Create a Cloud Dynamic User Group

Table of Contents

Configure a Redistribution Profile in Strata Cloud Manager

Create a Cloud Dynamic User Group

Learn how to create a Cloud Dynamic User Group in the Cloud Identity Engine.

Where Can I Use This?	What Do I Need?
NGFW Prisma Access	The Cloud Identity Engine service is free; however, the enforcement points utilizing directory data may require specific licenses. Click here for more information.

Cloud Dynamic User Groups simplify the creation of group-based Security policy by providing adaptable and granular group membership that updates automatically based on the criteria (also known as context or attributes) you specify. This allows you to create a policy that adapts to changes in user behavior, location, and other conditions where context plays a key role in determining access.

As work locations change and users take on different roles in an organization, determining user privileges based on attributes such as department or location is no longer sufficient. Cloud Dynamic User Groups provide a simplified and automated solution by allowing you to specify the context for group membership based on attributes that can change (such as location, department, or title), allowing you to create more responsive group-based policy.

If you're using a Cloud Dynamic User Group to Set Up an Authentication Profile, you must add the users in the Cloud Dynamic User Group to the SAML app integration in the Azure Portal. For more information, refer to step 3 in Configure Azure as an IdP in the Cloud Identity Engine.

You can also create static groups where membership remains constant until you manually add or remove members. For example, you can use static groups to quickly assign privileges or to isolate an account that’s exhibiting unusual or risky behavior based on specific events.

If you're using Microsoft Active Directory Identity Protection, you can use the risk assessment information to create Cloud Dynamic User Groups based on a user's risk level or anomalous user behavior, such as an unusual login location.

Using risk assessment information to create Cloud Dynamic User Groups requires the client credential flow for Azure AD. You must allow the following permissions in the Azure Portal to enable support for risk-based attributes:

IdentityRiskyUser.Read.All
IdentityRiskEvent.Read.All

If you have not already done so, configure your directory for the type of Cloud Dynamic User Group you want to create.
1. Configure an on-premises directory or a cloud-based directory.
2. (User Risk Information with Azure AD only) To allow the Cloud Identity Engine to collect user risk information from your Microsoft Active Directory Identity Protection, select Collect user risk information from Azure AD Identity Protection.
  
  For an existing Azure Active Directory (AD) configuration in the Cloud Identity, reconnect your directory to enable user risk information collection.
3. Sync the groups for the directory.
In the Cloud Identity Engine app, select Directories and click on the number in the Groups column.
On the Directory Data page, click Create New Dynamic User Group.
Select the Category for the group.
- Attribute Based—Specify the criteria for the Dynamic User Group using attributes.
- On Demand Assignment—Assign specific users to a static group.
Enter the Common Name for the group.

This automatically generates a Distinguished Name for the group that the Cloud Identity Engine, Prisma Access, and your firewalls use to identify the group. The Cloud Identity Engine appends _cdug to the name you enter to indicate that the group is a Cloud Dynamic User Group.
(Optional) Enter a Group Email for the group.
(Optional) Enter a Description for the group.
Depending on the group Category you selected in step 4, select either the attributes you want to use to define the group or the users you want to add to the group.
1. (Attribute Based only) Select whether you want the group members to match Any of the criteria or if you want them to match All of the criteria you select.
2. (Attribute Based only) Click Select context or attribute to select the criteria (also known as context or attribute) that you want to use to define the group.
3. (Attribute Based only) Click Select operator to select the type of operand.
  The operators that are available depend on your context or attribute selection in the previous step.
  
  is equal to—Adds members to the group who are an exact match for a single attribute or context.
  is equal to ANY of the following—Adds members to the group who are an exact match for one or more attributes or contexts.
  is not equal to—Adds members to the group results who don't match the attribute or context.
  contains—Adds members to the group when they contain the term you enter.
  starts with—Adds members to the group when they begin with the characters you enter.
4. (Attribute Based only) Click Select value to select the value (if the operand is is equal to) or values (if the operand is is equal to ANY of the following) for the group members. If the operand is contains or starts with, enter the value.
5. (Optional) If you want to include additional criteria for the Cloud Dynamic User Group, select the type of operand and repeat the previous steps as needed to add the necessary criteria for the group.
  Add OR—Adds members to the group when at least one of the criteria applies.
  Add AND—Adds members to the group only when all criteria apply.
6. (On Demand Assignment only) Click Add Users to view the list of possible group members.
7. (On Demand Assignment only) Select the users you want and Add them to the group.
  
  To filter the list of possible group members, enter a search term and Apply Search and optionally select either Text Search or Substring Search.
(Optional) If you want to delete one of the contexts or attributes, click Delete in the row that contains the context or attribute you want to remove.
(Optional) To remove a user from a cloud Dynamic User Group, select the check box in the row for the user and click Remove User then click Continue to confirm.
The Add User button changes to Remove User when you select a user.
Click Submit to create the Cloud Dynamic User Group.
You can now use the Cloud Dynamic User Group to create group-based Security policy.
(User Risk Information with Azure AD only) If you enabled user risk information collection in step 1.b, verify that the Cloud Identity Engine can successfully collect the information by clicking the locked user icon and verifying that Collect User Risk displays with a green check mark.
To remove a Cloud Dynamic User Group, select the ellipses button then select Remove.

If a sync for the removed group is currently in progress, the removed group could still display on the page. If this occurs, refresh the page and confirm the removed group no longer displays.