跳到主要内容

Compliance Policies

Last Updated: May 2025
Implementation Effort: Medium – Creating and deploying compliance policies requires project-level planning, coordination with security teams, and ongoing policy updates.
User Impact: Medium – Users may need to take action—such as updating their OS, enabling encryption, or setting a password—to remain compliant and retain access to corporate resources.

Introduction​

Compliance policies in Intune define the conditions a macOS device must meet to be considered trusted. These policies are foundational to Zero Trust because they provide the enforcement mechanism that determines whether a device can access corporate resources. Compliance policies are evaluated continuously and feed directly into Conditional Access decisions.

This section helps macOS administrators evaluate their compliance policy configurations and ensure they are aligned with Zero Trust principles—particularly around device health, encryption, OS version, and security posture.

Why This Matters​

  • Defines the baseline for device trust in a Zero Trust model.
  • Enables Conditional Access enforcement based on real-time device posture.
  • Supports continuous evaluation of compliance, not just one-time checks.
  • Reduces risk by ensuring only secure, policy-aligned devices can access resources.
  • Improves visibility into device health and security gaps.

Key Considerations​

Supported Compliance Settings for macOS​

Intune supports the following compliance checks for macOS:

  • Minimum OS version
  • Maximum OS version
  • Password requirements (length, complexity, timeout)
  • Encryption (FileVault) status
  • System Integrity Protection (SIP)

From a Zero Trust perspective: These settings enforce explicit verification of device health and configuration before access is granted.

FileVault Enforcement​

  • FileVault encryption can be required as part of the compliance policy.
  • Devices without encryption are marked non-compliant and can be blocked from accessing resources.

From a Zero Trust perspective: This ensures data at rest is protected and only encrypted devices are trusted.

OS Version Control​

  • Set a minimum OS version to ensure devices are running supported, secure builds.
  • Optionally set a maximum version to prevent early adoption of untested macOS releases.

From a Zero Trust perspective: This reduces exposure to known vulnerabilities and ensures device integrity.

Integration with Conditional Access​

  • Compliance status is used as a condition in Conditional Access policies.
  • Non-compliant devices can be blocked, quarantined, or required to remediate before access is restored.

From a Zero Trust perspective: This enforces real-time, risk-based access control.

Monitoring and Reporting​

  • Use the Intune admin center to monitor compliance status across all enrolled macOS devices.
  • Identify trends, gaps, and devices that require remediation.

From a Zero Trust perspective: Continuous visibility supports ongoing trust evaluation and policy enforcement.

Remediation and User Messaging​

  • Customize compliance messages to guide users through remediation steps.
  • Use Company Portal branding and links to support documentation.

From a Zero Trust perspective: Empowering users to self-remediate supports scalable enforcement without compromising security.

Zero Trust Considerations​

  • Verify explicitly: Compliance policies define the conditions under which a device is trusted.
  • Assume breach: Devices that fall out of compliance are treated as untrusted and denied access.
  • Least privilege: Only compliant devices are granted access to sensitive resources.
  • Continuous trust: Compliance is evaluated continuously, not just at enrollment.
  • Defense in depth: Compliance policies work alongside configuration profiles, Conditional Access, and endpoint protection.

Recommendations​

  • Define a baseline compliance policy for all macOS devices, including FileVault, password, and OS version requirements.
  • Integrate compliance with Conditional Access to block or limit access from non-compliant devices.
  • Monitor compliance status regularly and follow up on non-compliant devices.
  • Customize remediation messaging to help users resolve issues quickly and securely.
  • Review compliance policies quarterly to ensure alignment with evolving security standards and Zero Trust posture.

References​