Streamlining macOS security: Automatically enable AutoFill after Platform SSO registration
By: Chris Kunze - Principal Product Manager | Microsoft Intune Platform single sign-on (SSO) improves how macOS devices establish identity with Microsoft Entra ID, enabling a more secure and streamlined authentication experience. However, completing Platform SSO registration isn’t enough to deliver a fully passwordless workflow. To enable passwordless authentication in Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Google Chrome, the Company Portal AutoFill extension must also be enabled. In many deployments, this step still depends on the user. Devices may be fully enrolled, and Platform SSO may be successfully registered, yet users can still fall back to entering credentials manually if Company Portal AutoFill is not enabled. At scale, even small manual configuration steps can lead to inconsistent results. The goal of this post is to remove that dependency by automatically enabling AutoFill after Platform SSO registration, so users receive a complete passwordless experience without any additional steps. The challenge After Platform SSO is deployed to a macOS device, two conditions must be met before users receive the intended passwordless experience: Platform SSO registration must be completed The device must complete Platform SSO registration with Microsoft Entra ID. Company Portal AutoFill must be enabled The Company Portal AutoFill extension must be enabled for supported browsers so credentials can be supplied automatically. When Platform SSO registration happens after Setup Assistant, the user is prompted through the registration flow and receives a reminder to enable Company Portal AutoFill. However, enabling AutoFill is still a separate manual step that the user must complete. If the user skips or overlooks that step, the device can be successfully registered for Platform SSO while still requiring credentials to be entered manually. The result is a deployment that appears complete but does not consistently deliver the intended passwordless experience or security posture. Authentication should not depend on user action after enrollment. Especially valuable with the “Enable Registration During Setup” setting This approach becomes especially impactful when combined with the Enable Registration During Setup setting for Platform SSO. When used with Automated Device Enrollment (ADE), Platform SSO registration can be completed automatically during Setup Assistant before the user reaches the desktop. This helps ensure identity registration completes as part of the provisioning experience rather than requiring additional post-enrollment actions. Automating AutoFill after Platform SSO registration After registration has completed, AutoFill often becomes the final remaining step that still depends on user action. To close this gap, you can use a custom script to enable the Company Portal AutoFill extension after Platform SSO registration is complete. The sample script, Check-PSSO.zsh, available in the GitHub repository, was written by the Intune Customer Experience Engineering team. The script detects when Platform SSO registration has completed on a device and then enables AutoFill automatically. Important: Microsoft supports Intune’s ability to deploy scripts, but not the scripts themselves. Microsoft fully supports Intune and its script deployment capabilities. However, Microsoft does not provide support for individual scripts, including scripts published in Microsoft GitHub repositories. These scripts are provided as examples only. You are responsible for reviewing, validating, and testing their behavior in your environment before deploying them broadly. The script essentially performs four key actions: Wait for a user session - The script detects when a user session is active to ensure the device is ready for configuration. Verify Platform SSO registration - It confirms that Platform SSO registration has completed successfully before proceeding. Detect the AutoFill extension - The script waits until the Company Portal AutoFill extension becomes available on the device. Enable AutoFill automatically - Once detected, the script enables AutoFill programmatically, eliminating the need for users to manually configure the setting in System Settings. All activities are logged locally, providing visibility for auditing and troubleshooting. Supported browsers The Company Portal AutoFill extension works with: Safari (native support) Microsoft Edge (native support) Google Chrome (requires Microsoft Single Sign On extension) Once AutoFill is enabled, users can authenticate across all supported browsers on their macOS device without manually entering passwords. System requirements macOS 15 or later Company Portal version 5.2604.0 or later installed on the device Platform SSO configured via an Intune SSO extension profile Deployment via Intune The Check-PSSO script is deployed using a lightweight, scalable approach aligned with modern macOS management practices. The recommended method is to package the script as a payloadless PKG with a pre-install script. High-level steps: Build an empty PKG Attach the Check-PSSO script as a pre-install script Upload the package to Intune Assign it as Required Verify successful deployment through script logs Detailed instructions are available in the GitHub repository. Key Features Polling with timeouts The script waits for the required conditions to be met before continuing, including an active user session and completed Platform SSO registration. To avoid indefinite loops in edge-case scenarios, it uses timeouts while polling for those conditions. Diagnostic logging and auditing Optional verbose logging provides detailed troubleshooting information and an audit trail confirming AutoFill was enabled. Each run is logged locally under: /Library/Logs/Microsoft/IntuneScripts/checkPSSO Clear exit codes Exit 0: Success Exit 1: Failure Benefits of automating AutoFill Automating AutoFill helps ensure users can take advantage of passwordless authentication without additional configuration steps. It reduces reliance on user action, improves deployment consistency, improves security posture, and supports zero-touch provisioning. It also provides admins with verification through centralized logging and reporting. Get started If you’ve already deployed Platform SSO, automating AutoFill is a natural next step toward delivering a complete passwordless experience. By removing a manual configuration step that often depends on user action, you can improve consistency and user experience across devices. When combined with the Enable Registration During Setup setting, this helps create a true zero-touch experience from enrollment through authentication. Learn more Platform SSO for macOS Company Portal for macOS Payloadless Packages in Intune (Tech Community) Microsoft shell-intune-samples Repository Let us know if you have questions by leaving a comment below or reaching out on X @IntuneSuppteam. Join our community! Discuss real-world scenarios, get expert guidance, connect with peers, and influence the future of Microsoft Security products. Learn more at aka.ms/JoinIntuneCommunity.
Deploying Platform SSO for pre macOS 26 with Microsoft Intune: Lessons Learned
By: Naveen Akkugari, Sr. Service Engineer and Michael Griswold, Principal Service Engineering Manager | Microsoft Intune Who we are Our internal Intune administration team at Microsoft is responsible for running Intune and Configuration Manager for the devices used by employees. We receive early access to features for evaluation and feedback using real world usage scenarios. As such, some features may be changed before the public release and be slightly different. The experience should be similar and we wanted to share our learnings when deploying platform single sign-on (PSSO). It is worth noting that since the time of this experience a new method for newer OS versions is available and you can read more about it at: New Platform SSO with registration during Automated Device Enrollment on macOS | Microsoft Community Hub. Why we implemented Platform single sign-on (PSSO) and what we learned As IT admins managing a growing Mac fleet, we kept running into the same gap. Our Windows devices had hardware-backed authentication, token protection, and seamless SSO through Windows Hello for Business, but our Macs were still relying on browser-based prompts with no easy way to enforce the same level of security and identity protection. Platform SSO finally closed that gap for us. It’s worth noting that new macOS allows new capabilities in this space and we are evaluating them as well. The new flow can be read about at https://aka.ms/Intune/MacPSSO-Setup. While there were fewer pip-ups, we found the changes in the security layer to be the real value to our operations. Platform SSO binds authentication tokens (Primary Refresh Tokens) to the device’s Secure Enclave hardware. Even if a PRT is intercepted, it’s designed to not be replayed from another device. For our team, this unlocked two things we couldn’t do on macOS before: Token protection policies: Conditional Access can now verify that tokens are device-bound, the same enforcement we had been relying on with Windows Hello for Business Phishing-resistant MFA: Secure Enclave keys act as FIDO2 passkeys, so users authenticate with Touch ID instead of passwords or SMS codes Getting from documentation to production took real effort for us. A password policy issue that silently blocked registration for half our pilot group, users who swiped away the registration banner without knowing what it was, and macOS updates that broke SSO overnight. This blog post is what we wish someone had written before we started. How it works under the hood: Intune delivers the SSO extension profile → macOS prompts the user to register → the device registers with Microsoft Entra ID and gets a hardware-bound workplace (WPJ) certificate → a PRT is issued and bound to device hardware (not designed to be exported) → SSO works across Microsoft 365 apps, browsers, and Kerberos resources, all with token protection enforced. Available authentication methods when we implemented Capability Secure Enclave Smart Card Password Sync Passwordless and phishing-resistant ✅ ✅ ❌ Touch ID / passkey (WebAuthn) ✅ ❌ Touch ID only ❌ Local password synced with Microsoft Entra ❌ ❌ ✅ Minimum macOS 13.0 14.0 13.0 Recommendation: Start with Secure Enclave. Keys are hardware-bound, phishing-resistant, and double as FIDO2 passkeys via WebAuthn, enabling browser-based passwordless login (Touch ID instead of passwords) and meeting Conditional Access multi-factor authentication (MFA) requirements. Unlike iCloud-synced passkeys, these are device-bound, aligning with Zero Trust. Quick setup using the Intune settings catalog Prerequisites: macOS 13+, Intune with Microsoft Entra ID, Intune Company Portal v5.2404.0+ In the Intune admin center, navigate to Devices > Configuration > Create > macOS > Settings Catalog > Authentication > Extensible SSO Setting Value Extension Identifier com.microsoft.CompanyPortalMac.ssoextension Team Identifier UBF8T346G9 Type Redirect Registration Token {{DEVICEREGISTRATION}} Use Shared Device Keys Enabled Screen Locked Behavior DoNotHandle URLs https://login.microsoftonline.com https://login.microsoft.com https://sts.windows.net https://login-us.microsoftonline.com Users see a “Registration required” notification → sign in → complete MFA → SSO works everywhere. What the user experience looks like Knowing what users see on their screen helps you write better rollout communications and cuts down help desk tickets. First-time registration flow: Profile arrives silently: After enrollment, Intune pushes the SSO extension profile to the Mac. Nothing visible to the user yet. Registration banner appears: macOS displays a notification: “Registration required: Your organization requires you to register your device.” The user must click this to proceed. (This is our #1 learning point, users swipe it away, and there’s no simple way to retrigger it.) Sign-in window: The user enters their Microsoft Entra ID email and password. MFA challenge: Authenticator app push, phone call, or other configured method. Secure Enclave key creation: macOS generates a hardware-bound key pair. The user may see a Touch ID or local password prompt to authorize this. Registration completes: Device registers with Microsoft Entra ID, a WPJ certificate and PRT are issued. User sees a success confirmation. SSO is active: From here, Microsoft 365 apps, Edge (natively), Chrome (with SSO extension), and Kerberos resources authenticate without prompts. Touch ID replaces password entry. Missed the registration notification? Here is how to manually register: This was our most common help desk ticket during rollout. If a user dismissed or missed the banner, they can still register manually through the following options: (Recommended) System Settings → Users & Groups → Network Account Server: This is the easiest method. Go to System Settings → Users & Groups, scroll down to “Network Account Server” and click “Edit.” This opens a panel showing two sections: Network Servers and Platform single sign-on. If the Platform SSO policy is deployed, “Mac SSO Extension” will be listed under Platform single sign-on. If the device isn’t registered, there will be a “Register” button that can be selected to start the Platform SSO device registration flow. Lock / Sign out and back in: Performing a lock or signing out of macOS followed by signing back in can retrigger the registration notification upon the next login attempt. Wait for the notification to reappear: macOS retries the notification periodically around every 15 mins. Last resort, reprofile: If none of the above work, an IT admin can remove and reassign the SSO extension profile in Intune. Before doing so, ensure any stale device objects are cleared from Microsoft Entra ID to avoid conflicts. Once the new profile lands on the device, the registration notification reappears. How to verify Platform SSO registration One of the first questions we got after rollout was “how do I know it’s actually working?” Here’s how both users and IT admins can confirm. For IT admins (Microsoft Entra ID & Intune admin centers): What to check Platform SSO registered device Non-registered device Microsoft Entra ID → Devices Join Type shows Microsoft Entra joined Join Type shows Microsoft Entra registered Intune → Device configuration SSO extension profile shows Succeeded Profile may show Pending, Error, or not assigned For users (on the Mac): System Settings → Users & Groups → Network Account Server: Scroll down in Users & Groups to “Network Account Server” and click “Edit.” If the Platform SSO policy is deployed, they will see “Mac SSO Extension” listed under Platform Single Sign-on. A registered device shows a green dot with “Registered” status and a “Repair” button (useful if registration gets into a bad state). If not registered, they will see a “Register” button instead. This is the quickest at-a-glance check for users. System Settings → Users & Groups: Click on the user account name in Users & Groups (on macOS 14+, click the info button “i” next to the user name). When Platform SSO registration is complete, a “Platform Single Sign-on” section will be listed under the account. If Platform SSO is active, the user account shows the Microsoft Entra ID identity linked to the local account. Company Portal app → Devices: The device should show as “Compliant” and “Microsoft Entra ID registered.” If registration failed, it shows “Registration required.” Terminal command: Run app-sso platform -s to check Platform SSO status. Troubleshooting Platform SSO errors If you run into issues during deployment, here’s how you can diagnose and fix issues. Step 1: Check the Platform SSO profile in Intune device management Before troubleshooting on the Mac itself, confirm the profile reached the device: In Intune: Go to Devices → select the device → Device configuration. The SSO extension profile should show “Succeeded.” If it shows “Pending” or “Error,” the device hasn’t received the policy. Check assignment groups, sync status, and whether the device is enrolled. Then on the Mac: Go to System Settings → General → Device Management (or Profiles on older macOS). Look for the SSO extension profile (com.apple.extensiblesso). It should show as “Installed” with no errors. If the profile isn’t listed, it hasn’t been delivered yet. Check Intune assignment and device sync. Step 2: Check registration status on the Mac Refer to the previous section “How to verify Platform SSO registration” for steps. Step 3: Check SSO extension logs Run in Terminal for real-time logs: log stream --predicate 'subsystem == "com.apple.AppSSO"' --level debug Then prompt a sign-in (open Edge or Outlook). Look for: Error 10002: Duplicate SSO profiles. Remove the extra one from Intune. Error 10003: Registration failed. Usually a network issue or TLS inspection blocking auth URLs. User cancelled: User dismissed the registration banner. Token refresh failed: PRT could not refresh. Check network and whether the Microsoft Entra ID password was recently changed. Step 4: Verify from the admin side Check How What It Tells You Profile delivery Intune > Devices > select device > Device configuration Whether the SSO profile reached the device and its install status Registration state Entra ID > Devices > search device > Properties Whether the device has PSSO registration and NGC credential Sign-in failures Entra ID > Sign-in logs > filter by user Error codes like AADSTS50076 MFA required, AADSTS700024 token issue, or AADSTS7000218 client assertion Token protection Entra ID > Sign-in logs > Conditional Access tab Whether token protection policy was applied or skipped Company Portal version Intune > Apps > macOS > Company Portal Must be v5.2404.0+ for PSSO; older versions silently fail Common error codes and fixes: Error Cause Fix 10002 Multiple SSO extension profiles assigned Remove duplicate profiles; keep only the Settings Catalog policy 10003 Registration failed network/TLS Allowlist Apple and Microsoft auth URLs from TLS inspection AADSTS50076 MFA required but not completed User needs to complete MFA during registration AADSTS700024 Client assertion invalid Password likely needs reset; have user reset Entra ID password and retry AADSTS7000218 Request body must contain client_assertion Company Portal version too old; update to v5.2404.0+ Best practices Have newer OS devices and use the new flow: New Platform SSO with registration during Automated Device Enrollment on macOS. Have users reset their password before Platform SSO registration. During initial enrollment, if password configuration or compliance policies are applied, users are required to reset their password after device enrollment and prior to initiating Platform SSO registration. Skipping this step can result in silent registration failures that are difficult to diagnose. Ensure this is communicated as the first step in your rollout guidance. Assign the SSO profile during enrollment, not after. Deploying during enrollment means the registration prompt shows up at first login, a natural part of setup. Retrofitting existing devices forces users to notice and click a notification banner. Many will not. macOS Tahoe (26) Simplified Setup will auto-register, removing this friction. One SSO profile per device, no exceptions. Duplicate profiles cause Error 10002. If you are migrating from a Device Features template to Settings Catalog, remove the old one first. Pilot with realistic scenarios. Don’t just test “can I open Outlook.” Test registration, SSO to Microsoft 365, on-prem file shares, password change mid-session, reboot behavior, and what happens when a user dismisses the registration banner. We found issues in every one of these. Align password policies end-to-end. For Password Sync, Intune compliance and Microsoft Entra ID password policies must match: length, complexity, expiration. Integrate legacy Kerberos properly. If you run a standalone Kerberos SSO extension, set usePlatformSSOTGT = true in its ExtensionData to reuse Platform SSO TGT instead of running duplicate flows. Requires macOS 14.6+ and Company Portal 5.2408.0+. Enable Kerberos SSO to on-premises Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID Kerberos Resources in Platform SSO. Allowlist auth URLs from TLS inspection. Apple and Microsoft authentication endpoints must be excluded from proxy/TLS inspection. If they are not, registration fails silently with no error. Challenges we faced Challenge What we experienced Solution Password must be reset before registration during the new enrollment Half our pilot group could not register after the new enrollment as their Entra ID password had not been reset. Require a password reset before rollout; make this step 1 in user communications Users dismiss the registration banner The notification is easy to swipe away. Once dismissed, there is no simple way to retrigger it. Send screenshots and instructions before rollout; macOS Tahoe auto-registers via Simplified Setup SSO breaks after macOS updates After point updates, SSO stopped working until re-registration. Restart swcd process; some cases required full re-registration; check release notes Password policy mismatch Users changed Microsoft Entra password, but local Mac password did not sync, causing lockouts. Match Intune compliance and Microsoft Entra ID password policies exactly; test end-to-end Browser SSO inconsistency Edge worked natively, Chrome needed extension, Safari varied by OS. Deploy Chrome SSO extension via Intune; test Safari on each target OS version Conclusion Platform SSO delivers phishing-resistant passwordless authentication, seamless cross-platform SSO, and Conditional Access compliance with hardware-backed identity. Start your implementation with Secure Enclave, deploy via Intune Settings Catalog, pilot small, then scale. If you have questions on implementing Platform SSO, leave a comment below or reach out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam. Join our community! Discuss real-world scenarios, get expert guidance, connect with peers, and influence the future of Microsoft Security products. Learn more at aka.ms/JoinIntuneCommunity.Unpacking Endpoint Management is back - and we’ve got a lot to talk about
If you've been missing real, candid conversations about endpoint management, good news! Unpacking Endpoint Management is officially back. This series is all about what actually works. No fluff, just practical tips, proven strategies, and honest discussions to help you optimize and simplify the way you manage and secure endpoints today (and prepare for what's next). We're bringing together people from across Microsoft Intune, Security, and Customer Experience engineering and product teams, along with guest practitioners, to share what's worked, what hasn't, and what we've learned along the way. And yes…we're absolutely here for the tough questions. A quick update on the hosts Danny Guillory, a familiar face to the community and a Product Manager for Intune and Configuration Manager, will continue to host the series. He's joined this season by Rachelle Blanchard as co‑host, bringing a strong community and discovery lens to the series. Rachelle focuses on surfacing real customer questions and guiding conversations toward practical outcomes, helping ensure each episode reflects how endpoint management works in the real world. Up next June 30, 2026 – 9:00 a.m. PDT App management at scale with Intune July 30, 2026 - 9:00 a.m. PDT Topic TBD - What should we cover? Drop ideas below in the comments. Sign in to the Tech Community and follow this post for the latest updates on upcoming episodes. Catch up on demand You may have missed them, but you don't have to miss out on the learnings. Watch and learn when it's convenient for you. Device security with Microsoft Intune Trends in endpoint management (live from Tech Takeoff 2026) Not sure where to start? Watch our most recent episode, Policy: from hybrid to cloud-native, now on demand! What's the format? This web series is streamed live on Tech Community, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X. In addition to open discussion, we answer your questions so sign in (or sign up for) the Tech Community and RSVP to submit questions early and throughout the live show. How do I join? There's no call or meeting to join. Simply head to aka.ms/JoinUEM. Show up at start time, watch live, and jump into the discussion with us. Help shape the series This series is for you - so tell us what you want to hear. Drop a comment below with: Topics you'd like us to cover Tough questions you want answered Speakers you'd love to hear from We can't wait to get started - and even more excited to hear from you along the way. Join the Community to get early insight into what's coming for Intune, connect with experts, and share real-world feedback that helps shape the product. 👉 aka.ms/JoinIntuneCommunityAs vulnerability discovery moves at AI speed, keeping current is foundational to reduce exposure
Recent advances in automation and AI are accelerating vulnerability discovery and shortening the window between disclosure and exploitation. As Microsoft outlined in our recent Security blog, this shift raises the bar for how quickly organizations need to reduce exposure across their environments. For IT and security teams, this makes staying current on updates more critical than before. While responding to individual Common Vulnerabilities Exposures (CVE) remains essential, keeping current across devices and applications is foundational to reducing exposure as threats evolve. This post focuses on the endpoint execution layer - how Microsoft Intune helps organizations understand their update posture, prioritize action, and reduce the time it takes for protections to land. Introducing the security update status dashboard in Microsoft Intune To act decisively, teams need clear visibility into where systems are current, where gaps exist, and how update deployments are progressing. Without a shared, defensible view of update status, it’s difficult to prioritize remediation or answer a basic question from leadership: “Are we patched?” To address this, Intune is introducing the General Availability of a new security update status dashboard providing centralized visibility into update compliance across Windows Clients, Windows Servers, and Microsoft 365 Apps. The dashboard provides a clear, current view for leadership, backed by current data — without switching between multiple reports or tools. The dashboard surfaces: Visibility into which devices are current on quality and feature updates, which are falling behind, and where remediation gaps exist across your Intune-managed estate The data needed to prioritize action, track progress across deployment rings, and help demonstrate a more accurate compliance posture Insight to where exposure is critical and needs immediate attention Four ways to shrink your vulnerability window The dashboard delivers visibility. The capabilities below help you act on it. 1) Windows Autopatch: deploy updates at scale with control Windows Autopatch manages update orchestration through predefined deployment rings, releasing updates progressively across representative device groups so that quality and security updates reach broad production populations only after passing validation in pilot environments. IT teams shift from manually coordinating deployment schedules each month to focusing on policy and exception management while Windows Autopatch handles sequencing, scheduling, and rollout logic. When critical vulnerabilities emerge, expedited update deployment allows devices to advance more quickly through the rollout process, providing security teams with an additional lever for reducing time-to-secure when AI-driven discovery shortens the window between disclosure and exploitation. 2) Hotpatch updates: Windows updates without the reboot Even when updates deploy rapidly, protection is not realized until a device restarts, and users routinely defer reboots for hours or days. Hotpatch updates for Windows reduces this gap by applying supported security updates to in-memory processes without requiring frequent restarts. Eligible Windows 11 Enterprise devices can reach a protected state immediately after installation, helping reduce the vulnerability window. Operationally, hotpatch updates shifts the restart requirement from monthly update to a smaller number of planned baseline updates per year, enabling organizations to deploy critical fixes without the productivity impact of forced restarts. You can enable hotpatch updates through quality update policies in Intune on supported systems. In addition, with Autopatch update readiness, IT admins can better anticipate when planned quality or feature updates won’t reach a device, understand Autopatch and hotpatch enrollment coverage, and quickly identify blockers to bringing devices into a ready state. 3) Microsoft 365 Apps patching: keep Office and other apps current in lockstep The Microsoft 365 Apps admin center includes Inventory and Cloud Update, giving administrators visibility into update status across connected devices by update channel so they can quickly spot systems missing the latest security updates and track progress. When an accelerated response is required, teams can tighten deadlines and move from staged rollout to immediate enforcement by removing waves, deferrals, or exclusion windows that may delay availability for specific groups, especially where channel divergence or scoped targeting leaves devices outside policy. Because expedited servicing reduces time for testing across diverse configurations, Cloud Update controls such as pausing a deployment or rolling back an update help mitigate risk while closing security gaps quickly. 4) Server updates: Configuration Manager or Azure Arc to accelerate compliance and operational workloads For organizations managing servers, Configuration Manager helps streamline the identification, packaging, and assignment of security updates (for example, with Automatic Deployment Rules) based on classification and severity. Cloud-based sourcing through the Microsoft Update service can prevent deployment failures in distributed environments, while maintenance windows let you pre-stage updates for highly available systems and install them during defined downtime intervals - achieving compliance without unplanned service interruptions. For server estates that are Arc-enabled, you can also use Azure Arc to extend visibility and management across hybrid and multicloud infrastructure. If you need even deeper coverage and insight, consider integrating Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management (MDVM) to enrich update posture with vulnerability intelligence and prioritize remediation based on real exposure. Using update currency as an enforcement signal Deploying updates is half the job. Verifying they land - and holding the line when they don't - is the other half. Intune compliance policies let you define minimum OS build numbers, required update levels, and grace periods. Devices that fall out of compliance are flagged automatically. Paired with Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access, update currency can become a condition of access - checking that only current, healthy devices connect to corporate resources. This turns update posture into an enforceable control, not just a reporting metric. Actions you can take today The increasing use of AI in vulnerability discovery, combined with a rapidly evolving threat landscape, underscores the importance of taking proactive security measures. Here are actions you can take today: Assess. Open the new security update status dashboard and know the baseline of your fleet. See how many Windows devices are behind on feature releases, quality updates, and Microsoft 365 Apps patches. Automate. Configure Windows Autopatch for ring-based deployment, enable hotpatch updates on eligible devices, and set Microsoft 365 Apps servicing profiles. Enable expedited updates so you can respond to critical vulnerabilities quickly. Enforce. Pair compliance policies with Conditional Access. Make being current a condition of access to corporate data. Monitor. Review the dashboard weekly. Investigate deployment failures promptly and deploy proactive remediations to clear blockers. Communicate. Share dashboard trends with security leadership and application owners. When stakeholders see the data, update compliance becomes a shared priority, not just an IT burden. Evolve. Revisit your deployment rings, deferral windows, and compliance thresholds quarterly. Use failure patterns from the dashboard to refine your approach and evaluate Windows Autopatch for a fully managed experience that scales with your organization. Every day a device remains out of date is potential exposure to unnecessary vulnerabilities. Intune gives you the tools, and now the visibility, to get current, stay current, and defend your organization at the speed the threat landscape demands. Closing Reducing exposure starts with knowing where you stand. The security update status dashboard in Intune provides a single place to understand update status across Windows devices and Microsoft 365 Apps, helping you identify lagging systems and prioritize action. Make the dashboard part of your regular operational rhythm: review it, act on the gaps it surfaces, and track progress over time. With the right visibility and tooling, staying current becomes repeatable - not reactive. Feature availability varies by license. Learn more about plan details and requirements here. Read the latest Microsoft Security blog to learn how turning AI‑driven discovery into protection at scale can help secure your estate in an AI‑driven threat landscape. Get started with Microsoft Secure Now for guidance in assessing risk and take recommended actions.Best practices for securing Microsoft Intune
Microsoft Intune gives IT and security teams a powerful way to manage endpoints at scale - deploying apps, enforcing security baselines, and configuring the settings that keep users productive and your organization protected. That’s why strong admin protections matter, so the right people can make the right changes, in the right scope, with the right safeguards. In this post, we’ll walk through three practical approaches to strengthen Intune protections: Start with least-privilege, designing roles around real admin jobs Embrace phishing-resistant authentication and privileged access hygiene, leveraging Microsoft Entra capabilities to reduce account and token compromise Enable Multi Admin Approval in Intune for sensitive changes Below we outline how to put each approach into practice. 1) Start with least-privilege: design roles around real admin jobs Least-privilege works best when it’s grounded in how your team operates. As a best practice, don’t grant more administrative access than a role truly needs. In Intune, role-based access control (RBAC) lets you tailor permissions and scopes so teams can run day-to-day operations with the minimum set of permissions required, nothing more. Microsoft Entra ID roles that have access to Intune, such as Global Administrator and Intune Administrator, are considered privileged roles with broad permissions in Intune. The use and assignment of privileged roles should be limited and not used for daily administrative tasks within Intune. Least-privilege is about limiting both the actions an admin can take and the users/devices those actions can be applied to. In Intune RBAC, scope tags enable you to constrain an admin’s visibility and actions to a defined set of users and devices - for example, only the devices assigned to a specific region, business unit, or platform team. When implementing RBAC policies, limit both the actions and users/devices an admin has permissions over. Call to action: Treat Intune administration as a set of job-specific roles, not a blanket entitlement. Inventory who has Intune Administrator, Global Administrator, or other high-impact roles, then remove broad assignments that don’t map to a named job function. Leverage Intune built-in role definitions for common personas (Help Desk Operator, Application Manager, Endpoint Security Manager, Read Only Operator) and standardize assignments. Create custom roles for ultimate least-privilege control. Implement scoped administration (scope groups and scope tags) for business units, regions, or platform teams, and validate that admins can only affect resources within their assigned scope. Adopt time-bound privilege elevation such as Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for admin roles and require reauthentication on elevation and sensitive operations. 2) Embrace phishing-resistant authentication and privileged access hygiene The security objective is straightforward: privileged access should be hard to obtain and hard to reuse. Microsoft Entra ID capabilities (Conditional Access, phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA), risk signals, and privileged access controls) provide the policy engine that governs who can administer Intune, from where, and under what conditions. Call to action: Every privileged Intune action (Intune RBAC Role Management, device wipe, script deployment) should require strong, policy-verified sign-in, not just a password. Create Conditional Access policies dedicated to privileged roles and admin portals (Intune, Microsoft Entra, and related admin endpoints): require phishing-resistant authentication only, require a compliant device, challenge high-risk users or sign-ins, and restrict access by location or trusted network where feasible. Reduce or eliminate policy exclusions. Eliminate standing access by using Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management to assign time-bound roles based on conditions and approval steps, including restricting access to who can administer and assign permissions to apps. Move privileged accounts to phishing-resistant authentication methods and disable weaker methods for those accounts and through policy (see Plan a phishing-resistant passwordless authentication deployment). Establish privilege admin workstations with higher security baselines and use them for Intune high privilege admin accounts. Operationalize your token theft response plan by investigating risky sign-ins and unusual admin activity in Microsoft Defender XDR with signals from Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and Microsoft Defender for Endpoints. Adopt a defense‑in‑depth strategy to reduce the risk and impact of token theft (see Protecting tokens in Microsoft Entra). 3) Multi-admin approval in Intune for sensitive changes Multi Admin Approval introduces a practical governance control: selected Intune changes require a second authorized admin to review and approve before deployment. This is enforced for both Intune admin center actions and actions performed through Intune APIs. Multi Admin Approval reduces the risk that a single action can result in tenant-wide impact. Call to action: Require a second approval for high-impact Intune workflows (such as Intune RBAC role management, device wipe, and script deployment) to add an additional safeguard and help contain potential tenant wide impact. Decide which change types require approval - start with high-impact changes such as Intune RBAC role management and device wipe. Then, add access policies for changes that affect authentication, compliance, security baselines, or broad assignment scopes. Define approver roles and coverage (who can approve, SLAs, and what happens during incidents). Document an emergency/break-glass path with explicit post-change review, so speed doesn’t erase governance. How these measures add up to strong administrative protections When combined, these practices help you shift from relying on “trusted administrators” toward building a more protected administration by design: least-privilege to contain impact, Microsoft Entra-based controls to ensure users are trusted and are who they say they are, and multi-admin approval to govern the changes that matter most. These practices help organizations advance safer speed, clearer separation of duties, stronger audit readiness, and more resilient endpoint operations. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are a few quick steps: start with a quick wins pass - inventory broad, standing Intune role assignments and replace them with least-privilege RBAC roles; enforce Conditional Access and adopt phishing-resistant multifactor authentication for all admin scenarios; and place Intune RBAC role management, device wipe, script deployment behind multi-admin approval.Support tip: Aligning network policy with Microsoft Intune and Zero Trust
By: Jon Callahan – Sr Product Manager | Microsoft Intune Cloud services don’t just rely on the network. They redefine it. As organizations adopt Microsoft Intune and advance their Zero Trust strategies, many discover that traditional, perimeter-based architectures no longer align with modern security expectations or the connectivity needs of a distributed workforce. Zero Trust is built on the principle of "never trust, always verify,” where access decisions are enforced through identity, device health, and compliance signals. Microsoft Intune strengthens this model by extending security and management through the cloud. By removing dependencies on on-premises infrastructure, it strengthens network resilience and Zero Trust enforcement with policy-driven device management and secure connectivity to Microsoft endpoints. This is where friction occurs. Traditional enterprise networks were built around a castle-and-moat model of perimeter defense: build high walls around the perimeter and trust everything inside, rather than identity-based access. Centralized egress points, VPNs, proxy servers, and deep packet or TLS inspection worked well when apps, data, and users stayed inside the moat. Today, work and data are everywhere. Legacy network designs often force traffic into hairpinned routes (indirect paths through central gateways) that add latency, reduce performance, and increase management overhead for Intune, Microsoft 365, and other SaaS apps. The challenge deepens when network teams try to maintain allow lists for cloud services using static IP addresses. Microsoft’s endpoint IPs can change frequently, especially with CDN-backed services like Intune and Microsoft 365, to strengthen security, improve resilience, and scale globally. This is why Microsoft recommends domain-based egress policies, frequent updates based on the published endpoint lists, and bypassing SSL inspection for Microsoft-bound traffic that doesn’t support inspection. Enabling cloud services The shift to hybrid work environments shows the limits of perimeter-based networks. Users expect fast and reliable access to their apps and data whether at home, in the office, or on the go. To support this shift, organizations need to modernize their network architecture and policies. Local internet egress and optimized paths to trusted services like Intune are essential. Policies built on Zero Trust and cloud-native principles help ensure performance and security. In contrast, controls such as VPN-only access, TLS inspection, or centralized proxies often slow users down and block required endpoints. When networks get in the way, the impact is noticed: Device check-ins and compliance evaluations fail, leaving devices marked as non-compliant Enrollments stall or time out Apps download slowly, fail to update, or never install When these failures occur, users often blame Intune or their IT admins, even when the real issue is network policies. In a Zero Trust model, network policy works alongside identity and device-based signals to enforce access decisions. Network policy should enable cloud services, not obstruct them. Adopting cloud-native connectivity and Zero Trust enforcement protects users, devices, and data while improving reliability and user experience. This approach aligns with Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative (SFI) and the principle of “Secure by Design,” which extend Zero Trust principles into the foundation of how services are built and operated. As part of this effort, Intune service endpoints are moving to Azure Front Door to enhance security, reliability, and performance while simplifying firewall management across Microsoft services. For details on required IP addresses and endpoints, see Support tip: Upcoming Microsoft Intune network changes. Outbound traffic management Aligning network policies with Zero Trust and cloud-native architecture can require trade-offs. Outbound traffic management is critical for Intune’s performance, but organizations differ in their compliance needs and tolerance for complexity. Below are three common models we see with our customers. Endpoint enforced access This model eliminates perimeter bottlenecks by moving enforcement closer to the user, device, and apps, which is the core of Zero Trust. Enforcement happens at the endpoint through identity, compliance, and device health signals, while the network provides fast, direct internet access with minimal restrictive filtering. Best for: Organizations ready to adopt a Zero Trust network architecture built on Intune and identity-driven signals, or those with minimal outbound filtering requirements. How to implement: Policy-based enforcement and compliance: Intune enforces and validates device health and measures device compliance and app protection policies for Microsoft Entra Conditional Access Identity-driven enforcement: Microsoft Entra Conditional Access evaluates signals such as user identity, device compliance, and risk level before granting access to cloud resources Threat protection: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint monitors device risk and blocks compromised endpoints from accessing cloud resources; enforce the built-in firewall on Windows and macOS devices Bypass traffic inspection: Don’t decrypt or inspect Intune and related Microsoft traffic using technologies like proxies, TLS inspection, deep packet inspection, or data loss prevention systems Use split-tunnel VPN and local internet egress: Route Intune and Microsoft 365 traffic locally to avoid unnecessary hairpinning Benefits: Establishes Zero Trust controls with identity, device, and threat-based enforcement Local internet egress and optimized paths to Intune and Microsoft 365 avoid latency and centralized paths No allow list or complex firewall rules to manage Avoids VPN, proxies, and TLS inspections and reduces the risk of interfering with user experience and device management failures This model requires strong endpoint management and identity controls to ensure Zero Trust enforcement. Domain enforced filtering When endpoint-only enforcement doesn’t meet your organization's requirements, Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) filtering offers a middle ground by adding network controls while staying adaptable to dynamic cloud services. This approach should be paired with endpoint enforcement to maintain a Zero Trust architecture. Best for: Organizations that need outbound restrictions for compliance, while maintaining reliability and flexibility in cloud services. How to implement: Use domain-based rules: Filter traffic by FQDN rules that rely on DNS to adapt to changing IP addresses and CDN-backed services. Leverage automation: Leverage the consolidated endpoint list, Azure Firewall service tags, or vendor tools to keep rules up to date. Bypass traffic inspection for trusted services: Avoid decrypting or inspecting Intune traffic, which can break certificate pinning and cause service failures. Resolve locally: Use local DNS and Internet egress so devices connect to the closest Microsoft endpoint. Benefits: Builds on endpoint enforced Zero Trust controls Easier maintenance than IP-based filtering Automatically adapts to Microsoft's dynamic, cloud-hosted services Reduces service disruptions when automated Aligns with most regulatory and compliance frameworks This model requires more robust network automation and may introduce additional processing overhead compared to endpoint-enforced access. Domain and IP enforced filtering This model combines FQDN-based rules with IP filtering for the strictest assurance. It provides maximum control but introduces the most overhead. Like domain enforced filtering, this too should be combined with endpoint enforcement to maintain a Zero Trust posture. Best for: Organizations in highly regulated industries that require dual enforcement with domains and IPs to meet strict audit and assurance needs. How to implement for Intune: Combine domain with IP rules: Use FQDN alongside IP address ranges to filter traffic. Automate aggressively: Leverage the consolidated endpoint list, Azure Firewall service tags, or vendor tools to keep rules up to date. Bypass traffic inspection for trusted services: Exclude certificate-pinned services from TLS inspection to avoid breaking Intune functionality. Optimize performance: Architect your network to use local DNS and internet egress so devices connect to the closest Microsoft endpoint. Benefits: Builds on Zero Trust with the strictest network controls Provides dual verification for outbound traffic Helps satisfy strict regulatory and compliance requirements This model introduces the highest administrative overhead and complexity to maintain. It’s also the most likely to cause performance issues and service disruptions if not properly automated. However, for organizations with strict regulatory requirements, these trade-offs may be necessary to meet compliance obligations. Extending with cloud-first controls While traditional network models address outbound traffic at the infrastructure layer, a Zero Trust approach uses cloud-native security tools that eliminate many of these challenges. Issues like hairpinning, brittle IP allow lists, TLS inspection conflicts, and complex firewall rules stem from applying perimeter-era tools to cloud-based services. Cloud-first network and security tools reduce friction and strengthen Zero Trust. Cloud-delivered secure web gateway (SWG): Provides secure access to internet and SaaS apps while protecting against internet threats, building on the capabilities of traditional proxies (Microsoft Entra Internet Access) Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Connects users securely from any device and any network without relying on VPNs or central tunneling (Microsoft Entra Private Access) Data loss prevention (DLP): Protects sensitive information across endpoints, Microsoft 365 apps, SaaS services, browsers, and on-premises file shares, with classification and policy enforcement (Microsoft Purview DLP) Cloud access security broker (CASB): Provides SaaS discovery, session control, and real-time policy enforcement (Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps) Managing outbound traffic for cloud services is about more than connectivity. It’s about aligning network policies so they enable cloud services and embrace Zero Trust principles like identity, device health, and compliance signals over legacy perimeter defenses. Microsoft Intune supports through policy-driven device management and security that reinforce Zero Trust and cloud-native adoption. The result is an architecture that secures your environment and delivers the reliability and user experience needed for today’s hybrid work. Resources Intune network endpoints US government network endpoints for Intune China endpoints for Intune Support tip: Upcoming Microsoft Intune network changes Microsoft 365 network connectivity overview Azure Front Door Azure service tags Microsoft Secure Future Initiative (SFI) Microsoft Zero Trust As always, if you have any questions let us know in the comments or reach out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam! Post updates: 11/06/25: Updated URLs for Automation category (see Domain-Enforced Filtering section).Upcoming changes to iOS/iPadOS Company Portal app deployment for Setup Assistant with modern auth
Learn more about plans to remove automatic deployment of the iOS/iPadOS Company Portal app as a required app for Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) Setup Assistant with modern authentication enrollment profiles.
