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Detecting Password-Spraying in Entra ID Using a Honeypot Account

TrustedSec details a practical detection pattern for Entra ID password spraying using a decoy/honeypot account. The method leverages sign‑in error codes and IP telemetry to distinguish real user mistakes from automated sprays, reducing false positives in cloud identity environments.

🎯CORTEX Protocol Intelligence Assessment

Business Impact: Enhanced detection improves mean‑time‑to‑detect for credential attacks on cloud identities. Technical Context: Uses Entra sign‑in logs (e.g., 50126, 50079) and decoy account activity for signal fidelity.

Strategic Intelligence Guidance

  • Create decoy users with monitored sign‑in logs.
  • Alert on repeated failures against decoys.
  • Correlate spray activity by IP, app, and geo.
  • Automate blocking and step‑up auth on detection.

Vendors

Microsoft

Threats

Password spraying

Targets

Entra ID