Device compliance in Microsoft Intune is crucial for securing organizational data and maintaining control over the devices accessing company resources. Intune’s compliance policies allow administrators to set rules that evaluate whether devices meet the required configuration standards. Devices must adhere to these rules to be considered compliant, which helps protect corporate information from non-secure devices.
Integrating these compliance results with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access further strengthens your security framework. Conditional Access policies can restrict access to corporate resources based on a device’s compliance status, ensuring only secure, compliant devices can connect.
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Compliance policy settings and device compliance policies
Intune compliance policies are categorized into two sections: compliance policy settings and device compliance policies. The compliance policy settings are tenant-wide configurations that apply to all devices, ensuring that Intune knows how to handle devices without specific compliance policies. Device compliance policies, on the other hand, contain platform-specific rules that are enforced on user groups or device groups, determining whether a device is compliant.
Compliance policy settings overview
The compliance policy settings, found in the Microsoft Intune admin center under “Endpoint security > Device compliance > Compliance policy settings,” dictate how Intune interacts with devices. These settings include:
- Mark devices with no compliance policy assigned as: This feature determines if devices without a policy are marked as compliant or non-compliant. The default setting treats these devices as compliant, but for better security, marking them as non-compliant is recommended when using Conditional Access.
- Compliance status validity period: This setting defines how long a device has to report its compliance status. If a device doesn’t report within the set period, which is by default 30 days, it is marked non-compliant.
Device compliance policies
Device compliance policies are created to apply specific rules to different platforms like Windows, iOS, Android, and macOS. These policies ensure devices meet certain security standards, such as requiring a minimum OS version or ensuring the device is not rooted or jail-broken. When a device is deemed non-compliant, actions are triggered, such as marking the device as non-compliant, remotely locking it, or sending email alerts to users and administrators.
For platforms like Android and iOS, certain settings automatically enforce compliance, such as requiring a PIN to access the device. However, on other platforms like Linux, compliance may need to be enforced through custom settings or additional configurations.
Using Intune with conditional access
Integrating Microsoft Entra Conditional Access with Intune’s device compliance status allows for enhanced security controls. When a device enrolls in Intune, it registers in Microsoft Entra ID, which tracks its compliance status. Conditional Access can then decide whether to allow or block the device from accessing resources based on its compliance level.
This approach ensures that only secure, compliant devices have access to sensitive corporate data, reducing the risk of breaches or unauthorized access. It’s essential to ensure that the “Mark devices with no compliance policy assigned as” option is configured correctly to avoid potential security gaps.
Monitoring device compliance
Monitoring the compliance of your devices is straightforward with Intune’s device compliance dashboard. The dashboard provides an overview of all devices, allowing administrators to drill down into specific policies and devices for detailed information. By actively monitoring compliance, administrators can stay ahead of any issues and ensure that devices meet organizational security requirements.
Custom compliance settings offer additional flexibility for administrators, allowing them to define compliance based on criteria specific to their organization. This feature enables companies to tailor compliance policies to fit their unique needs, especially on platforms like Linux or Windows.
Conclusion
By leveraging Microsoft Intune’s robust compliance policies, businesses can safeguard their resources and ensure that all connected devices meet necessary security standards. Integrating these policies with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access further strengthens your defenses by allowing only compliant devices to access critical corporate data. AVASOFT helps organizations implement and manage Intune and Conditional Access to enhance security and operational efficiency. Reach out to AVASOFT today to learn how we can assist in securing your device management strategy.
