Intune 2026: Windows MDM baseline and STIG audit without losing control
How to use the 2026 Microsoft Intune and Entra ID updates to review Windows baselines, STIG audits, and conditional access with a practical SysAdmin approach.
In 2026, Microsoft Intune is becoming less of an "MDM panel" and more of a continuous control point for client posture. For those managing small businesses, Microsoft 365 tenants, or hybrid environments from an advanced homelab, the important news is not a single magic setting: it is the way Windows MDM baselines, STIG audits, and Entra ID controls are starting to close the loop between configuration, verification, and access.
The practical point is this: it is no longer enough to deploy a security baseline once and forget about it. Microsoft updates the baselines, some new settings are not automatically applied to profiles created before the update, and Intune is introducing audit controls closer to compliance language. If you don't have a process, after a few months the tenant looks "green" just because no one is looking at the right differences.
What changes for a small IT team
Windows MDM security baselines remain a good starting point because they gather reasonable settings for Defender, firewall, credential blocking, local privileges, browser, and attack surface. The risk, however, is treating them as a universal configuration. In production, they should be considered as templates: they are imported, tested on a pilot group, exceptions are documented, and then applied progressively.
In 2026, Microsoft also reports subsequent updates to the baselines. This detail is fundamental: a profile created months ago might not automatically include a new setting added by Microsoft. For a SysAdmin, this means that the monthly checklist must include comparing the published baseline with the actually assigned profiles. It is tedious, but it avoids discovering during an incident that a protection "present in the baseline" was actually not active on the devices.
The other interesting direction is the presence of a STIG audit baseline in Intune. It is not the same as saying "my environment is certified", but it is useful because it allows measuring Windows devices against recommended and stricter configurations. For SMBs and consultants, it is an excellent gap analysis tool: you don't have to apply everything blindly, but you can understand where the environment is weak and which deviations are motivated by real needs.
A sensible operational flow
I would avoid the "enable everything and then turn off what breaks" approach. On Windows managed by