Essential Intune Configurations for Every SMB

Empowering Your SMB with Essential Intune Configurations

Microsoft Intune offers a powerful suite of tools to manage and secure devices within your small or medium-sized business (SMB) efficiently. While many organizations explore advanced features, establishing a strong foundation with essential configurations is paramount. This guide outlines the default Intune configurations every SMB should have, focusing on security, compliance, and user experience without relying on Security Baselines.

1. Device Enrollment Restrictions

Controlling which devices can access your corporate resources is the first line of defence. Implement enrollment restrictions to ensure only compliant and managed devices are integrated into your environment.

Settings to Configure:

• Device Platform Restrictions: Restrict enrollment to specific operating systems (e.g., Windows, iOS/iPadOS, Android Enterprise) and minimum/maximum OS versions.
• Device Limit Restrictions: Define the maximum number of devices a user can enroll.
• Personally Owned Device Restrictions: Decide whether to allow personally-owned devices (BYOD) and, if so, how to manage them (e.g., block personally-owned Android devices).

Practical Tip: Start by allowing only corporate-owned devices if your business model permits, then gradually introduce BYOD with strict compliance policies if necessary.

2. Compliance Policies

Compliance policies are crucial for maintaining device health and security. They define the conditions devices must meet to be considered compliant, which can then be enforced by Conditional Access policies.

Key Compliance Settings:

• Require a password to unlock mobile devices: Enforce strong passcodes with minimum length, complexity, and expiration settings.
• Require an expiration for passwords: Set a password expiration period to encourage regular password changes.
• Encrypt data storage on devices: Ensure all managed devices have disk encryption enabled (e.g., BitLocker for Windows, FileVault for macOS, full disk encryption for Android).
• Require an anti-malware solution: Verify that an approved anti-malware solution is running and up-to-date.
• Require devices to be at or under a specific threat level: Integrate with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or other Mobile Threat Defense partners to assess and enforce threat levels.
• Require minimum/maximum OS versions: Ensure devices are running supported and secure operating system versions.

Practical Tip: Regularly review and update your compliance policies to align with evolving security threats and corporate standards.

3. Configuration Profiles

Configuration profiles allow you to manage settings and features on devices without user intervention. These are fundamental for standardizing device configurations and enhancing security.

#### a. Endpoint Security

Focus on robust security configurations to protect against various threats.

Recommended Settings:

• Antivirus: Configure Microsoft Defender Antivirus settings, including real-time protection, cloud-delivered protection, and scan schedules.
• Firewall: Enforce Windows Defender Firewall rules to control network traffic.
• Disk Encryption (BitLocker/FileVault): Ensure encryption is mandated and recovery keys are securely stored.
• Attack Surface Reduction Rules: Implement rules to prevent common attack techniques.
• Account Protection: Configure Windows Hello for Business, credential guard, and other authentication-related settings.

#### b. Device Restrictions

Control device functionality to enhance security and user productivity.

Essential Restrictions:

• Prevent USB removable storage access: Restrict the use of USB drives to prevent data exfiltration and malware introduction.
• Disable camera/microphone on corporate devices: If not required for business operations.
• Require automatic screen lock/inactive time: Enforce an inactive timeout before the screen locks.
• Disable consumer features: Restrict access to consumer-oriented apps or services that are not business-relevant.

#### c. Update Rings for Windows 10 and Later

Manage how and when Windows updates are deployed to maintain security and stability.

Key Settings:

• Servicing channel: Choose between Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) or Semi-Annual Channel.
• Feature update deferral period: Control when feature updates are installed.
• Quality update deferral period: Control when quality updates are installed.
• Automatic update behaviour: Configure how updates are downloaded and installed (e.g., auto-install and reboot at a specified time).

Practical Tip: Create different update rings for pilot users, early adopters, and broad deployment to test updates before widespread release.

4. App Protection Policies (for BYOD scenarios)

If you allow personally-owned devices, App Protection Policies (APP) are vital for safeguarding corporate data within managed applications, even if the device itself isn't fully managed by Intune.

Crucial APP Settings:

• Require PIN for app access: Protect corporate data within an app with a unique PIN.
• Encrypt corporate data: Ensure data saved within the app is encrypted.
• Prevent 'Save As' to unmanaged locations: Block users from saving corporate data to personal cloud storage or local device storage.
• Restrict cut, copy, paste within apps: Prevent data leakage by limiting data transfer between managed and unmanaged apps.
• Block screen capture within apps: Prevent sensitive information from being captured.

Practical Tip: Clearly communicate the benefits of App Protection Policies to users, emphasizing data security for the business and privacy for their personal data.

5. Conditional Access Policies

Conditional Access is the ultimate control plane, enforcing your device compliance and app protection policies. It ensures that only trusted users on compliant devices using approved applications can access your corporate resources.

Foundational Policies to Implement:

• Require multi-factor authentication for all users: A non-negotiable security measure.
• Require compliant device: Block access to corporate resources from non-compliant devices.
• Require approved client app or app protection policy: Enforce the use of managed apps with APP for mobile devices.
• Block legacy authentication: Prevent older, less secure authentication protocols.

Practical Tip: Implement Conditional Access policies in "report-only" mode first to understand their impact before enforcing them. Phased rollout is recommended.

Conclusion

Establishing these essential Intune configurations provides a robust foundation for managing and securing your SMB's digital environment. By focusing on device enrollment, compliance, configuration profiles, app protection, and Conditional Access, you can significantly enhance your security posture, improve operational efficiency, and ensure business continuity. Regularly review and adapt these settings as your business evolves and new threats emerge to maintain an optimal and secure IT landscape.