Microsoft Intune
In short
Intune is Microsoft's device management service. It makes sure only known, up-to-date and encrypted devices reach company data — and that company data can be wiped remotely when a laptop goes missing. It is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
Why it usually sits unused
Because it comes with the subscription and nobody goes looking for it. Intune ships inside Business Premium but does almost nothing at factory settings. Present is not the same as switched on.
The difference only shows on a bad day. Without Intune a lost laptop is a data loss. With Intune it is a damaged asset.
What it actually controls
Three things: which device gets in at all, what condition it has to be in, and what happens to the data when it leaves the company. Encryption, screen lock, an operating system that is current.
It does not only cover company hardware. For personal phones there is a lighter path that governs the work data and leaves the rest of the device alone — in practice the precondition for staff agreeing to it.
The mistake that costs most
Switching everything on at once. Enable every rule on Monday, lock half the staff out on Tuesday, turn it all off again on Wednesday. After that the subject is dead for two years.
The workable route runs the other way: one rule, one week, one group. The next one follows only once the first runs without complaints.
How we handle it
We enable rules in the order that gives the most protection per unit of friction, and we say out loud what each rule costs in daily use. A security control that blocks work gets worked around.
Scope and approach: Modern Workplace and Microsoft 365.
Related terms
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