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Device Enrollment Manager (DEM) accounts in Microsoft Intune should never be standard admin accounts. Using admin accounts for DEM increases security risks, including unauthorized access, privilege escalation, and compliance violations.
You Should Know:
Risks of Using Admin Accounts for DEM
- Privilege Escalation: Compromising a DEM admin account can lead to full Intune control.
- Certificate Expiry Issues: Expired MDM certificates can force costly re-enrollment (as noted by Eric M.).
- Audit & Compliance Failures: DEM accounts should follow least privilege principles.
Secure DEM Account Best Practices
1. Use Dedicated DEM Accounts:
New-MsolUser -UserPrincipalName [email protected] -DisplayName "Intune DEM" -PasswordNeverExpires $true
2. Restrict Permissions:
Add-MsolRoleMember -RoleName "Helpdesk Administrator" -RoleMemberEmailAddress [email protected]
3. Enable MFA:
Set-MsolUser -UserPrincipalName [email protected] -StrongAuthenticationRequirements @{State="Enabled"}
4. Monitor DEM Activity:
Get-AzureADAuditSignInLogs -Filter "userPrincipalName eq '[email protected]'"
Linux/Mac Equivalent (for Hybrid Environments)
Check Azure AD sign-ins (via Azure CLI) az monitor activity-log list --filter "eventName.value eq 'SignInLogs'" --query "[?contains(userPrincipalName,'DEM_Account')]"
Windows Commands for DEM Troubleshooting
dsquery user -name DEM_Account Verify DEM account in AD certmgr.msc Check MDM certificate validity
What Undercode Say
Using admin accounts for DEM is a critical misconfiguration. Follow Microsoft’s Zero Trust guidelines:
– Enforce Conditional Access:
New-ConditionalAccessPolicy -Name "Block DEM Admin Access" -Users [email protected] -BlockAccess
– Automate Certificate Renewals:
Set-IntuneMdmAuthority -MdmAuthority "MicrosoftIntune" -ForceRenewal
– Log Everything:
journalctl -u intune --since "1 hour ago" Linux syslog alternative
Expected Output:
A secure DEM setup with:
- Dedicated non-admin accounts.
- MFA and conditional access.
- Automated certificate management.
Prediction
Increased adoption of Azure PIM (Privileged Identity Management) for DEM roles to enforce just-in-time access by 2025.
URLs (if needed):
References:
Reported By: Nathanmcnulty Using – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
