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Levels of protection and configuration in Microsoft Intune

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Microsoft Intune gives admins the ability to create policies that are applied to users, devices, and apps. These policies can range from a minimum set to more secure or controlled policies. These policies depend on the organization needs, the devices that are used, and what the devices will do.

When you're ready to create policies, you can use the different levels of protection and configuration:

Your environment and business needs can have different levels defined. You can use these levels as a starting point and then customize them to fit your needs. For example, you can use the device configuration policies in level 1 and the app policies in level 3.

Choose the levels that are right for your organization. There isn't a wrong choice.

Level 1 - Minimum protection and configuration

This level includes policies that every organization should have, at a minimum. The policies in this level create a minimum baseline of security features and give users access to the resources they need to do their jobs.

Apps (level 1)

This level enforces a reasonable amount of data protection and access requirements, and minimizes end user disruption. This level ensures that apps are protected with a PIN & basic encryption, and runs selective wipe operations. For Android devices, this level validates Android device attestation. This level is an entry level configuration that provides similar data protection control in Exchange Online mailbox policies. It also introduces IT and end users to app protection policies.

In this level, Microsoft recommends you configure the following protection and access for apps:

  • Enable basic data protection requirements

    • Allow app basic data transfer
    • Enforce basic app encryption
    • Allow basic access functionality

  • Enable basic access requirements

    • Require PIN, face ID, and biometric access
    • Enforce supporting basic access settings

  • Enable basic conditional application launch

    • Configure app basic access attempts
    • Block app access based on jailbroken/rooted devices
    • Restrict app access based on basic integrity of devices

For more information, go to Level 1 basic app protection.

Compliance (level 1)

In this level, device compliance configures the tenant-wide settings that apply to all devices. You also deploy minimal compliance policies to all devices to enforce a core set of compliance requirements.

Microsoft recommends that these configurations be in place before you allow devices to access your organization's resources. Level 1 device compliance includes:

  • Compliance policy settings are a few tenant-wide settings that affect how the Intune compliance service works with your devices.

  • Platform-specific compliance policies include settings for common themes across platforms. The actual setting name and implementation can vary with the different platforms:

    • Require antivirus, antispyware, and antimalware (Windows only)
    • Operating system version
      • Maximum OS
      • Minimum OS
      • Minor and Major build versions
      • OS patch levels
    • Password configurations
      • Enforce lock screen after period of inactivity, requiring a password or pin to unlock
      • Require complex passwords with combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols
      • Require a password or PIN to unlock devices
      • Require minimum password length

  • Actions for noncompliance are automatically included with each platform specific policy. These actions are one or more time-ordered actions you configure. They apply to the devices that fail to meet the compliance requirements of your policy. By default, marking a device as noncompliant is an immediate action that comes with each policy.

For more information, go to Level 1 - Minimal device compliance.

Device configuration (level 1)

In this level, the profiles include settings that focus on security and resource access. Specifically, in this level, Microsoft recommends you configure the following features:

  • Enable basic security, including:

    • Antivirus and scanning
    • Threat detection and response
    • Firewall
    • Software updates
    • Strong PIN and password policy

  • Give users access to the network:

    • Email
    • VPN for remote access
    • Wi-Fi for on-premises access

For more information, go to Step 4 - Create device configuration profiles to secure devices and create connections to organization resources.

Level 2 - Enhanced protection and configuration

This level expands on the minimum set of policies to include more security and expand your mobile device management. The policies in this level secure more features, provide identity protection, and manage more device settings.

Use the settings in this level to add what you configured in Level 1.

Apps (level 2)

This level recommends a standard level of application protection for devices where users access more sensitive information. This level introduces app protection policy data leakage prevention mechanisms and minimum OS requirements. This level is the configuration that is applicable to most mobile users accessing work or school data.

In addition to Level 1 settings, Microsoft recommends you configure the following protection and access for apps:

  • Enable enhanced data protection requirements

    • Transfer organization related data
    • Exempt selected apps data transfer requirements (iOS/iPadOS)
    • Transfer telecommunication data
    • Restrict cut, copy, and paste between apps
    • Block screen capture (Android)

  • Enable enhanced conditional application launch

    • Block disabling application accounts
    • Enforce minimum device OS requirements
    • Require minimum patch version (Android)
    • Require Play integrity verdict evaluation type (Android)
    • Require device lock (Android)
    • Allow app access based on increased integrity of device

For more information, go to Level 2 enhanced app protection.

Compliance (level 2)

At this level, Microsoft recommends adding more granular options to your compliance policies. Many of the settings at this level have platform-specific names that all deliver similar results. The following are the categories or types of settings that Microsoft recommends you use when they're available:

  • Applications

    • Manage where devices get apps, like Google Play for Android
    • Allow apps from specific locations
    • Block apps from unknown sources

  • Firewall settings

    • Firewall settings (macOS, Windows)

  • Encryption

    • Require encryption of data storage
    • BitLocker (Windows)
    • FileVault (macOS)

  • Passwords

    • Password expiration and reuse

  • System level file and boot protection

    • Block USB debugging (Android)
    • Block rooted or jailbroken devices (Android, iOS)
    • Require system integrity protection (macOS)
    • Require code integrity (Windows)
    • Require secure boot to be enabled (Windows)
    • Trusted Platform Module (Windows)

For more information, go to Level 2 - Enhanced device compliance settings.

Device configuration (level 2)

In this level, you're expanding on the settings and features you configured in level 1. Microsoft recommends you create policies that:

  • Add another layer of security by enabling disk encryption, secure boot, and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on your devices.
  • Configure your PINs & passwords to expire and manage if/when passwords can be reused.
  • Configure more granular device features, settings, and behaviors.
  • Determine if any on-premises Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are available in Intune.

For more specific information on device configuration policies at this level, go to Level 2 - Enhanced protection and configuration.

Level 3 - High protection and configuration

This level includes enterprise-level policies and can involve different admins in your organization. These policies continue moving to password-less authentication, have more security, and configure specialized devices.

Use the settings in this level to add what you configured in Levels 1 and 2.

Apps (level 3)

This level recommends a standard level of application protection for devices where users access more sensitive information. This level introduces advanced data protection, enhanced PIN configuration, and app protection policy with Mobile Threat Defense. This configuration is for users that access high risk data.

In addition to level 1 and 2 settings, Microsoft recommends you configure the following protection and access for apps:

  • Enable high data protection requirements

    • High protection when transferring telecommunication data
    • Receive data from only policy managed apps
    • Block opening data into organization documents
    • Allow users to open data from selected services
    • Block unwanted partner or non-Microsoft keyboards
    • Require/select approved keyboards (Android)
    • Block printing organization data

  • Enable high access requirements

    • Block simple PIN and require specific minimum PIN length
    • Require PIN reset after number of days
    • Require class 3 Biometrics (Android 9.0+)
    • Require override of Biometrics with PIN after biometric updates (Android)

  • Enable high conditional application launch

    • Require device lock (Android)
    • Require max allowed threat level
    • Require Max OS version

For more information, go to Level 3 high app protection.

Compliance (level 3)

At this level, you can expand on Intune's built-in compliance features through the following capabilities:

  • Integrate data from Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) partner

    • With an MTD partner, your compliance policies can require devices be at or under a device threat level or machine risk score, as determined by that partner.

  • Use a non-Microsoft compliance partner with Intune.

  • Use scripts to add custom compliance settings to your policies for settings that aren't available from within the Intune UI. (Windows, Linux)

  • Use compliance policy data with Conditional Access policies to gate access to your organization's resources.

For more information, go to Level 3 - Advanced device compliance configurations.

Device configuration (level 3)

This level focuses on enterprise-level services and features, and can require an infrastructure investment. In this level, you can create policies that:

  • Expand password-less authentication to other services in your organization, including certificate based authentication, single-sign on for apps, multifactor authentication (MFA), and the Microsoft Tunnel VPN gateway.

  • Expand Microsoft Tunnel by deploying Microsoft Tunnel for Mobile Application Management (Tunnel for MAM), which extends Tunnel support to iOS and Android devices that aren't enrolled with Intune. Tunnel for MAM is available as an Intune add-on.

    For information, go to Use Intune Suite add-on capabilities.

  • Configure device features that apply to the Windows firmware layer. Use Android common criteria mode.

  • Use Intune policy for Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) to help secure the built-in local administrator account on your managed Windows devices.

    For information, go to Intune support for Windows LAPS.

  • Protect Windows devices using Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM). EPM helps you run your organization's users as standard users (without administrator rights) and enables those same users to complete tasks that require elevated privileges.

    EPM is available as an Intune add-on. For information, go to Use Intune Suite add-on capabilities.

  • Configure specialized devices like kiosks and shared devices.

  • Deploy scripts, if needed.

For more specific information on device configuration policies at this level, go to Level 3 - High protection and configuration.

Related article

For a complete list of all the device configuration profiles you can create, go to Apply features and settings on your devices using device profiles in Microsoft Intune.