Security Defaults vs Conditional Access: Choosing the Right Identity Security in Azure

Security Defaults are Microsoft’s out-of-the-box baseline protections like MFA and blocking legacy auth, with no customization.

Security Defaults are good for small organizationn.

Conditional Access policies, on the other hand, allow organizations to define granular access rules based on conditions such as user risk, device compliance, or location.

Conditional Access is better for enterprises needing tailored security.

Security defaults:

• Basic, free protection enabled by default
• Forces MFA for all users/admins
• Blocks legacy authentication
• Not customizable — all (or) nothing

Limitation of security defaults:

• Cannot target specific users, apps, or locations
• Doesn’t support text, call, or app-password-based MFA
• Conflicts with Conditional Access policies

Conditional access definition in simple line:

1. Signal-based access control (user, device, location,
2. app, risk)
3. Enforce MFA only when needed
4. Block or allow access based on real-time logic

Common Conditional Access Use Cases:

• Require MFA for admins
• Block legacy authentication
• Only allow compliant devices
• Restrict access by location (e.g. block India)