
medium
Severity
Recommended Secure
Baseline Level
Why This Matters
Client secrets are frequently compromised through accidental commits to source code, exposure in application logs, phishing attacks targeting developers, or insecure sharing via email and chat. Certificate credentials eliminate these risks by using cryptographic key pairs where the private key remains secured on your infrastructure and never needs to be transmitted or shared. Microsoft's Baseline Security Mode now blocks password-based credentials on applications.
Prerequisites
- 1Global Administrator or appropriate admin role in Microsoft Entra ID
- 2Access to Microsoft Entra admin center (entra.microsoft.com)
Expected Configuration
- Applications use certificate credentials instead of client secrets
- Client secrets are only used during certificate migration periods
- No applications rely solely on client secrets for authentication
Remediation Steps
Audit Current Applications
Review the applications in your Entra ID tenant.
- •Navigate to Microsoft Entra admin center
- •Go to Applications > Enterprise applications
- •Review app registrations and permissions
Identify Required Changes
Determine which applications need modification.
- •Compare against expected configuration
- •Identify risky or non-compliant apps
- •Plan remediation approach
Apply Remediation
Make the necessary changes to application configurations.
- •Update consent settings as needed
- •Modify application permissions
- •Configure app governance policies
Verify Compliance
Confirm applications meet security requirements.
- •Run TrueConfig scan
- •Review any remaining findings
- •Document changes made
Related Resources
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