Microsoft and Delinea Team Up for Secure Cloud Identity Migration

The rapid pace of digital transformation continually reshapes the cybersecurity landscape, and in a noteworthy development, Microsoft and Delinea have partnered to ease the migration path for customers as Microsoft’s Entra Permissions Management approaches its sunset date on October 1, 2025. This move, reported by MSSP Alert, underlines a collaborative vision to ensure organizations maintain robust identity security in multi-cloud environments even as they transition between platforms.

A Shifting Landscape for Cloud Identity Governance​

Microsoft’s Entra Permissions Management solution has served as a critical tool for securing access within cloud environments by managing permissions and ensuring least privilege access. However, as the cloud ecosystem expands—and as the explosion of human and machine identities accelerates with increased AI adoption—the need for more advanced, flexible, and comprehensive identity governance has become apparent. In recognizing these trends, Microsoft is streamlining its portfolio and turning to strategic alliances to help customers navigate these changes.
Key considerations within this shift include:

• The increasing complexity of cloud environments across Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform.
• The need to mitigate risks associated with overprivileged access and misconfigured entitlements.
• The importance of continuous discovery and AI-driven analytics to keep pace with rapidly evolving cyber threats.

This evolution reflects broader trends in cloud infrastructure management where static approaches to permissions and access controls are giving way to dynamic, real-time monitoring systems that can adapt to the demands of a scaled digital business.

Delinea’s PCCE: A Robust Alternative​

Stepping into the breach, Delinea is offering its Privilege Control for Cloud Entitlements (PCCE) as an alternative to the soon-to-be-retired Entra Permissions Management solution. PCCE is designed to serve as a comprehensive Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) platform, providing enterprises with the tools necessary to secure both human and machine identities across diverse cloud platforms.

Key Features of Delinea’s PCCE Include:​

• Continuous Discovery: Utilizing AI-driven analytics to uncover and monitor identities across all cloud environments in real time.
• Least Privilege Enforcement: Ensuring that users, applications, and services maintain only the access necessary to perform their designated tasks, reducing the risk of accidental privilege abuse.
• Anomaly Detection and Privilege Refactoring: Continuous monitoring helps identify irregularities in access patterns, which can be quickly mitigated through privilege adjustments.
• Multi-Cloud Support: Designed to work seamlessly across Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform, ensuring a consistent security posture irrespective of where critical resources reside.

By providing these capabilities, Delinea’s solution not only matches but, in many respects, exceeds the functionalities offered by the retiring Microsoft platform. This ensures that enterprises don't experience any gap in their security frameworks as they undergo the migration.

Addressing the Identity Explosion in the Age of AI​

The proliferation of digital identities is one of the more challenging issues faced by cybersecurity professionals today. As organizations leverage AI to transform operations, the number of accounts—both human and machine—skyrockets, each representing a potential vulnerability if not properly managed. The continued reliance on outdated or insufficient solutions can leave enterprises exposed to threats like lateral movement by malicious actors and data breaches.
Delinea’s PCCE aims to mitigate these risks by:

• Empowering Continuous Monitoring: Leveraging artificial intelligence to flag suspicious activity as it happens.
• Simplifying Complex Environments: Integrating automated discovery and management processes to keep the complexity of identity governance at bay.
• Refining Security Practices: Allowing enterprises to reassign privileges dynamically based on activity, ensuring that access rights remain tightly controlled.

In a world where an identity breach could have far-reaching implications, the emphasis on continuous and intelligent entitlement management becomes critical. Delinea’s approach not only simplifies security controls but also provides a proactive defense strategy in a multi-cloud era.

A Partnership Built on Trust and Shared Vision​

Microsoft and Delinea share a longstanding history of cooperation in identity security management, and their recent collaboration reiterates this commitment. By endorsing Delinea as a strategic partner, Microsoft signals its confidence in the PCCE as a reliable and future-proof solution for managing cloud entitlements.
This collaboration is structured around a few core principles:

• Seamless Transition: Dedicated teams from both Microsoft and Delinea are working together to ensure that migration from Entra Permissions Management to PCCE is as smooth as possible.
• Preserving Critical Functionality: Customers will retain essential security capabilities throughout the transition, ensuring there is no compromise on protecting their digital assets.
• Forward-Thinking Solutions: With a focus on addressing current and emerging identity risks, the solution is well-poised to evolve alongside advances in cloud infrastructure and AI.

This alignment demonstrates that even as technology evolves, partnerships and shared visions can create pathways for continuous improvement in enterprise security.

Opportunities for Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs)​

The transition away from Entra Permissions Management to Delinea’s Privilege Control for Cloud Entitlements also ushers in exciting opportunities for Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs). As professionals in the security space, MSSPs face the dual challenge of maintaining service continuity while adapting to new platforms and evolving threat landscapes.
For MSSPs, the PCCE solution offers several advantages:

• Enhanced Service Offerings: MSSPs can integrate advanced CIEM capabilities into their portfolios, providing clients with up-to-date identity governance solutions.
• Centralized Visibility Across Platforms: With support for major cloud platforms, MSSPs can manage their clients’ identities cohesively across Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform.
• Proactive Identity Risk Mitigation: Continuous monitoring and AI-enabled analytics empower MSSPs to detect and respond to anomalies before they escalate into security incidents.
• Streamlined Deployment and Transition: With Microsoft’s endorsement in this collaboration, MSSPs can leverage established support channels and rapid deployment tactics to minimize downtime during the migration process.

This partnership effectively levels the playing field for MSSPs, turning a potential challenge into a business differentiation opportunity by offering a mature, enterprise-grade platform for identity and access management.

How Enterprises Can Prepare for the Migration​

For organizations currently using Microsoft’s Entra Permissions Management solution, preparation is key to a smooth transition. As the sun sets on the legacy system, enterprises should consider the following strategies to ensure uninterrupted security and compliance:

• Evaluate Current Identity Landscapes
• Assess the breadth of identities across human, application, and machine accounts.
• Identify critical access pathways and high-risk entitlements that require immediate attention.
• Develop a Migration Timeline
• Coordinate with your IT and security teams to align the transition with regulatory and operational requirements.
• Utilize the migration support services offered by both Microsoft and Delinea to plan a phased rollout.
• Leverage AI-Driven Analytics
• Implement tools that provide continuous discovery and real-time monitoring of identity usage.
• Establish automated processes for privilege refactoring to maintain least privilege across the board.
• Partner with Specialized MSSPs
• Consider collaborating with MSSPs who have proven expertise in migrating complex identity management systems.
• Ensure that your chosen MSSP is well-versed in handling multi-cloud environments seamlessly.

By taking proactive steps today, organizations can safeguard against potential security lapses during the transitional period and ensure that their identity governance remains robust, agile, and compliant with industry standards.

Broader Implications for Identity Governance in a Multi-Cloud World​

The transition from Entra Permissions Management to Delinea’s PCCE is more than just a change in vendor—it’s a reflection of the evolving nature of enterprise security in today’s multi-cloud environments. Innovations in AI, combined with the ever-expanding digital landscape, have forced a reexamination of traditional access management models. The new approach is one that emphasizes continuous monitoring, dynamic policy enforcement, and a granular understanding of access rights across platforms.
Several key trends are emerging for identity governance:

• Integration of AI into Security Operations: As data volumes and identity counts grow, AI-driven solutions are becoming indispensable for real-time analysis and threat detection.
• Holistic Identity Management: Modern solutions are moving beyond siloed applications and integrating identity governance across varied cloud platforms to provide centralized, comprehensive visibility.
• User and Machine Identity Convergence: With the convergence of IT, OT, and IoT, distinguishing between types of identities is less practical—prompting the need for unified security approaches that cover all access points.

In this context, Delinea’s PCCE represents a strategic response to these trends. By offering a comprehensive, AI-powered solution, the platform aligns with the modern imperatives of cybersecurity while addressing both technical requirements and business continuity needs.

What This Means for the Future of Cybersecurity​

The collaboration between Microsoft and Delinea sets an important precedent for the future of cybersecurity partnerships. It suggests that even as legacy systems are phased out, businesses need not compromise on security or operational continuity. Instead, strategic partnerships can pave the way for smoother transitions, better risk management, and more resilient security architectures.
Looking ahead, industry players—including MSSPs, IT departments, and security professionals—should expect further consolidation and innovation in the identity governance space. With threats evolving at a breakneck pace, the integration of AI-driven analytics, continuous monitoring, and multi-cloud management is no longer optional but a necessity.
Key takeaways to consider:

• The retirement of Entra Permissions Management is a catalyst for broader modernization in identity management.
• Delinea’s PCCE is designed to address the challenges of the modern threat landscape by ensuring that identity governance remains agile and responsive.
• For MSSPs, this transition opens up new avenues for delivering high-quality, differentiated cybersecurity services.
• Enterprises must adopt proactive strategies to manage their identity landscapes during the migration to maintain both security and compliance.

Conclusion​

The partnership between Microsoft and Delinea represents a significant step forward in addressing the challenges posed by the rapidly evolving digital work environment. With Entra Permissions Management set to sunset in October 2025, Delinea’s Privilege Control for Cloud Entitlements offers a lifeline for organizations in need of advanced, AI-driven identity governance across Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform.
By supporting a smooth transition and reinforcing best practices for continuous identity monitoring, least privilege enforcement, and anomaly detection, this collaboration not only protects critical cloud resources but also positions MSSPs to elevate their service offerings in an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape. As enterprises navigate the identity explosion of the AI era, strategic alliances like this one ensure that security remains robust, responsive, and resilient, paving the way for a more secure future in a multi-cloud world.
Key Points Summary:

• Microsoft is sunsetting Entra Permissions Management on October 1, 2025, necessitating a modern, robust alternative.
• Delinea’s PCCE offers AI-powered, continuous entitlement monitoring and multi-cloud support.
• The new solution addresses the challenges of identity explosion and the need for dynamic access controls.
• Collaborative efforts between Microsoft and Delinea ensure a smooth transition, preserving critical functionalities and security.
• MSSPs stand to benefit from enhanced service offerings and improved operational continuity during and after the migration.

This strategic transition underscores the importance of adaptability and forward planning in cybersecurity—a reminder that in the ever-changing realm of digital threats, innovation and collaboration are your best lines of defense.

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Source: MSSP Alert Delinea and Microsoft Partner to Provide Smooth Migration Path as Entra Permissions Management Sunsets