Listen to this Post
Introduction:
The foundation of any effective endpoint management strategy lies not in reactive troubleshooting, but in proactive, data-driven visibility. Without the correct diagnostic and inventory policies in place from day one, your Microsoft Intune tenant is essentially flying blind—losing critical insights into update compliance, device health, hardware readiness, and application security. Deploying the right configuration baseline is the cybersecurity equivalent of turning on your security cameras and sensors before opening the doors for business.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the role of telemetry, health monitoring, and hardware/app inventory in achieving full endpoint visibility.
- Learn how to configure and deploy four essential Intune configuration policies via the Microsoft Intune admin center.
- Identify methods for verifying policy application, viewing collected data, and automating policy management using PowerShell and Microsoft Graph API.
You Should Know:
- Unlock the Full Picture with the “Big Four” Configuration Policies
The LinkedIn post by Devang Jethwa, a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, outlines four foundational policies that should be deployed to “All Devices” before any other configuration in a new Intune tenant. These policies form the bedrock of operational intelligence and security compliance.
First is Policy A: Diagnostic Data & Telemetry, which is the prerequisite for Windows Update for Business (WUfB) Reports and Endpoint Analytics. Without the proper telemetry level, you simply will not get the data needed to track update compliance and device health. Next, Policy B: Windows Health Monitoring feeds Endpoint Analytics with critical data on startup performance, app reliability, and proactive remediation, allowing you to identify slow boot times or app crashes before users complain.
Then we have Policy C: Enhanced Hardware Inventory via the Properties Catalog. Default Intune hardware data is very limited; this unlocks detailed information like BIOS version, TPM status, disk type, battery health, and memory—all essential for lifecycle planning, security compliance, and Windows 11 readiness checks. Finally, Policy D: Enhanced App Inventory replaces the older “Discovered Apps” with faster, richer data including install paths, app sizes, and uninstall commands. This is vital for identifying outdated or risky software across your fleet.
Step-by-step guide to create these policies:
- Diagnostic Data & Telemetry Policy: Sign into the Microsoft Intune admin center. Navigate to Devices > Configuration profiles > Create profile. Select Windows 10 and later as the platform, and Settings catalog as the profile type. In the settings picker, search for “AllowTelemetry”, set it to 1 (Required), and search for “ConfigureTelemetryOptInSettingsUx” and set it to Disable opt-in.
- Windows Health Monitoring Policy: Go to Reports > Endpoint Analytics > Settings > Intune data collection policy > Create. Select Windows 10 and later, then Templates > Windows health monitoring. Under Configuration Settings, set Health monitoring to Enable and Scope to Endpoint analytics.
- Enhanced Hardware Inventory (Properties Catalog) Policy: Navigate to Devices > Configuration profiles > Create profile. Choose Windows 10 and later and then Properties catalog. On the Configuration settings page, click Add properties and select the advanced hardware attributes you wish to collect, such as BIOS version, TPM status, disk information, and memory details.
- Enhanced App Inventory Policy: Go to Devices > Configuration profiles > Create profile. Select Windows 10 and later and then Properties catalog. In the settings picker, search for and select ”Discovered Apps” or the newer App Inventory options to configure collection of install paths, app sizes, and uninstall commands.
- Verify the Data Is Flowing with Resource Explorer and Log Analytics
Creating and assigning these policies is only half the battle. You must also verify that data is being successfully collected to ensure your visibility is complete. The LinkedIn post emphasizes that without these policies, you are “missing informational data”. After deploying these policies and allowing devices to sync (or forcing a sync from the Company Portal app), you can view the collected intelligence.
For hardware and app inventory, the primary tool is Resource Explorer. Navigate to Devices > Windows > select a specific device > Monitor > Resource Explorer. Here, you will find detailed categories for hardware and discovered applications. For telemetry and health data, the data is visualized in Endpoint Analytics (Reports > Endpoint Analytics) and WUfB reports (which require a linked Azure Log Analytics workspace).
Step-by-step guide to verification:
- To view collected hardware inventory: In the Intune admin center, go to Devices > Windows > select a target device > under Monitor, click Resource Explorer.
- To verify telemetry data flow for WUfB: In the Azure portal, open your linked Log Analytics workspace. Go to Logs and run a simple KQL query:
UCClient | take 10. If you see results, telemetry data is being successfully ingested.
- Automate Compliance and Hardening with Security Baselines and PowerShell
Visibility should be the precursor to action. Once your policies are in place, the next step is to enforce security configurations. Intune security baselines are pre-configured groups of Windows settings that help you apply and enforce recommended security configurations, such as automatically enabling BitLocker for removable drives and requiring passwords. For organizations requiring high assurance, CIS (Center for Internet Security) Level 1 baselines provide a robust standard, focusing on system-wide hardening including credential policies, boot time security, and disabling legacy access features. For large-scale management, automation is key. The Microsoft Graph API and PowerShell allow you to programmatically deploy profiles, assign policies, and generate reports, moving from manual clicks to infrastructure-as-code.
Step-by-step guide using PowerShell and Graph API:
- Install the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK: Run `Install-Module Microsoft.Graph -Scope CurrentUser -Force` in an elevated PowerShell session.
- Connect to Microsoft Graph with the required scopes: Execute
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "DeviceManagementConfiguration.ReadWrite.All", "Device.Read.All", "Group.ReadWrite.All". - List all existing device configuration profiles: Use the command `Get-MgDeviceManagementDeviceConfiguration` to get a list of all profiles in your tenant.
- Query devices by a specific category or label: Retrieve devices using a filter like
$devices = Get-MgDevice | Where-Object { $_.DeviceCategory -eq "Finance" }. You can then use this variable in scripts to assign policies to dynamic groups. -
The Stakes are Real: Hardening Intune is a CISA Priority
The urgency of deploying a strong configuration baseline extends beyond best practices. In March 2026, the U.S. medical technology firm Stryker Corporation suffered a cyberattack that disrupted its Microsoft environment. Following this incident, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an urgent alert urging organizations to harden their endpoint management systems. CISA explicitly recommends implementing Microsoft’s best practices for securing Intune, which align directly with the principles of least privilege, phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA), and zero trust. A poorly configured Intune environment is a prime target for attackers seeking to misuse legitimate management tools.
Step-by-step guide for security hardening:
- Implement Multi-Admin Approval (MAA): In the Intune admin center, go to Tenant administration > Access policies. Create a policy to require a second admin’s approval for high-impact actions like device wipes, script deployments, or RBAC changes.
- Enforce Phishing-Resistant MFA for all Admin Accounts: In Microsoft Entra ID, configure Conditional Access policies to require strong authentication, such as FIDO2 security keys or Certificate-based authentication, for all administrative roles.
- Configure a Security Baseline for Windows: Navigate to Endpoint security > Security baselines > Security Baseline for Windows 10 and later > Create profile. Review and deploy the settings which include credential guard, BitLocker, and Microsoft Defender configurations.
What Undercode Say:
- Visibility is Non-Negotiable: The core message is clear: you cannot secure or optimize what you cannot see. These four policies are not optional extras; they are the minimum requirement for any professionally managed Intune environment.
- Automation is the Scalability Multiplier: Manually clicking through the admin center for dozens of policies across hundreds of devices is inefficient and error-prone. Embracing PowerShell and the Graph API transforms endpoint management from a reactive chore into a proactive, automated discipline.
The analysis shows that the IT industry is increasingly recognizing that configuration is a continuous security control, not a one-time setup. The CISA alert post-Stryker has pushed endpoint management hardening from a best practice to a de facto requirement for regulated industries. Organizations that fail to adopt these foundational policies are not just missing out on data; they are actively expanding their attack surface and reducing their ability to respond to incidents.
Prediction:
In the next 12-18 months, we will see the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) directly into Intune’s policy recommendation engine. AI agents will analyze the data collected from your “Big Four” policies—telemetry, health, hardware, and app inventory—to automatically generate and propose granular, context-aware security and configuration baselines. This will move the industry from “describe your desired state” to “the system infers and enforces the optimal state,” fundamentally reducing the window between vulnerability discovery and automated remediation.
▶️ Related Video (74% Match):
🎯Let’s Practice For Free:
IT/Security Reporter URL:
Reported By: Devangjethwa Microsoftintune – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
🎓 Live Courses & Certifications:
Join Undercode Academy for Verified Certifications
🚀 Request a Custom Project:
Secure, high-velocity infrastructure and disruptive technological engineering. Contact our engineering team for high-tier development and proprietary systems:
[email protected]
