Implementing Conditional Access Policies for Device Compliance with Intune and Microsoft Entra

September 19, 2025 TechieGeek

In‑Depth Guide: Implementing Conditional Access Policies for Device Compliance with Intune & Microsoft Entra

Conditional Access is a crucial security layer for modern organizations using Microsoft 365, cloud apps, and mobile devices. It lets you decide who gets to access critical resources—when, where, and on what terms—based on real security signals. By combining Microsoft Entra (formerly Azure AD) Conditional Access with Intune device compliance policies, you guarantee only secure and managed devices get in. Let’s break down exactly how to architect, deploy, and test these policies.

What is Conditional Access—and Why Does Compliance Matter?

Conditional Access acts as a gatekeeper. Every sign-in to your company’s apps and data flows through Microsoft Entra, where policies check multiple real-time signals:

User Identity: Who’s signing in? Are they in the right group, department, or management role?
Device Compliance: Is their device enrolled in Intune and meeting your organization’s security rules for encryption, antivirus, OS protection, etc.?
Location: Are they coming from a trusted IP, approved country, or maybe a suspicious hotel WiFi?
Risk Level: Is this sign-in showing risky behavior, like from a leaked credential or a strange location—flagged by Identity Protection?

When you require compliance status, only devices that pass Intune’s security checks get access to sensitive resources. This policy is especially vital for BYOD users and remote work scenarios.

Why Use Conditional Access that Requires Compliance?

Block unmanaged or risky devices: No access without proper enrollment and security controls.
Enforce security standards: Only devices with encryption, passwords, antivirus, and current OS versions gain entry.
Reduce risk with BYOD: You don’t have to fully manage employee phones/tablets—just ensure they meet minimum compliance.
Integrate real-time Mobile Threat Defense checks: Pair with services like Microsoft Defender or third-party threat apps.

How Conditional Access and Intune Compliance Policies Work Together

You Create Compliance Policies in Intune: Define what “secure” means for your organization (e.g., disk encrypted, antivirus active, password enabled).
Devices Enroll in Intune: PCs, phones, tablets check in and receive your compliance rules.
Intune Evaluates Devices: Each device is marked ‘compliant’ or ‘non‑compliant’ after Intune checks the latest device status.
Conditional Access Policies Reference Compliance Status: Policies in Microsoft Entra only grant access to compliant devices.

If a device falls out of compliance—maybe antivirus is disabled or the OS is outdated—access gets blocked until the issue is fixed.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Compliance-Based Conditional Access Policy

1. Create the Compliance Policy in Intune:

Go to Intune Admin Center → Devices → Compliance policies → Create policy.
Choose platform (Windows, iOS, Android).
Set requirements (e.g., require password, enable encryption).
Assign to user/device groups.

2. Create the Conditional Access Policy in Microsoft Entra:

Log in to entra.microsoft.com.
Go: Protection → Conditional Access → Policies → + New policy.
Name your policy, e.g., “M365 access – require compliant devices.”

Assignments:
– Select target users/groups.
– Choose cloud apps (e.g., Microsoft 365, Exchange Online).

Conditions:
– (Optional) Filter by device platform, location, or client app.

Access Controls → Grant:
– Check “Require device to be marked as compliant.”

Enable the policy and click Create.

Testing and Validation

Enroll a test device in Intune.
Apply your compliance policy (e.g., require device encryption).
Attempt to access a protected resource (e.g., Outlook web from the device):
- If compliant: access is allowed.
- If not compliant: access is blocked by Conditional Access.
Review Microsoft Entra sign-in logs to confirm enforcement and see details on blocked/allowed attempts.

Real-World Example

Suppose a user attempts to sign in to Microsoft 365 from a personal laptop. If that device isn’t encrypted, the sign-in is blocked. If the laptop IS encrypted and compliant with all Intune rules, access is allowed.

Monitoring and Auditing

Regularly review Conditional Access reports and Intune compliance dashboards. These show which devices and users are passing/failing policies, helping you catch gaps before they turn into breaches.

Use sign-in logs in Entra Admin Center (Monitoring → Sign-in logs) for forensic investigation, compliance checks, and troubleshooting.

Exam Essentials & Best Practices

Know how compliance status is determined and enforced.
Understand how to build policies that block non-compliant devices from cloud apps.
Always test and monitor policies with both compliant and non-compliant devices.

Helpful Microsoft Resources

Bottom line:
Conditional Access tied to device compliance is your best defense against accidental leaks and deliberate attacks—especially for cloud services and remote access. With Intune and Microsoft Entra, it’s easy to set up, standardize, and monitor, keeping your most valuable data protected and your auditors satisfied.