Access review
An access review is a structured check of whether existing access is still appropriate, followed by decisions to retain, change, or remove it.
Does this access still have a reason?
An access review revisits an existing grant. The reviewer needs to know who holds it, which resource and permissions it covers, and whether the work still requires it. A familiar name or a recent sign-in can provide context, but neither establishes that every permission remains necessary.
Microsoft Entra access reviews are one implementation, covering areas such as group membership, enterprise application access, and role assignments. The scope of a particular review matters: checking one group does not review every other route to the same resource.
Reviewing whether someone should remain eligible for a role is also different from approving today’s use of it. The privileged role activation article covers that separate decision.
A decision still needs to take effect
Do not report a denied review decision as completed removal until the relevant change has been applied. In Microsoft’s workflow, results may be applied automatically or manually. Some relationships, including certain on-premises or nested-group access paths, require additional handling.
After a change, confirm what access remains and why. During an incident, ongoing sessions and other credentials may need separate attention; an access review is not a substitute for identity containment.
Keep the review tied to an accountable owner who understands the resource. The useful outcome is justified access and completed changes, rather than a form showing that everyone clicked Approve.