Remote and hybrid working isn’t a trend anymore – it’s just how business is done.
Staff work from home, client sites, co-working spaces, trains, airports and sometimes places you’d rather not know about. Laptops, mobiles and tablets are everywhere. And they’re all touching your company data.
If you’re a small or medium business in the UK that runs on Microsoft 365, you’ve probably asked yourself:
“How do we keep all these devices secure without locking everyone down so tightly they can’t do their jobs?”
That’s exactly where Microsoft Intune comes in.
In this article, we’ll explain what Intune is in plain English, how it helps secure your remote and hybrid workers, and how a Microsoft-focused MSP like Ash Bee Cloud can help you get it right.
What Is Microsoft Intune (In Plain English)?
Let’s skip the product-speak.
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service that lets you:
See which devices are accessing your company data
Apply security and compliance rules to those devices
Push apps and updates to them
Wipe business data if a device is lost, stolen or a user leaves
It works with:
Windows laptops and desktops
macOS
iOS and iPadOS
Android devices
Instead of hoping that everyone’s laptop is up to date and secure, Intune gives you centralised control, especially useful when people are rarely in the same physical office.
The Problem: Remote Work Without Intune
Without a proper device management solution like Intune, most businesses end up with something like this:
Users working on unpatched laptops with outdated software
People saving data locally with no idea where it’s backed up
Staff accessing email and files on personal phones with no control if they leave
Devices that still have access to your data even after someone moves on
No visibility of who’s compliant, who’s secure and who’s a problem waiting to happen
From a cyber security and compliance perspective, it’s a headache. From an operational point of view, it’s a time bomb.
How Microsoft Intune Helps Secure Remote & Hybrid Workers
Let’s break down how Intune addresses real-world risks for SMBs.
1. Enforcing Device Compliance Policies
With Intune, you can set device compliance policies that define what “a safe device” looks like in your business.
For example, you can require:
A PIN or password on all devices
Disk encryption (e.g. BitLocker on Windows) so data isn’t readable if a device is stolen
Antivirus and endpoint protection to be enabled
A minimum operating system version (no ancient, vulnerable builds)
If a device doesn’t meet your rules, it’s marked as non-compliant – and that’s where the next part kicks in.
2. Combining Intune with Conditional Access
Intune becomes even more powerful when paired with Conditional Access in Entra ID (Azure AD).
You can set policies like:
Only allow access to Microsoft 365 (email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive) from compliant devices
Block or challenge sign-ins from unknown locations or risky sign-ins
Require MFA for certain apps or groups
That means:
A random, unmanaged laptop trying to sign in? Blocked.
A device that’s fallen behind on patches? Limited or refused access until it’s sorted.
Instead of trusting any device that has the correct username and password, you’re looking at user + device + context. That’s a big step towards a Zero Trust model.
3. Centralised App Deployment & Updates
Remote and hybrid teams often struggle with:
Inconsistent software versions
People installing whatever they like
Security updates being ignored
With Intune, you can:
Push required apps (e.g. Microsoft 365 Apps, security tools, line-of-business apps)
Keep them updated, without relying on users to do it
Block or uninstall unwanted or high-risk applications
That keeps your environment more secure and your support desk quieter.
4. Protecting Data on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Many businesses allow staff to use personal phones and tablets to access work email, Teams and files. It’s convenient, but risky if unmanaged.
Intune supports both:
Mobile Device Management (MDM) – managing the whole device (good for company-owned)
Mobile Application Management (MAM) – controlling only the business apps and data (ideal for personal devices)
With MAM, you can:
Require a PIN for the Outlook or Teams app
Block copy/paste from business apps to personal apps
Wipe company data from the device if the user leaves – without touching personal photos, messages or apps
That’s a big win for both security and staff privacy.
5. Remote Wipe & Lost Device Protection
If a device used by remote staff is lost or stolen, Intune allows you to:
Remotely wipe the device (for corporate-owned)
Or remotely wipe just the work profile / business data (for BYOD where supported)
Combined with encryption, this greatly reduces the risk of a lost laptop or phone becoming a data breach incident.
6. Smooth Onboarding with Windows Autopilot
For remote and hybrid staff, getting a new laptop set up can be painful if it has to come to the office or via IT first.
With Windows Autopilot + Intune, you can:
Ship a device directly from a supplier to the user
When they sign in, the device automatically enrolls into Intune
It pulls down your policies, apps and settings
Within a short time, they’re up and running on a compliant, secured build
This is particularly useful when you’re hiring in different locations or supporting remote-first roles.
Example: Before & After Intune in a UK SMB
Before Intune
25 staff, mix of office and home-based
Devices bought ad-hoc over several years
Some laptops encrypted, some not
People using personal phones for email with no controls
No central visibility of who’s compliant or even what’s out there
If a device is lost? Hope and guesswork.
After Intune (and Entra ID policies)
All company-owned devices enrolled in Intune
Standard security baseline (encryption, PIN, antivirus, patching)
Conditional Access blocks non-compliant devices from accessing Microsoft 365
BYOD policy in place for mobiles and tablets
IT (or Ash Bee Cloud) can see at a glance the compliance state of the device estate
If a device is lost? It’s encrypted, and you can remotely wipe work data.
How Intune Fits into Your Wider Microsoft 365 Security Strategy
Microsoft Intune is one part of a broader Microsoft 365 security stack. It works best when combined with:
Entra ID (Azure AD) – for identity, groups and Conditional Access
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint – endpoint detection and response
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 – email and collaboration protection
Secure Score – to measure and improve your security posture
Microsoft 365 backup – to ensure data can be recovered if all else fails
Intune focuses on the device and app layer, making sure that only healthy, policy-compliant devices are allowed to access your cloud services.
How Ash Bee Cloud Helps UK SMBs Implement & Manage Intune
As a Microsoft-focused MSP, Ash Bee Cloud helps small and medium businesses across the UK design, roll out and manage Intune & device management as part of a wider security strategy.
Typically, our process looks like this:
1. Discovery & Assessment
We review:
What devices you have (types, OS, ownership)
How staff currently access Microsoft 365 and other systems
What security controls you already use (if any)
Any compliance/regulatory requirements
2. Policy & Architecture Design
We design:
Device compliance baselines
Configuration profiles (Wi-Fi, VPN, security settings, etc.)
App deployment strategy
Conditional Access rules linking device compliance to access
Separate policies for corporate vs BYOD devices
3. Pilot & Rollout
We:
Run a pilot group first (small subset of users/devices)
Refine settings based on real-world usage
Roll Intune out to the wider organisation in controlled phases
Document processes for onboarding and leavers
4. Ongoing Management & Support
As part of our managed IT and security services, we:
Monitor device compliance and remediate issues
Adjust policies as your business changes
Support new device onboarding and user moves
Provide reporting for management and auditors
When Should You Consider Intune for Your Business?
You should seriously consider Intune if:
You have remote or hybrid staff accessing Microsoft 365
Staff use a mix of company-owned and personal devices
You’re unsure which devices are encrypted or up to date
You already pay for Microsoft 365 Business Premium or similar (Intune is often included)
You want to move towards a Zero Trust, security-by-design model
In other words: if you care about keeping control of your data without forcing everyone back into a single office, Intune is worth a look.
Ready to Bring Your Devices Under Control?
Unmanaged devices are one of the biggest blind spots in modern SMB security – especially with remote and hybrid work now the norm.
Microsoft Intune gives you the tools to fix that, and a Microsoft-first MSP like Ash Bee Cloud gives you the expertise to do it properly.
If you’d like to:
Understand where you stand today with devices and access
See what Intune and Conditional Access could look like in your business
Build a realistic roadmap for securing your remote workers
Then it’s probably time for a conversation.
Next steps:
👉 Learn more about our Microsoft Intune & Device Management services
👉 Explore our Bee Secure and Bee Elite packages on the Pricing page
👉 Or book an Intune & Device Management Assessment via our Contact page
So your team can work from anywhere – and you can still Bee Secure, Bee Connected, Bee Confident.
