In plain English
Intune is how organisations ensure that every device connecting to corporate resources meets a minimum security standard — encryption enabled, OS up to date, antivirus active. Devices that don't meet the policy are blocked by Conditional Access until they comply or are remediated.
Full definition
Intune is Microsoft's cloud-based device management platform. It lets you define a minimum security standard for any device connecting to your organisation's resources, then enforce that standard automatically. A device that does not meet the policy is blocked by until it is brought into compliance or remediated. No manual checking required.
The controls you can enforce through Intune include:
- BitLocker on Windows devices and FileVault on macOS
- Minimum OS version requirements, blocking outdated systems from access
- Antivirus active and up to date, verified before granting access to email or
- Screen lock and PIN requirements on mobile devices
For bring-your-own-device environments, Intune supports a split approach: it manages only the work profile on , leaving personal apps and data untouched. If an employee leaves the organisation or a device is reported lost, the corporate data and applications can be wiped remotely without affecting personal content. That separation matters for businesses with obligations under the Australian Privacy Act, because it reduces the risk of inadvertently holding employee you did not intend to collect.