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Understanding Enterprise Applications

Before ContraForce can protect your organization, specific Microsoft Entra ID permissions must be granted to enable secure communication between ContraForce services and your Microsoft environment. This article explains the enterprise applications deployed during onboarding and the permissions each requires.

Getting Started

Onboarding Portal: onboard.contraforce.com

Required Roles for Onboarding

To complete the ContraForce onboarding process and consent to the required enterprise applications, the following roles must be assigned to the user performing the onboarding:
RolePurpose
Global AdministratorRequired to grant admin consent for Microsoft Entra ID application permissions
Subscription OwnerRequired to authorize Azure resource deployment and management operations
Both roles must be assigned to the same user account performing the onboarding. If your organization separates these roles across different users, coordinate with both administrators to complete the consent process.

Overview of ContraForce Enterprise Applications

ContraForce uses a modular application architecture designed around the principle of least privilege. Rather than requesting all permissions through a single application, ContraForce distributes responsibilities across purpose-built enterprise applications. This approach ensures that each application only receives the permissions necessary for its specific function. When you onboard with ContraForce, the following enterprise applications are registered in your Microsoft Entra tenant:
ApplicationPrimary Function
ContraForce APICore API services and Azure resource management
ContraForce PortalUser authentication and profile management
ContraForce Sentinel HuntingLog Analytics queries and incident evidence retrieval
ContraForce for MDEMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint visibility and management
ContraForce User ManagementPortal user and security group management
ContraForce Gamebooks for IdentityIdentity-based automated response actions
ContraForce Gamebooks for MDEEndpoint-based automated response actions

Initial Registration

  1. Navigate to onboard.contraforce.com
  2. Click Register with Microsoft
  3. Sign in with your Microsoft Work account (must have Global Admin and Subscription Owner roles)
  4. Consent to the ContraForce API permissions
  5. Consent to the ContraForce Portal permissions
  6. Complete the Onboarding Wizard to select your Microsoft Sentinel workspace

Additional Permissions

After initial onboarding, additional enterprise application permissions can be configured from Settings → Permissions within the ContraForce portal based on the features your organization requires.

Enterprise Application Details

ContraForce API

The ContraForce API is the core service principal that enables communication between ContraForce services and Microsoft APIs including Microsoft Graph and Azure Resource Manager.
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
offline_accessDelegatedNoEnables refresh token acquisition for persistent sessions
openidDelegatedNoAllows sign-in using OpenID Connect
profileDelegatedNoRetrieves signed-in user’s name and object ID
Application.Read.AllDelegatedYesEvaluates which ContraForce service principals have been consented
RoleManagement.Read.DirectoryDelegatedYesEvaluates user roles for Portal access control
User.Read.AllDelegatedYesReads user profile data for user management operations
user_impersonation (Azure Service Management)DelegatedNoPerforms Azure resource onboarding and deployment

ContraForce Portal

The ContraForce Portal service principal handles user authentication through Microsoft’s OpenID Connect implementation and retrieves basic profile information for signed-in users.
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
offline_accessDelegatedNoEnables refresh token acquisition
openidDelegatedNoAllows sign-in using OpenID Connect
profileDelegatedNoRetrieves signed-in user’s name and object ID

ContraForce Sentinel Hunting

This service principal enables direct queries to your Microsoft Sentinel workspace for incident investigation and advanced hunting capabilities.
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
Data.Read (Log Analytics)DelegatedNoQueries Log Analytics workspace data for incident evidence and advanced hunting

ContraForce for MDE

This service principal provides visibility into Microsoft Defender for Endpoint data, enabling endpoint monitoring and threat intelligence display in the ContraForce portal.
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
ThreatHunting.Read.AllDelegatedYesEnables threat hunting queries
SecurityAlert.Read.AllDelegatedYesDisplays Microsoft Graph Security alerts
SecurityIncident.Read.AllDelegatedYesDisplays Microsoft Graph Security incidents
SecurityIncident.ReadWrite.AllDelegatedYesManages Microsoft Graph Security incidents
Incident.Read (Microsoft Threat Protection)DelegatedYesReads threat protection incidents
Incident.ReadWrite (Microsoft Threat Protection)DelegatedYesManages threat protection incidents
AdvancedQuery.Read (WindowsDefenderATP)DelegatedYesQueries raw event and incident data
Alert.Read (WindowsDefenderATP)DelegatedYesDisplays Defender alerts
Machine.Read (WindowsDefenderATP)DelegatedYesRetrieves endpoint profile details
Score.Read (WindowsDefenderATP)DelegatedYesDisplays Threat and Vulnerability Management scores
Vulnerability.Read (WindowsDefenderATP)DelegatedYesDisplays vulnerability information

ContraForce User Management

This service principal manages user access to your Microsoft Sentinel workspace through security group membership and Portal role assignments.
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
Group.ReadWrite.AllDelegatedYesCreates security groups for Sentinel workspace access
GroupMember.ReadWrite.AllDelegatedYesManages security group membership for Portal users

ContraForce Gamebooks for Identity

This service principal enables automated response actions targeting user entities, including session invalidation, account lockout, and password reset capabilities.
Delegated Permissions (Default)
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
User.ReadWrite.AllDelegatedYesInvalidates user sessions and locks accounts
User.AuthenticationMethod.ReadWrite.AllDelegatedYesResets user passwords
User.ManagedIdentities.AllDelegatedYesManages user identities
UserAuthenticationMethod.ReadWriteDelegatedYesResets user passwords
Application Permissions (Service Provider Mode)
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
User.ReadWrite.AllApplicationYesEnables automated session invalidation and account lockout without user presence
Application permissions allow ContraForce to execute Gamebook actions without requiring a service provider user to be signed in. Password reset operations always require delegated permissions.

ContraForce Gamebooks for MDE

This service principal enables automated response actions targeting endpoint entities, including device isolation, antivirus scans, and file quarantine operations.
Delegated Permissions (Default)
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
Machine.IsolateDelegatedYesIsolates endpoints from the network
Machine.OffboardDelegatedYesOffboards endpoints from Defender
Machine.ScanDelegatedYesInitiates Microsoft Defender Antivirus scans
Machine.StopAndQuarantineDelegatedYesStops file execution and quarantines malicious files
Alert.ReadWriteDelegatedYesReads and writes Defender alerts
Application Permissions (Service Provider Mode)
PermissionTypeAdmin ConsentPurpose
Machine.IsolateApplicationYesIsolates endpoints without user presence
Machine.ScanApplicationYesInitiates scans without user presence
Machine.StopAndQuarantineApplicationYesQuarantines files without user presence
Application permissions enable service providers to execute endpoint response actions in customer tenants without requiring a user to be actively signed in.

Why This Architecture?

ContraForce’s modular application architecture provides several benefits:
  • Principle of Least Privilege — Each application only requests the permissions necessary for its specific function
  • Granular Control — Organizations can enable only the features they need without granting unnecessary permissions
  • Reduced Friction — Service providers can onboard customers incrementally based on their security maturity
  • Improved Security Posture — Limiting permissions reduces potential attack surface

Managing Permissions

After onboarding, you can review and manage ContraForce enterprise application permissions in two locations:
  1. ContraForce Portal: Navigate to Settings → Permissions to consent to additional service principals
  2. Microsoft Entra Admin Center: Review enterprise applications and their granted permissions under Enterprise Applications
For questions about specific permissions or to request changes to your ContraForce configuration, contact your ContraForce support: [email protected].