Row-Level Security (RLS) in Microsoft Entra enforces granular data access. It filters data at query time based on rules tied to user identity, group membership, or application context. No application-side filtering. No exposed data logic. The policy lives and executes inside the database layer, controlled by Entra’s identity platform.
With Microsoft Entra RLS, access permissions connect directly to Azure Active Directory identities. Developers define security predicates that run inside SQL queries. These predicates can map to Entra user attributes, tenant IDs, or custom claims. Every request passes through this gate before returning results. The rules are central, consistent, and invisible to the end user.
Implementing Microsoft Entra Row-Level Security starts with three elements:
- Define Security Policy: Create a security predicate function in T-SQL.
- Bind Policy to Table: Link the predicate and filter function to target tables using
CREATE SECURITY POLICY. - Integrate Identity Claims: Ensure the application uses Entra authentication so the database sees the authenticated principal’s claims.
Performance impact is minimal if predicates are indexed properly. Because policies are centralized, there’s no duplication across services. This speeds development, reduces errors, and closes gaps where unfiltered queries could leak sensitive data.