Microsoft Intune: A Comprehensive Overview
What is Intune?
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based solution that enables businesses to manage and secure endpoints such as Windows PCs, Macs, iOS, Android, and other devices from a single console. It provides comprehensive device management capabilities, including device enrollment, application management, compliance policies, and data protection. Microsoft Intune has emerged as an obvious choice for many businesses due to its features and seamless integration with other Microsoft technologies. In this article, we will go through an overview of Microsoft Intune, covering its features, benefits, and best practices for implementation.
Endpoint management isn’t something that has grown out of the popularity of cloud computing and has been around for many years, in fact Microsoft’s offering was called System Center Configuration Manager or SCCM for short, and was released in the mid 1990’s. SCCM still exists today but is now part of the Intune brand and is simply referred to as Configuration Manager. SCCM was a powerful tool that allowed IT administrators to not only manage endpoint security domain control and user accessibility, but also had the ability to deploy large files and OS deployments on an Enterprise scale and when Intune was first introduced, these last two features were exclusive to SCCM. However in recent years Microsoft have unified the offerings and all these features are now leveraged as part of the Intune suite under the title of Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which encompasses the best of both worlds.
As part of the Microsoft cloud ecosystem, Intune integrates with other Azure services, enabling businesses to leverage the full capability of Azure for comprehensive endpoint management. For example, organisations can use Azure AD for device authentication and authorisation, which provides a single sign-on (SSO) experience for users across devices and applications. Intune also integrates with Azure Information Protection (AIP) for data classification and protection, allowing businesses to enforce data protection policies on endpoints. It also seamlessly integrates with Windows Autopilot, a service that simplifies device provisioning and deployment. Autopilot allows IT administrators to configure devices with predefined policies and settings, making it more efficient to provision new devices. Autopilot also enables zero-touch deployment, removing the need for IT administrators to physically handle devices during the provisioning process. This streamlines the device onboarding process, and ensures devices are configured according to organisational policies.
One of the challenges any business faces when moving to a cloud-based endpoint management solution like Intune is the migration of Group Policy Objects (GPOs) from their on-premises Active Directory to Intune policies. Thankfully Microsoft has simplified this process to ensure that the migration process is as simple as possible. Using a backup of their GPO’s, an IT administrator can import via the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin console and from there quickly identify the policies that are compatible with Azure AD . It’s recommended to import each GPO separately as this allows the user to spot any incompatibilities they might face when importing from on-prem to Azure.
Endpoint security is crucial for any business and Intune provides a host of security features to protect both data and devices. By utilising the Zero Trust strategy, Intune can enable businesses to enforce security policies such as verify explicitly, use least privilege access & assume breach. In addition Intune’s security node enables you to enforce features and functionality such as device encryption, password complexity, integration with Microsoft Defender, and ensure that devices are compliant with the companies security standards. Intune also provides conditional access policies, allowing businesses to control access to corporate resources based on factors such as device compliance, user location, and network conditions.
Intune has a whole host of automation capabilities via its API, allowing businesses to automate device management tasks and integrate Intune with other systems. Businesses can utilise PowerShell scripts, Graph API, and other automation tools to create, update, and delete devices, applications, and policies in Intune. Naturally Intune supports a wide range of platforms, including Windows PCs, Macs, Linux, as well as iOS devices, and Android devices. This makes it a versatile solution for organisations with a diverse range of endpoint devices. With Intune, IT administrators can manage and secure devices running different operating systems from a single console, simplifying endpoint management and ensuring consistent policies across devices.
To make the most of Intune, businesses should always follow best practices to optimise their endpoint management. These include defining clear policies and settings that align with organisational requirements, regularly reviewing and updating policies to ensure they are up-to-date and relevant, using conditional access to enforce security measures and ensure only compliant devices access company resources, leveraging automation and APIs to automate tasks and streamline workflows, and monitoring devices for compliance and security to proactively identify and address any issues. Additionally, regular training and education for IT staff on Intune features and capabilities are essential to ensure optimal use of the platform.
Summary
Microsoft Intune is one of the leading cloud-based endpoint management solutions that offers automation via API integration, autopiloting devices, but also offers key features to optimise management tasks, enhance security, and increase productivity. By following best practices and leveraging the seamless integration with other Microsoft products, any business can effectively manage their endpoints and ensure a secure and productive environment. In comparison to other cloud providers, Intune stands out with its wide range of capabilities and comprehensive features.
