The article discusses the introduction of the Restrict personal access token creation policy in Azure DevOps, aimed at strengthening security by controlling user access to personal access tokens (PATs). PATs simplify authentication but can pose security risks if mismanaged. The new policy allows administrators to restrict who can create or regenerate PATs, with default settings set for new and existing organizations. Existing tokens continue to function until expiration, and combining this policy with maximum lifespan settings further tightens security protocols.
PATs are a convenient way for users to authenticate with Azure DevOps, but they also pose a risk if not properly managed. Long-lived or overly permissive tokens can become a vector for unauthorized access.
This new organization-level policy mitigates that risk further by giving administrators the ability to control who can create or regenerate PATs.
For new organizations, the policy is enabled by default. For existing organizations, it remains off until manually turned on.
Combine this policy with the 'Set maximum lifespan for new PATs' setting to further reduce token sprawl and enforce short-lived credentials.
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