How can you ensure that session hosts in an Azure Virtual Desktop environment are accessed securely by administrators?

Utilizing Azure Bastion provides a secure and seamless way for administrators to access session hosts in an Azure Virtual Desktop environment without exposing the virtual machines to the public internet. Azure Bastion allows secure RDP and SSH connectivity directly from the Azure portal, which eliminates the need for a public IP on the virtual machines. This helps in preventing potential security breaches that could occur through publicly exposed endpoints.

When Azure Bastion is deployed, it serves as an intermediary, handling the connection requests securely and providing a controlled method for administrators to manage the session hosts. Additionally, it integrates with Azure’s networking infrastructure and eliminates the complexity and potential vulnerabilities associated with managing VPNs or port-forwarding rules. This makes it a highly effective solution for securing administrative access in the Azure ecosystem.

Other options, while they may have their security benefits, do not offer the same level of direct management integration or seamless experience for accessing session hosts. For instance, a VPN gateway provides secure network connectivity but may require additional configuration for session management and access control. JIT access focuses on limiting administrative access to specific times, which is beneficial but does not enhance the method of access itself. Implementing conditional access policies can enforce rules based on user conditions or device compliance but typically does not provide the direct access