Microsoft Intune for Australian SMEs: what it does and how to deploy it
Insights & News Microsoft Intune for Australian SMEs: what it does and how to deploy it June 1, 2026 Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based device and application management service that lets businesses centrally enforce security policies, deploy software, and control access across all their staff devices. For Australian SMEs, Intune is the practical way to satisfy several Essential Eight controls without buying separate device management tools. Most Sydney businesses we work with use Intune to manage Windows laptops, Microsoft 365 apps, and the mobile devices their staff use to access work email. The licence usually comes bundled with Microsoft 365 Business Premium, which means many SMEs already own Intune without realising it. This guide explains what Intune actually does day-to-day, how it fits into a typical Australian SME security baseline, and what’s involved in deploying it properly. Key facts Microsoft Intune is Microsoft’s cloud-based device and application management service, formerly part of “Microsoft Endpoint Manager”. Intune is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium (AU$32.20 per user per month ex GST) and several Enterprise licences, so most SMEs on Business Premium already have it. Intune manages Windows 10/11, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices from a single web console. Intune satisfies several Essential Eight controls: application control, configuration of Microsoft Office macro settings, user application hardening, and restrict administrative privileges. A typical Australian SME rollout takes 3 to 6 weeks for 30 to 50 devices, including device enrolment, policy configuration, and Conditional Access integration. For unmanaged BYOD scenarios, Intune App Protection Policies can secure work data on personal devices without requiring full device enrolment, which keeps staff happy while protecting business data. What is Microsoft Intune and why does it matter for SMEs? Microsoft Intune is the management layer that sits between the IT administrator and the devices staff actually use. Without it, IT teams configure each laptop manually, hope staff remember to install updates, and have no centralised way to enforce security policies. With it, the same policies apply automatically to every enrolled device, updates are managed centrally, and a lost device can be wiped remotely from a web browser. For Australian SMEs, Intune matters for three specific reasons. First, regulatory pressure has shifted. The Privacy Act amendments and the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme mean that unmanaged staff devices accessing customer data create real legal exposure. Intune gives demonstrable controls. Second, the ACSC Essential Eight maturity model treats centralised device management as a baseline control, not an optional extra. Achieving even Maturity Level 1 across the Essential Eight is difficult without a device management platform. Third, hybrid work has changed the threat surface. Staff working from cafes, home offices, and the family lounge room cannot be defended with the same network-perimeter approach that worked when everyone was in the office. Intune solves the practical version of these problems: it lets a small IT team enforce security policy across a fleet of laptops and phones without manually touching each device. For a 30-person business, this is the difference between “we have security policies” and “we have security policies and we can prove they’re being applied”. What does Intune actually do day-to-day? The day-to-day capability of Intune breaks into four practical areas. Each one solves a problem most Australian SMEs have but haven’t necessarily articulated. Device enrolment and configuration. When a new laptop ships from the supplier, Intune can be configured so the device joins the company tenant automatically the first time the user signs in. Within minutes, the laptop has the company’s security policies, work apps, network settings, and access to Microsoft 365 services. The IT team doesn’t touch it. This is called Windows Autopilot for Windows devices, and the equivalent exists for Macs and mobile devices. Application deployment. Intune installs work applications on devices without IT staff visiting each user. Microsoft 365 apps, Teams, Adobe Reader, Chrome, line-of-business software. The user gets the apps automatically based on the groups they belong to in Entra ID. No more “have you installed Outlook yet” calls. Policy enforcement. This is where most of the security value lives. Intune enforces encryption (BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on Mac), enforces screen lock timeouts, prevents installation of unauthorised software, restricts which apps can access work email, and enforces Conditional Access policies that block sign-ins from suspicious locations. None of these require user action. They apply automatically and resist tampering. Compliance reporting and remote action. Intune shows which devices comply with policy, which don’t, and why. If a laptop is lost or a staff member leaves, the device can be remotely wiped (full reset or selective wipe of just work data) from a web browser. For unmanaged devices that staff use to access work email, App Protection Policies can selectively wipe just the work data without touching personal photos or apps. How does Intune fit into the Essential Eight? The ACSC Essential Eight is Australia’s baseline cybersecurity framework, and Intune contributes meaningfully to four of the eight controls. Understanding the mapping helps SMEs structure their Intune rollout against the right outcomes. Application control (Essential Eight #1). Intune can enforce app-installation restrictions on managed Windows devices, blocking executables from running unless they’re in an approved list. The full Maturity Level 2 implementation is non-trivial, but the Maturity Level 1 version (blocking executables from common user-writable directories) is straightforward. Configure Microsoft Office macro settings (#3). Intune deploys Office macro policies that block macros from internet locations and prevent users from changing the setting. This is the most impactful Essential Eight control to implement first, because Office macros remain a common malware delivery method. User application hardening (#4). Intune disables risky features in browsers and PDF readers (Flash, Java, ActiveX, JavaScript in PDFs), removes web advertising, and applies the ASD hardening guidelines automatically across the fleet. Restrict administrative privileges (#5). Intune enforces standard-user permissions on managed devices, removes local admin from regular accounts, and integrates with Privileged Identity Management for admin elevation. Combined with Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS), this control becomes genuinely enforceable rather than aspirational. Intune doesn’t cover
