Intune is not only for managing workstations
Microsoft Intune makes it possible to deploy configurations, track device compliance and strengthen access control to Microsoft 365 resources. For an SME, it is often the most pragmatic way to regain control of a scattered estate: desktops in the office, laptops used for home working, devices renewed gradually.
The trap is wanting to configure everything at once. It is better to start with a minimal baseline that is measurable and bearable for users.
The baseline to enable first
Device compliance
Define what a device must meet to access resources: minimum version, encryption, antivirus protection, no jailbreak or root for mobiles, security status.
Conditional Access
Link Intune compliance to Microsoft Entra ID to restrict data access to known, compliant devices.
Encryption
BitLocker must be enabled and the recovery keys stored properly.
Updates
Windows Update for Business policies let you control deadlines, restarts and deployment rings.
Microsoft Defender
Antivirus, cloud protection, attack surface reduction and alerts must be consistent with the level of risk.
Security baselines
Microsoft's baselines provide a starting point, to be adapted so as not to break business usage.
Deployment method
Create a pilot group.
Apply one policy at a time.
Measure non-compliant devices.
Fix the causes: operating system too old, encryption missing, antivirus disabled, device not enrolled.
Document the exceptions.
Extend in waves.
The success of Intune depends as much on method as on technology. A policy that is too strict, applied too quickly, can block users and discredit the project.
An example eight-week sequence
For an SME with 20 to 50 workstations, a reasonable deployment usually follows this rhythm: two weeks for enrolment and the basic compliance baseline, two weeks of pilot on a small group with policy adjustments, two weeks of gradual extension by department or site, and two weeks of stabilisation with handling of exceptions and final documentation. This pace avoids the mass lock-out of users that often occurs when a strict policy is applied to the whole estate in one go.
The most common blind spot: devices without a policy
Intune holds an unpleasant surprise in its default settings, and audits of SME estates show that a large majority of tenants have never corrected it: the setting that marks devices with no compliance policy assigned as compliant remains active in most environments. In practice, this means that a machine never covered by an Intune policy is considered compliant by default and keeps its access to Microsoft 365 resources, exactly the opposite of the desired behaviour.
That is the paradox: many SMEs believe they are protected by Conditional Access without having checked this basic setting, which nonetheless determines whether a device completely outside Intune's reach can still access company data. It is one of the very first points to check during a deployment, even before building the compliance policies themselves.
Another recent development useful for more demanding environments: Intune now offers a STIG audit baseline, which assesses Windows workstations against the configurations recommended by US government security guides (STIG). For an SME this level of requirement generally exceeds the real need, but it illustrates the growing maturity of the compliance tools available beyond the standard baselines.
Why this minimal baseline really changes risk exposure
An estate without centralised policies depends entirely on the individual discipline of each user: postponed updates, antivirus disabled by mistake, encryption never turned on on a laptop. These gaps, invisible individually, collectively represent most of the entry points exploited during an incident. The minimal Intune baseline does not make your estate invulnerable, but it removes the variability that turns a single machine into the weak link of the information system.
The link with Zero Trust
In 2026, Intune compliance policies have become the operational foundation on which Zero Trust is enforced in Microsoft 365: they are the building block that allows Conditional Access to decide, in real time, whether a device deserves access to company resources. Without a correctly configured compliance policy, Conditional Access can only assess the user's identity, not the real security state of their device, which leaves a blind spot that an attacker with stolen credentials but operating from an unmanaged device can exploit.
What an SME should avoid
Leaving devices without a policy and treating them as compliant by default.
Creating too many contradictory profiles.
Deploying baselines without testing.
Forgetting external machines, contractors' devices or rarely connected devices.
Having no monitoring dashboard.
The case of personal devices
BYOD, the personal devices employees use for work, raises a particular question. They can perfectly well be brought into an Intune approach, but not with the same policies as company machines: imposing full encryption or complete control over an employee's personal phone soon runs into legal and human limits, in the European Union through the GDPR and employment law in particular. The right approach relies on separate, lighter profiles that check the essentials (system up to date, screen lock, no compromise) without turning the private device into a fully managed machine.
The challenge is to strike the right balance between protecting company data and respecting the employee's privacy. A BYOD policy that is too intrusive is rejected or circumvented; one that is too lax leaves uncontrolled access. It is a subject to frame explicitly, ideally documented and explained to teams, rather than left to chance.
Intune, a productivity tool as much as a security tool
Intune is often reduced to its security side, but its value is broader. The same tool that enforces compliance policies also deploys business applications across the whole estate in a single operation, prepares a new machine automatically for a new starter, keeps an up-to-date inventory of hardware and software, and lets users install approved applications themselves through self-service.
This dual role changes the economic equation. An investment often justified by security also makes day-to-day administration lighter, reduces manual interventions and saves time with every new machine. For an SME, this operational gain is not a secondary bonus: it is often what makes the project worthwhile beyond the compliance argument alone.
A baseline, then a management loop
Intune shows its full value when it stops being a one-off project and becomes a continuous management loop: compliance, patches, encryption, inventory, applications and alerts, tracked over time on a single dashboard. You start with a minimal, bearable baseline, extend it in waves, then keep it up. What matters is not having the strictest policy, but one that users accept and that holds over time: real, lived security is worth more than theoretical security that everyone works hard to get round. In this spirit, it is the natural complement to a Windows 11 migration and a Microsoft 365 modernisation.
SolidKern can support you, remotely, with the set-up and follow-up of Microsoft 365 and Intune, Windows 11 migration and Windows master image creation.
Sources: Microsoft Learn, Intune compliance policies · Microsoft Learn, Intune security baselines