1# Authentication — Java SDK Quick Reference
2 
3> Condensed from **azure-identity-java**. Full patterns (workload identity,
4> certificate auth, device code, sovereign clouds)
5> in the **azure-identity-java** plugin skill if installed.
6 
7## Install
8```xml
9<dependency>
10    <groupId>com.azure</groupId>
11    <artifactId>azure-identity</artifactId>
12    <version>1.15.0</version>
13</dependency>
14```
15 
16## Quick Start
17 
18> **Auth:** `DefaultAzureCredential` is for local development. See [auth-best-practices.md](../auth-best-practices.md) for production patterns.
19 
20```java
21import com.azure.identity.DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder;
22var credential = new DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder().build();
23```
24 
25## Best Practices
26- Use DefaultAzureCredential for **local development only** (CLI, PowerShell, VS Code). In production, use ManagedIdentityCredential — see [auth-best-practices.md](../auth-best-practices.md)
27- Managed identity in production — no secrets to manage, automatic rotation
28- Azure CLI for local dev — run `az login` before running your app
29- Least privilege — grant only required permissions to service principals
30- Token caching — enabled by default, reduces auth round-trips
31- Environment variables — use for CI/CD, not hardcoded secrets
32