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Tutorial: Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO) integration with Netskope User Authentication

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In this tutorial, you'll learn how to integrate Netskope User Authentication with Microsoft Entra ID. When you integrate Netskope User Authentication with Microsoft Entra ID, you can:

  • Control in Microsoft Entra ID who has access to Netskope User Authentication.
  • Enable your users to be automatically signed-in to Netskope User Authentication with their Microsoft Entra accounts.
  • Manage your accounts in one central location.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need the following items:

  • A Microsoft Entra subscription. If you don't have a subscription, you can get a free account.
  • Netskope User Authentication single sign-on (SSO) enabled subscription.

Scenario description

In this tutorial, you configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO in a test environment.

  • Netskope User Authentication supports SP and IDP initiated SSO.

To configure the integration of Netskope User Authentication into Microsoft Entra ID, you need to add Netskope User Authentication from the gallery to your list of managed SaaS apps.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > New application.
  3. In the Add from the gallery section, type Netskope User Authentication in the search box.
  4. Select Netskope User Authentication from results panel and then add the app. Wait a few seconds while the app is added to your tenant.

Alternatively, you can also use the Enterprise App Configuration Wizard. In this wizard, you can add an application to your tenant, add users/groups to the app, assign roles, as well as walk through the SSO configuration as well. Learn more about Microsoft 365 wizards.

Configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO for Netskope User Authentication

Configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Netskope User Authentication using a test user called B.Simon. For SSO to work, you need to establish a link relationship between a Microsoft Entra user and the related user in Netskope User Authentication.

To configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Netskope User Authentication, complete the following building blocks:

  1. Configure Microsoft Entra SSO - to enable your users to use this feature.
    1. Create a Microsoft Entra test user - to test Microsoft Entra single sign-on with B.Simon.
    2. Assign the Microsoft Entra test user - to enable B.Simon to use Microsoft Entra single sign-on.
  2. Configure Netskope User Authentication SSO - to configure the single sign-on settings on application side.
    1. Create Netskope User Authentication test user - to have a counterpart of B.Simon in Netskope User Authentication that is linked to the Microsoft Entra representation of user.
  3. Test SSO - to verify whether the configuration works.

Configure Microsoft Entra SSO

Follow these steps to enable Microsoft Entra SSO.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.

  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Netskope User Authentication > Single sign-on.

  3. On the Select a single sign-on method page, select SAML.

  4. On the Set up single sign-on with SAML page, click the pencil icon for Basic SAML Configuration to edit the settings.

    Edit Basic SAML Configuration

  5. On the Basic SAML Configuration section, if you wish to configure the application in IDP initiated mode, enter the values for the following fields:

    a. In the Identifier text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<tenantname>.goskope.com/<customer entered string>

    b. In the Reply URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<tenantname>.goskope.com/nsauth/saml2/http-post/<customer entered string>

    Note

    These values are not real. Update these values with the actual Identifier and Reply URL. You will get these values explained later in the tutorial.

  6. Click Set additional URLs and perform the following step if you wish to configure the application in SP initiated mode:

    In the Sign-on URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<tenantname>.goskope.com

    Note

    The Sign-on URL values is not real. Update Sign-on URL value with the actual Sign-on URL. Contact Netskope User Authentication Client support team to get Sign-on URL value. You can also refer to the patterns shown in the Basic SAML Configuration section.

  7. On the Set up Single Sign-On with SAML page, in the SAML Signing Certificate section, click Download to download the Federation Metadata XML from the given options as per your requirement and save it on your computer.

    The Certificate download link

  8. On the Set up Netskope User Authentication section, copy the appropriate URL(s) based on your requirement.

    Copy configuration URLs

Create a Microsoft Entra test user

In this section, you'll create a test user called B.Simon.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a User Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Users > All users.
  3. Select New user > Create new user, at the top of the screen.
  4. In the User properties, follow these steps:
    1. In the Display name field, enter B.Simon.
    2. In the User principal name field, enter the username@companydomain.extension. For example, B.Simon@contoso.com.
    3. Select the Show password check box, and then write down the value that's displayed in the Password box.
    4. Select Review + create.
  5. Select Create.

Assign the Microsoft Entra test user

In this section, you'll enable B.Simon to use single sign-on by granting access to Netskope User Authentication.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Netskope User Authentication.
  3. In the app's overview page, select Users and groups.
  4. Select Add user/group, then select Users and groups in the Add Assignment dialog.
    1. In the Users and groups dialog, select B.Simon from the Users list, then click the Select button at the bottom of the screen.
    2. If you are expecting a role to be assigned to the users, you can select it from the Select a role dropdown. If no role has been set up for this app, you see "Default Access" role selected.
    3. In the Add Assignment dialog, click the Assign button.

Configure Netskope User Authentication SSO

  1. Open a new tab in your browser, and sign in to your Netskope User Authentication company site as an administrator.

  2. Click Active Platform tab.

    Screenshot shows Active Platform selected from Settings.

  3. Scroll down to FORWARD PROXY and select SAML.

    Screenshot shows SAML selected from Active Platform.

  4. On the SAML Settings page, perform the following steps:

    Screenshot shows SAML Settings where you can enter the values described.

    a. Copy SAML Entity ID value and paste it into the Identifier textbox in the Basic SAML Configuration section.

    b. Copy SAML ACS URL value and paste it into the Reply URL textbox in the Basic SAML Configuration section.

  5. Click ADD ACCOUNT.

    Screenshot shows ADD ACCOUNT selected in the SAML pane.

  6. On the Add SAML Account page, perform the following steps:

    Screenshot shows Add SAML Account where you can enter the values described.

    a. In the NAME textbox, provide the name like Microsoft Entra ID.

    b. In the IDP URL textbox, paste the Login URL value, which you copied previously.

    c. In the IDP ENTITY ID textbox, paste the Microsoft Entra Identifier value, which you copied previously.

    d. Open your downloaded metadata file in notepad, copy the content of it into your clipboard, and then paste it to the IDP CERTIFICATE textbox.

    e. Click SAVE.

Create Netskope User Authentication test user

  1. Open a new tab in your browser, and sign in to your Netskope User Authentication company site as an administrator.

  2. Click on the Settings tab from the left navigation pane.

    Screenshot shows Setting selected.

  3. Click Active Platform tab.

    Screenshot shows Active Platform selected from Settings.

  4. Click Users tab.

    Screenshot shows Users selected from Active Platform.

  5. Click ADD USERS.

    Screenshot shows the Users dialog box where you can select ADD USERS.

  6. Enter the email address of the user you want to add and click ADD.

    Screenshot shows Add Users where you can enter a list of users.

Test SSO

In this section, you test your Microsoft Entra single sign-on configuration with following options.

SP initiated:

  • Click on Test this application, this will redirect to Netskope User Authentication Sign on URL where you can initiate the login flow.

  • Go to Netskope User Authentication Sign-on URL directly and initiate the login flow from there.

IDP initiated:

  • Click on Test this application, and you should be automatically signed in to the Netskope User Authentication for which you set up the SSO.

You can also use Microsoft My Apps to test the application in any mode. When you click the Netskope User Authentication tile in the My Apps, if configured in SP mode you would be redirected to the application sign on page for initiating the login flow and if configured in IDP mode, you should be automatically signed in to the Netskope User Authentication for which you set up the SSO. For more information about the My Apps, see Introduction to the My Apps.

Next steps

Once you configure Netskope User Authentication you can enforce session control, which protects exfiltration and infiltration of your organization’s sensitive data in real time. Session control extends from Conditional Access. Learn how to enforce session control with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.