Conditional Access is the most powerful security feature in Microsoft Entra ID. With the right policies, you can block attacks automatically without disrupting employee productivity. These are the best practices for 2026.
If there is one security feature that every organisation using Microsoft 365 should enable, it is Conditional Access. Yet many tenants still operate without it or with poorly configured policies. That is a missed opportunity, because Conditional Access is the most effective way to stop identity-based attacks.
Conditional Access is a policy engine in Microsoft Entra ID that evaluates every sign-in attempt to determine whether access should be granted. The decision is based on signals including the user's identity, the device being used, the location of the sign-in, the application being accessed and the risk level of the sign-in attempt.
Based on these signals, Conditional Access can grant access, block access, require multi-factor authentication, require a compliant device, or restrict a session. All of this happens in real time, with no noticeable delay for the user.
First: require MFA for all users across all cloud applications. This is the single highest-impact measure you can take. More than 99 percent of compromised accounts did not have MFA enabled, according to Microsoft. Configure this as a baseline for the entire organisation.
Second: block legacy authentication protocols. Protocols such as SMTP AUTH, POP3 and IMAP do not support MFA and are a commonly exploited attack vector. Block these protocols via Conditional Access unless there is a specific business need.
Third: require a compliant device for access to sensitive data. Combine Conditional Access with Intune compliance policies so that only devices with current patches, encryption and antivirus protection can access SharePoint, Teams or business-critical applications.
Fourth: use risk-based policies. With Microsoft Entra ID Protection, you can incorporate the sign-in risk level into Conditional Access decisions. A sign-in attempt from an unfamiliar country or using a leaked password automatically triggers MFA or blocks the session.
Fifth: block access from high-risk locations. Configure named locations for your offices and remote workers, and require additional verification for sign-in attempts from outside these known locations.
The most common mistake is failing to exclude emergency access accounts from all Conditional Access policies. Always maintain two break-glass accounts that are excluded from MFA requirements, with their credentials stored offline in a secure location. Without these accounts, a misconfiguration could lock you out of your own tenant.
Another frequent mistake is skipping Report-only mode when enabling new policies. Always enable new policies in Report-only mode first to understand the impact before enforcing them.
Want to have your Conditional Access configuration reviewed or built from scratch? Zarioh Digital Solutions can help. Contact us for an Entra ID security assessment.
