Microsoft Intune · Advanced guide

Microsoft Intune Compliance and Conditional Access: A Layered Control Model

Combine Intune compliance, configuration baselines and Microsoft Entra Conditional Access without locking out users or creating unmanageable policy overlap.

Published August 25, 2026 · RCW IT Training

Core design principles

1. Separate configuration from access decisions.

Separate configuration from access decisions. Use Intune to establish device state and Conditional Access to decide which identities and apps may access resources.

2. Stage enforcement with report-only analysis and controlled pilot groups.

Stage enforcement with report-only analysis and controlled pilot groups. Include emergency access accounts and a documented exclusion process before enabling broad blocks.

3. Make compliance actionable.

Make compliance actionable. Communicate remediation steps, grace periods, support ownership and the specific reason a device is non-compliant.

Operational checklist

Define ownership, document the architecture and dependencies, protect privileged access, monitor the service, test recovery or rollback, and review the design after every material change.

Key takeaway: Review policy outcomes regularly: sign-in logs, compliance trends, exceptions and false positives reveal where security intent differs from operational reality.