In today’s threat landscape, cybercriminals are getting smarter, and phishing attacks are more sophisticated than ever. Attackers use tools like Evilginx to bypass traditional security measures by stealing session tokens, or they simply export cookies from browsers on a compromised device, and they can impersonate users without ever needing their passwords or MFA codes. Possibly resulting in data dumps or invoice fraud.

But what if there was a way to render these attacks completely useless?

This is where Entra ID & Conditional Access with Intune Compliance Enforcement come in—providing an ironclad security posture that ensures your workforce operates within a trusted environment while keeping attackers at bay.

What is an Intune Compliant Device?

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based endpoint management solution that allows us to enforce that only secure and compliant devices can access corporate resources. A device is considered Intune-compliant when it meets the security policies defined by IT administrators. These policies typically include requirements such as device encryption, password complexity, OS version updates, antivirus protection, and threat detection.

Compliance status is enforced across Microsoft 365, and any federated third-party applications—providing granular control over which devices can access emails, files, and other corporate data. Intune integrates with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to detect security risks, enabling automated responses like blocking or quarantining non-compliant devices.

What Happens If a Device is Non-Compliant?

If a device does not meet compliance policies, access to corporate resources is restricted or denied based on the organization’s enforcement rules. Depending on the compliance policy:

✅ The device may be quarantined until the issue is resolved.
✅ Access to company apps like Outlook, OneDrive, and Teams is automatically blocked.

With Conditional Access in Entra ID, IT teams can configure policies to limit access based on factors like device compliance, location, risk level, and sign-in behavior—ensuring that only trusted devices and users can access critical business resources.

In short? If a device doesn’t meet compliance, it’s locked out—keeping your data secure.

Why Should You Enforce Intune Compliance?

1. Guaranteed Security Standards (Drive Encryption, Firewall, AV/EDR, etc.)

Unlike unmanaged devices, which could be running outdated software or missing security patches, Intune-compliant devices must meet strict security baselines before they are granted access. These include:

✅ Full Disk Encryption (BitLocker for Windows, FileVault for macOS) to prevent data theft.
✅ Firewall enforcement to block unauthorized network traffic.
✅ Antivirus & Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)—ensuring that even sophisticated malware gets detected and neutralized.
✅ OS and Patch Management—forcing regular updates to keep security flaws patched.

2. Phish-Resistant User Sessions – Making Evilginx Useless

Attackers use advanced phishing kits like Evilginx to intercept and hijack user sessions, which renders regular MFA useless. However, with Intune Compliant Devices, users hitting an Evilginx-phishing page will not be compromised because:

• Session tokens are tied to device compliance. Even if an attacker steals a user’s session, they won’t be able to use it unless they are on a compliant device.
• Continuous Conditional Access Checks. Microsoft 365 enforces real-time device compliance, so if an attacker tries to authenticate from an unknown device, access is blocked instantly.

In other words, even if a user is tricked into entering their credentials, attackers are shut out due to device-based access controls.

3. InfoStealers: The Hidden Danger of Unmanaged Devices

A growing number of cyberattacks are leveraging info-stealing malware to bypass security controls. InfoStealers are designed to extract sensitive data directly from a user’s system, including:

• Saved passwords from browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.).
• Session tokens and cookies—allowing attackers to hijack accounts without needing MFA.
• Stored credentials for applications like VPNs, email clients, and corporate portals.

If an unmanaged device is compromised, attackers can extract browser session tokens, which effectively bypass MFA and give them full access to accounts and company data. Once a session is stolen, the attacker can access emails, cloud files, and even sensitive company resources—without triggering any MFA requests.

Intune prevents this risk by enforcing strict endpoint security policies, ensuring that only compliant, secure, malware-free devices can access corporate systems.

4. Secure Third-Party Applications Federated on Top of M365

Many organizations rely on third-party applications such as Salesforce, AFAS, QuickBooks, and Slack. Traditionally, these applications have their own authentication mechanisms, often leading to security gaps. However, by federating them with Microsoft 365 using SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) or OAuth 2.0, organizations can enforce the same security policies, MFA requirements, and Conditional Access rules as they do for M365.

When third-party applications are federated with Microsoft 365 using SAML or OAuth, users benefit from a seamless single sign-on (SSO) experience. This means they can access all their work applications—such as Salesforce and Slack—using their Microsoft 365 credentials, eliminating the need to manage separate accounts and passwords. In contrast, using separate accounts for each app creates password fatigue, increases the risk of credential reuse, and leaves security gaps that attackers can exploit. By federating third-party apps with M365, organizations extend the same security policies across all platforms, ensuring phishing-resistant authentication, automated session revocation, and a frictionless user experience without compromising security.

🔐 Benefits of Integrating Third-Party Apps with SAML/OAuth:

• ✅ Third-party applications inherit Microsoft 365 security policies.
• ✅ Phishing attacks are neutralized since attackers cannot bypass compliance-based authentication.
• ✅ Session hijacking is prevented by enforcing Conditional Access and device compliance.
• ✅ One unified identity across all enterprise applications, reducing security fragmentation.

By enforcing SAML or OAuth authentication through Entra ID, companies ensure that every service—whether Microsoft or Third-Party—is protected under the same stringent security standards, while having one unified user experience.

5. Zero Trust: If It’s Not Trusted, It’s Blocked

The Zero Trust model is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. Intune helps implement Zero Trust by ensuring:

🚫 No managed device = No access
🔍 Continuous evaluation of device health and security posture
⚠ Immediate quarantine of compromised devices

In contrast, allowing unmanaged devices in your environment is equivalent to leaving the doors wide open for attackers.

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Enforce Intune Compliance Today

Organizations that fail to enforce Intune compliance are exposing themselves to data breaches, ransomware, and account takeovers. Cybercriminals constantly evolve their tactics, and one of the most dangerous threats today is info-stealing malware.

Key Takeaways:

• ⚠ Unmanaged devices are a security liability
• 🛡 Phishing-resistant sessions are the new standard
• 🔑 Conditional Access + Intune makes third-party apps safer
• 🚨 Compromised devices allow attackers to steal session tokens—including MFA-secured ones—bypassing authentication entirely

By mandating Intune-compliant devices, you ensure that every login, every session, and every device accessing your data is secure—leaving attackers locked out for good.

If you’re serious about securing your organization, enforce Intune device compliance today. Your security depends on it.

Read more about our Microsoft 365 recommendations in this blog: Microsoft 365 Security / Necessities / Checklist – Prof-IT