Best Practices for Conditional Access

Best Practices for Creating Conditional Access Policies

1. Test Policies in Report-Only Mode First

Before fully enabling any policy, start in Report-only mode. This allows you to see how the policy will behave without enforcing it, preventing disruptions to user access.

2. Exclude Break-Glass Accounts

Always exclude at least one emergency account (often called a break-glass account) from Conditional Access policies. This ensures administrators can access the environment in case of a misconfiguration or emergency.

3. Target Specific Groups for Early Testing

Instead of applying a new policy to all users right away, test the policy with a small group of users first. Once you verify that the policy works as expected, you can roll it out to larger groups.

4. Layer Policies for Maximum Security

Apply multiple Conditional Access policies for different user groups, applications, and access scenarios to create layered security. For example, apply stricter policies to high-privilege accounts like Global Administrators.

5. Review and Update Policies Regularly

Conditional Access policies should be reviewed periodically to ensure they align with the organization's evolving security needs and compliance requirements.