Conditional Access and Zero Trust

Conditional Access and Zero Trust for Microsoft 365

Passwords alone do not protect your business. Conditional Access makes sure only the right people, on the right devices and from the right places, can open your data.
  • GCIT ISO 27001 certification badgeISO 27001 certified
  • Microsoft Solutions Partnerfor Modern Work
Brendan Ramstadius, Senior Technician, wearing a headset at his desk in the GCIT office

Six policies that decide who gets in

Conditional Access is the core of Microsoft’s Zero Trust model. We set it up as a full framework, not just a few basic policies.

Location-based access

Stops staff signing in from overseas unless you have approved it

We set trusted locations with named locations and IP checks, and block or challenge sign-ins from unexpected countries. Our travelling user automation flags impossible travel. See what staff see when they are blocked overseas.

  • Microsoft Entra ID
  • Named locations

Device compliance

Only work devices you manage can open company data

Intune compliance policies check encryption, operating system updates and security settings before a device is allowed in.

  • Microsoft Intune

Risk-based policies

Suspicious sign-ins are challenged or blocked automatically

Entra ID Protection scores each sign-in in real time using Microsoft’s threat intelligence. A high-risk sign-in triggers a multi-factor challenge or a block.

  • Microsoft Entra ID Protection

App protection

Company data stays out of personal apps on staff phones

Intune App Protection Policies control which apps can open company data on personal devices, and stop it being copied into apps you do not manage.

  • Microsoft Intune

Privileged access

Admin rights switch on only when needed, then switch off again

Just-in-time admin access through Privileged Identity Management. Admin roles are switched on only when needed, for a set time, and every use is audited.

  • Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management

Legacy authentication

Closes an old back door attackers use to skip MFA

Older sign-in protocols that bypass multi-factor sign-in are blocked. Our Exchange Best Practice automation enforces this for every business we manage.

  • Microsoft Entra ID
  • Exchange Online

We do not set and forget

Our automation keeps checking your Conditional Access set-up, so a gap is found and fixed before anyone uses it.
  • Policy coverage reportingChecks that every user, app and sign-in scenario is covered by the right Conditional Access policy.
  • Travelling user detectionImpossible travel alerts and policy enforcement for people signing in from unusual places.
  • Policy behaviour reportingShows which policies are triggering, which are being bypassed and where the gaps are.
  • Tenant security confirmationChecks that every GCIT security standard is still in place for every business we manage.
GCIT PowerShell console on an engineer's screen in the GCIT office

Most identity attacks are simple password attacks

Conditional Access is the foundation of Zero Trust identity security. This is what Microsoft found in 2025.
More than 97%of identity attacks were password spray or brute force attacksMicrosoft Digital Defense Report 2025, April to June 2025
Over 99%of unauthorised access attempts are blocked by multi-factor authentication, even when the attacker has a valid username and passwordMicrosoft Digital Defense Report 2025, July 2024 to June 2025

That is why we enforce multi-factor sign-in with Conditional Access, rather than leaving it optional. See the chart and sources on our Microsoft 365 security page.

“Dan from GCIT was all over it and had it enabled in minutes.”
Rob McDougallSystems and Compliance Coordinator, Southpac International Group

Travel access changed in minutes

When a Southpac team member’s international travel plans changed at the last minute, we had their access reconfigured in minutes. Southpac has worked with us for more than 10 years.

Read the Southpac story

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Fixes our team wrote

Sign-in and Conditional Access guides written by our team. Free to use, whoever looks after your IT.

See all our knowledge base articles

Conditional Access questions

Conditional Access is the part of Microsoft Entra ID that decides whether a sign-in is allowed. It checks who is signing in, on which device, from where and how risky the sign-in looks, then allows it, asks for multi-factor sign-in or blocks it.

Zero Trust means no sign-in is trusted just because the password is right. Every request is checked against the person, the device and the location before it reaches your data. Conditional Access is how Microsoft 365 puts that into practice.

Conditional Access needs Microsoft Entra ID P1, which is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3 and E5. Risk-based policies need Entra ID P2, which comes with Microsoft 365 E5 or as an add-on.

It can, because sign-ins from countries you have not approved are blocked. Tell us before the trip and we will add a travel exception for the dates. Our guide to error 53003 when travelling explains what staff will see.

No. It decides when multi-factor sign-in is required and what else must be true, such as a compliant device. Together they stop most attacks that rely on a stolen password.

Reviewed by Elliot Munro, CISO at GCIT.

Implement Zero Trust for your business

We will review your current access controls and show you how Conditional Access can reduce your risk. No cost, no obligation.
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm Queensland and NSW time.
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