Azure Bastion
Azure Bastion is a managed service offered by Microsoft Azure that provides secure and seamless remote access to virtual machines (VMs) within an Azure virtual network. It eliminates the need for exposing VMs directly to the internet or relying on a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
Here are some key points about Azure Bastion:
Secure Remote Access: Azure Bastion allows you to securely access your VMs using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or Secure Shell (SSH) directly from the Azure portal, without the need for a public IP address assigned to the VM or opening inbound ports on the network security group.
Integrated Experience: With Azure Bastion, you can access your VMs using just a web browser on the Azure portal. This eliminates the need to use a separate RDP or SSH client, making it easier to manage and access your VMs from anywhere.
Network Protection: Azure Bastion is deployed within your virtual network and leverages Azure's secure infrastructure. It provides an additional layer of protection by ensuring that your VMs are not directly exposed to the internet, reducing the attack surface.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Azure Bastion supports Azure Active Directory authentication, which allows you to enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for an extra layer of security. This helps prevent unauthorized access to your VMs.
Simplified Connectivity: Once Azure Bastion is provisioned, you can connect to your VMs with just a few clicks from the Azure portal. There is no need to configure VPNs, public IP addresses, or port forwarding rules.
Session Recording and Audit Logs: Azure Bastion provides session recording capabilities, allowing you to monitor and audit user activity. You can review the recorded sessions and logs for compliance and troubleshooting purposes.
Private Access: With Azure Bastion, you can access your VMs over Private Link, ensuring that the traffic stays within the Azure backbone network and doesn't traverse the public internet.
High Availability: Azure Bastion is designed to provide high availability, and it automatically scales based on demand. Microsoft takes care of the underlying infrastructure, ensuring reliability and uptime.
Azure Bastion simplifies remote access to VMs, enhances security, and provides a more integrated management experience for Azure users. It eliminates many of the complexities and potential security risks associated with traditional methods of remote access, making it an attractive option for securely managing VMs in Azure.
