Zero Trust Devices: Microsoft Intune & Defender for Endpoint

Module 6 concludes the core pillars of the Zero Trust learning path by focusing on Devices, a critical control point where access to resources is initiated. It underscores the necessity of applying the "Verify Explicitly" and "Assume Breach" principles to every endpoint within the organization, whether corporate-owned or personal (BYOD). The module emphasizes that no device should be implicitly trusted; instead, each must be verified for identity, assessed for health and compliance, and continuously monitored for threats before being granted access.

The module highlights the distinct yet complementary roles of two key Microsoft solutions:

Microsoft Intune (Device Management & Compliance): Intune is introduced as thecloud-based endpoint management solution central to establishing device trustworthiness. It enables comprehensive device enrollment across various platforms (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) and facilitates the deployment of granular configuration policies (e.g., enforcing encryption, minimum OS versions, firewall settings). Crucially for Zero Trust, Intune's compliance policies assess whether devices meet predefined security baselines (e.g., presence of antivirus, up-to-date patching). Devices failing these checks are marked as non-compliant, and this compliance status serves as a vital signal that can be leveraged by Conditional Access to dynamically block or limit resource access, ensuring only healthy devices connect.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (Endpoint Security & Threat Detection): While Intune ensures the health and configuration of devices, Defender for Endpoint (MDE) provides robust, active endpoint security, detection, and response (EDR) capabilities. MDE continuously monitors devices for suspicious activities, identifying and alerting on advanced threats like ransomware, file-less malware, and insider attacks. It includes features for threat and vulnerability management to reduce the attack surface, next-generation protection (antivirus/anti-malware), and automated investigation and remediation. The module explains how MDE can automatically contain threats, gather forensic data, and take remedial actions, significantly reducing manual effort and speeding up response times. Furthermore, MDE's integration within the broader Microsoft Defender XDR (Extended Detection and Response) suite provides a unified view of threats across identities, endpoints, email, and applications, enhancing overall security visibility and orchestration.

Together, Module 6 illustrates how Intune and Defender for Endpoint form a powerful synergy: Intune ensures devices are securely configured and compliant before access, while MDE continually protects them from threats and responds to incidents during and after access. This dual approach ensures that only healthy, compliant, and actively monitored devices are allowed to interact with corporate resources, fully embodying the "Verify Explicitly" and "Assume Breach" tenets of Zero Trust.