Entra ID access reviews are recurring campaigns in Microsoft Entra ID Governance that ask managers, resource owners or users to confirm whether people still need access to groups, applications, Teams or privileged roles. Access that is not confirmed can be removed automatically. Access reviews prevent “access creep”, reduce insider risk, and provide the evidence auditors ask for in SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA assessments.
Key Takeaways
- Access reviews validate that access is still appropriate on a schedule.
- They can cover groups, Microsoft 365 groups and Teams, enterprise apps, guests and privileged roles.
- Auto-apply results to remove unapproved access without manual work.
- Access reviews require Entra ID P2 or Entra ID Governance licensing.
- Recommendations based on sign-in activity make reviews faster and more accurate.
What to Review and How Often
| Access type | Suggested reviewer | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Privileged roles | Security or IT leadership | Monthly or quarterly |
| Sensitive apps (finance, HR) | Application owner | Quarterly |
| Guest users | Sponsor or team owner | Quarterly |
| Teams and Microsoft 365 groups | Group owners | Semi-annually |
| General security groups | Managers | Semi-annually or annually |
How to Set Up an Access Review
- Choose the resource: group, app, access package or role.
- Select the scope: all users or guests only.
- Pick reviewers: managers, owners, selected users or self-review.
- Set duration and recurrence.
- Enable decision helpers such as inactivity recommendations.
- Configure what happens if reviewers do not respond.
- Enable auto-apply to remove denied access.
- Notify reviewers and monitor completion.
Best Practices
- Start with high-risk access: admins, guests and finance apps.
- Keep reviews small and focused so reviewers make real decisions.
- Train reviewers on what “appropriate access” means.
- Use PIM for roles so reviews are paired with just-in-time access.
- Export results as audit evidence.
Access Reviews and Compliance
Auditors routinely test whether user access is reviewed periodically and whether removals happen. Entra access review history provides timestamped evidence. Pair it with a strong onboarding and offboarding process and SOC 2 readiness work.
Access Reviews and Copilot
Because Microsoft 365 Copilot can surface anything a user can access, reviewing Teams, groups and site membership reduces Copilot oversharing risk.
How Skytech Enterprise Helps
Our identity governance and access reviews service designs review campaigns, automates removals and packages audit evidence through security policy and audit evidence support. Contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What license is required for Entra access reviews?
Access reviews require Microsoft Entra ID P2 or Microsoft Entra ID Governance for the users in scope.
How often should user access be reviewed?
Privileged and sensitive access is commonly reviewed quarterly; general access semi-annually or annually, depending on risk and compliance requirements.
Can access reviews remove access automatically?
Yes. With auto-apply enabled, denied or unreviewed access can be removed when the review ends.
Can guests be reviewed separately?
Yes. Reviews can be scoped to guest users only, which is a common best practice.
Who should review access?
The people who understand the business need: managers, application owners or group owners, with IT oversight.
Do access reviews help with SOC 2?
Yes. Periodic access reviews with documented outcomes are a common SOC 2 and ISO 27001 control.