Microsoft Intune compliance: design the signal before enforcing access

Compliance reports posture; Conditional Access enforces access

An Intune compliance policy defines conditions a device must meet and reports the resulting status to Intune and Microsoft Entra ID. Examples can include operating-system version, encryption, password requirements, device health, or a threat level supplied by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or a supported mobile-threat-defense partner. The available settings vary by platform.

Compliance by itself does not automatically block a device from Microsoft 365. Microsoft Entra Conditional Access uses the compliance signal to make an access decision when a policy requires a device to be marked compliant. That separation matters during design and troubleshooting: Intune evaluates the device, while Entra enforces the sign-in control.

Decide how unknown and failing devices should behave

Review the tenant-wide compliance settings before creating platform policies. In particular, decide how devices with no assigned compliance policy should be classified. A permissive choice can admit unmanaged gaps; an immediate restrictive choice can interrupt users before enrollment and assignments are ready.

Every compliance policy includes an action that marks a failing device noncompliant. Microsoft documents an immediate default, but administrators can define grace periods and add supported actions such as user email or push notifications, remote lock, or placing a device on a retire list. Not every action is available on every platform. A notification should explain the failed requirement, safe remediation steps, the enforcement time, and how to obtain support.

Inventory device platforms, ownership models, enrollment methods, and business-critical applications.

Create the minimum common requirements first, then add platform-specific controls after measuring the result.

Assign policies to a test group and examine errors, conflicts, devices without a policy, and check-in timing.

Configure noncompliance notifications and a realistic grace period for issues users can fix.

Create the corresponding Conditional Access policy in report-only mode and test managed, unmanaged, compliant, noncompliant, guest, and emergency-access scenarios.

Enforce in phases while monitoring sign-in and compliance reports.

Confirm licensing and management boundaries

Users or devices benefiting from Intune generally require an appropriate Intune license. Device-only licensing has limitations, including no Conditional Access or user-based app protection. Device-based Conditional Access requires eligible Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 licensing; risk-based controls require additional P2 capabilities. Exact entitlements depend on the subscriptions and workload, so verify the tenant’s current licensing before promising a control.

Compliance is a point-in-time service signal, not proof that a device is permanently secure. Check-in frequency, stale records, duplicate enrollments, operating-system support, and third-party integrations affect the result. Maintain exception ownership, remove retired devices, and test the path from noncompliant back to compliant so enforcement remains both protective and recoverable.

Official references

Device compliance policies in Microsoft Intune — compliance concepts, settings, and platform scope.

Actions for noncompliant devices — default timing, grace periods, notifications, and supported actions.

Microsoft Intune licensing — user, device, and device-only license boundaries.

Device-based Conditional Access — Entra licensing and the compliance-signal enforcement flow.