Enabling Token Protection in Entra ID Conditional Access

Field	Details
Document Type	How-To Guide - Enable Token Protection in Entra ID Conditional Access
Applies To	Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access policy
Audience	2nd Line / Entra ID Admins / IT Engineer
Author	AK. Udofeh
Last Updated	March 2026

Overview

Token Protection is a Conditional Access session control that cryptographically binds authentication tokens (e.g., Primary Refresh Tokens) to a specific device. This prevents token replay, pass‑the‑cookie attacks, and AiTM token theft. It ensures that even if an attacker steals a token, they cannot use it on another machine.

Use Cases

Use Token Protection when:

• Protecting Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, and Microsoft 365 native applications.
• Hardening admin or power‑user endpoints
• Preventing AiTM attacks that harvest tokens after MFA completion
• Enforcing Zero‑Trust principles

Prerequisites

Licensing - Microsoft Entra ID P1 is required for Token Protection.

Device Requirements
Supported Platforms (per Microsoft):

Application Requirements
Token Protection currently supports:

• Exchange Online
• SharePoint Online
• Microsoft Teams
• Supported Microsoft 365 native clients (Outlook, OneDrive, Teams)

Browser‑based sessions NOT supported (only native apps). Deploy in Report‑only mode first to prevent app/device disruption. MDM is required for macOS/iOS preview support.

Step‑by‑Step Configuration

Step 1:  Validate Device Registration
Devices must be:

• Entra‑joined
• Hybrid‑joined
• Entra‑registered
  This ensures PRT issuance.

Step 2:  Create a Pilot Group
Create group: TokenProtection‑Pilot.

Step 3:  Create Token Protection Conditional Access Policy

• Go to Entra Admin Center → Identity → Protection → Conditional Access.
• Click + New Policy.
• Name it Enable Token Protection (Pilot).
• Assign:
  • Users: TokenProtection‑Pilot
  • Cloud Apps: Select Office 365, or specific apps (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams).
• Access Controls → Session → Enable Token Protection
• Set Require token protection for sign-ins.
• Enable policy in Report‑only mode.

Step 4:  Move to Full Enforcement
After reviewing logs:

• Set policy to ON
• Gradually expand target groups

Validation Steps

• Go to Sign‑in logs > Check “Token Protection” evaluation result.
  • You should see accepted device‑bound PRTs.
• Confirm user can still access native apps (Outlook, Teams, OneDrive).
• Attempt to use token replay:

Export cookies (simulated test) → Should fail due to device binding.

(Documented limitation for browsers. Token replay should fail only in native apps.)

 

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