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Tutorial: Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO) integration with Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect

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In this tutorial, you'll learn how to integrate Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect with Microsoft Entra ID. When you integrate Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect with Microsoft Entra ID, you can:

  • Control in Microsoft Entra ID who has access to Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect.
  • Enable your users to be automatically signed-in to Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect with their Microsoft Entra accounts.
  • Manage your accounts in one central location.

Prerequisites

To integrate Microsoft Entra ID with Bugcrowd, you need:

  • A Microsoft Entra subscription. If you don't have a subscription, you can get a free account.
  • Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect single sign-on (SSO) enabled subscription.

Scenario description

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

  • Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect supports SP initiated SSO
  • Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect supports Just In Time user provisioning

Adding Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect from the gallery

To configure the integration of Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect into Microsoft Entra ID, you need to add Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect 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 Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect in the search box.
  4. Select Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect 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 Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect

Configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect 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 Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect.

To configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect, perform the following steps:

  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 Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect SSO - to configure the single sign-on settings on application side.
    1. Create Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect test user - to have a counterpart of B.Simon in Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect that is linked to the Microsoft Entra ID 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 > Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect > 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.

    Screenshot shows how to edit Basic SAML Configuration.

  5. On the Basic SAML Configuration section, perform the following steps:

    a. In the Identifier (Entity ID) text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<Customer Firewall URL>/SAML20/SP

    b. In the Reply URL (Assertion Consumer Service URL) text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<Customer Firewall URL>/SAML20/SP/ACS

    c. In the Sign on URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<Customer Firewall URL>

    Note

    These values are not real. Update these values with the actual Identifier, Reply URL and Sign on URL. Contact Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect Client support team to get these values. You can also refer to the patterns shown in the Basic SAML Configuration section in the Microsoft Entra admin center.

  6. On the Set up single sign-on with SAML page, in the SAML Signing Certificate section, find Federation Metadata XML and select Download to download the XML file (which also contains the SAML certificate) and save it on your computer.

    Screenshot shows the Certificate download link.

  7. On the Set up Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect section, copy the appropriate URL(s) based on your requirement.

    Screenshot shows to copy configuration URLs.

Create a Microsoft Entra test user

In this section, you'll create a test user in the Microsoft Entra admin center 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 Microsoft Entra single sign-on by granting access to Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect.
  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 Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect SSO

  1. Open the Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect as an administrator in another browser window.

  2. Click on Device.

    Configure Palo Alto Single Sign-on 1

  3. Select SAML Identity Provider from the left navigation bar and click "Import" to import the metadata file.

    Configure Palo Alto Single Sign-on 2

  4. Perform following actions on the Import window

    Configure Palo Alto Single Sign-on 3

    a. In the Profile Name textbox, provide a name, such as Microsoft Entra GlobalProtect.

    b. In Identity Provider Metadata, click Browse and select the Federation Metadata XML file which you have downloaded from Microsoft Entra admin center.

    c. Optional: Uncheck Validate Identity Provider certificate. If checked, the Certificate from Microsoft Entra needs to be uploaded on firewall as well.

    d. Click OK

    Note

    If the upload fails with the error message Failed to parse IDP Metadata check that you have the required administrator privileges on the system and that the profile name doesn't exceed 31 characters.

Create Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect test user

In this section, a user called B.Simon is created in Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect. Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect supports just-in-time user provisioning, which is enabled by default. There is no action item for you in this section. If a user doesn't already exist in Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect, a new one is created after authentication.

Test SSO

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

  • Click on Test this application, this will redirect to Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect Sign-on URL where you can initiate the login flow.

  • Go to Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect Sign-on URL directly and initiate the login flow from there.

  • You can use Microsoft My Apps. When you click the Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect tile in the My Apps, you should be automatically signed in to the Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect 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 Palo Alto Networks - GlobalProtect 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.