060: Conditional Access policy
Implementation Effort: High
User Impact: High
Overview
Conditional Access is the enforcement layer that turns identity and device signals into real access decisions. In device-focused Zero Trust guidance, the most common pattern is to require a compliant device for access to sensitive resources. For BYOD or app-only scenarios, some organizations instead require an approved client app or app protection policy path, depending on the application and licensing model.
Conditional Access should be deliberate, phased, and tested; it is not just a checkbox attached to device compliance.
Implementation Guidance
- Identify the apps and data you want to protect first, such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, or admin portals.
- Decide which mobile access pattern applies to each resource: require compliant device, require app protection policy, or another supported control. Do not assume one policy fits every scenario.
- Create policies in Microsoft Entra ID and use report-only mode where possible before enforcement. Include break-glass or emergency accounts in planned exclusions.
- If using the compliant-device model, ensure the target users and devices already have working Intune enrollment, compliance policies, and remediation communications.
- Keep user targeting and resource targeting simple at first. Complex overlapping policies are harder to support and harder to explain during incidents.
- Validate the end-user sign-in flow across iOS/iPadOS, Android, browsers, and rich clients. Confirm what happens when a device falls out of compliance or is retired.
- Document the intended exceptions for contractors, shared devices, kiosks, or MAM-only mobile access so administrators do not invent ad hoc workarounds later.
Reference
- Create Conditional Access policies with Intune
- How to Require Device Compliance with Conditional Access - Microsoft Entra ID — Explains how to require compliant devices as a Conditional Access grant control.
- Plan Your Microsoft Entra Conditional Access Deployment - Microsoft Entra ID — Covers planning decisions, report-only validation, and rollout steps for Conditional Access.