DEV-116 - Configure Privileged Roles for Intune Admins (PIM, CA, etc)
Implementation Effort: Medium – Requires planning and configuration of Conditional Access policies specifically targeting admin roles.
User Impact: Medium – Administrators will be subject to stricter sign-in requirements.
Overview
Conditional Access policies for admin accounts enforce elevated security requirements for privileged users accessing Microsoft 365 and Azure services. By targeting admin roles with dedicated policies, organizations ensure that high-privilege accounts are protected with stronger authentication controls, compliant devices, and location-based restrictions.
This supports Verify explicitly by requiring admins to satisfy multiple conditions before gaining access. It supports Use least privilege access by ensuring that elevated access is only granted from trusted contexts. Without dedicated CA policies for admins, privileged accounts may be accessed from unmanaged devices or risky locations, creating a significant attack surface.
Key Configuration Steps
- Create a Conditional Access policy targeting directory roles (Global Administrator, Security Administrator, Intune Administrator, etc.)
- Require multi-factor authentication for all admin sign-ins
- Require compliant or Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices
- Block legacy authentication for admin accounts
- Restrict access to trusted locations where appropriate
- Enable sign-in frequency controls to limit session persistence