Quick Wins: Why Your Organization Should Adopt Microsoft Intune Security Tasks Today

Quickly remediating vulnerabilities is no longer just an optional extra - Its an expectation.

Organizations can no longer afford to take a passive approach to vulnerability management. Quick remediation is not just a best practice—it's an expectation. Yet, without the right tools in place, security teams often struggle with delays in turning threat insights into actionable remediation steps.

By integrating Microsoft Intune with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, organizations can close the gap between vulnerability discovery and resolution by using automated security tasks. This integration improves operational efficiency, strengthens security posture, and enables teams to remediate vulnerabilities with speed and accuracy.

From Discovery to Resolution – Streamlining Remediation

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint continuously scans and assesses Intune-managed devices, identifying vulnerabilities in real time. Security Tasks simplify this process by automatically generating actionable tasks based on these findings. With clear guidance, IT teams can move directly from detection to remediation without unnecessary manual overhead.

How the Integration Supports Faster Response

1. Defender for Endpoint Identifies Vulnerabilities – Continuous assessment detects potential threats.

2. Security Tasks Are Created Automatically – Only vulnerabilities with direct remediation paths generate security tasks in Intune.

3. Admins Review and Execute Tasks – IT teams accept tasks and follow step-by-step remediation guidance.

4. Status Updates Sync Across Intune and Defender – Every action is tracked, ensuring visibility and accountability.

This automated flow reduces time to resolution, eliminates guesswork, and ensures vulnerabilities are addressed quickly before they become high-risk security incidents.

Finding and Managing Security Tasks in Defender for Endpoint

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint continuously scans devices to identify vulnerabilities, providing security admins with real-time visibility into potential risks. Within the Defender XDR, security teams can review endpoint vulnerabilities and create Security Tasks that are then managed through Microsoft Intune.

How Security Tasks Are Created and Found

Once Defender for Endpoint detects a vulnerability, it assesses whether remediation through Intune is possible. Only vulnerabilities that support direct remediation within Intune trigger the creation of Security Tasks.

Security admins can find these tasks by navigating to:

• Threat & Vulnerability Management > Remediation Tasks within Defender for Endpoint.

• Reviewing identified vulnerabilities, categorized by severity and remediation type.

• Security Tasks then appear in Microsoft Intune admin center, where IT admins can take action.

Each Security Task contains the following details:

• Remediation Type – Application-based or configuration-based security issue.

• Priority – Defines urgency for remediation.

• Status – Pending, Accepted, Completed (or Rejected), depending on task progression.

• Steps for Remediation – Clear guidance for IT admins on how to resolve the issue.

Once a Security Task appears in Microsoft Intune, admins have the option to accept or reject the task. For accepted tasks, remediation is carried out according to the provided guidance. Once remediation is successful, the task is marked as Complete, updating its status in both Defender for Endpoint and Intune.

Types of Security Tasks

Each security task falls into one of two categories based on the type of remediation required:

Application Remediation

When Defender for Endpoint detects a vulnerability in an application, a task is created to resolve the issue.

• Example: Defender flags a security risk in Anto Media Player v4, which is unmanaged.

• The Intune admin follows the remediation instructions to update or install a secured version of the app.

Configuration Remediation

Security tasks may also require modifications to configuration settings.

• Example: Devices lack protection against Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA).

• The admin configures the Microsoft Defender Antivirus profile to enforce security policies.

If Intune doesn’t support a direct remediation method, Defender for Endpoint does not generate a security task, meaning admins must look for alternative resolutions.

Common Security Task Remediation Actions

Once a security task is accepted, IT admins can deploy remediation using one or more of the following actions:

• Block an application to prevent execution.

• Deploy an update to mitigate vulnerabilities.

• Apply an endpoint security policy for system-wide protection.

• Modify registry values to enforce configuration changes.

• Enable or disable security settings to address vulnerabilities.

• Mark tasks as “Require Attention” when manual remediation steps are necessary.

Workflow Example – Application Vulnerability Remediation

Following is an example of how a security task progresses from detection to resolution:

1. Detection: A Microsoft Defender for Endpoint scan finds a vulnerability in Anto Media Player v4, an unmanaged application.

2. Security Task Creation: Defender for Endpoint generates a Security Task instructing admins to update the app.

3. Task Appears in Intune: The task is marked as Pending in the Intune admin center.

4. Admin Review: The Intune admin views the task details and selects Accept, updating the task to Accepted in both consoles.

5. Remediation Actions: The admin follows instructions—updating managed apps directly via Intune or providing text-based remediation steps for unmanaged apps.

6. Task Completion: Once the vulnerability is resolved, the admin marks the task as Complete, updating the status in both Intune and Defender for Endpoint.

7. Final Confirmation: Security admins verify the revised status, ensuring remediation is successful.

Operational Flow – How Organizations Can Get Started

For organizations that have not yet implemented Security Tasks, structuring the right teams and workflows is essential.

Team Roles & Responsibilities

• Security Admins: Responsible for monitoring vulnerability data in Defender for Endpoint and creating security tasks.

• Intune Admins: Accept and remediate security tasks within the Intune admin center.

• Help Desk & Support Teams: Assist with manual interventions where automated remediation is not possible.

For organizations integrating Microsoft Intune Security Tasks, having a clear division of responsibilities ensures efficient remediation.

Security Admins

Primary Role: Monitor vulnerabilities and initiate Security Tasks.

Key Responsibilities:

• Continuously assess threat and vulnerability data in Defender for Endpoint.

• Create security tasks based on priority and severity.

• Track remediation progress across IT teams.

• Ensure compliance with security policies and best practices.

Intune Admins

Primary Role: Accept, execute, and update remediation tasks within Intune.

Key Responsibilities:

• Review security tasks in the Intune admin center.

• Deploy patches, security policies, and configuration updates.

• Mark tasks as complete once remediation is verified.

• Provide feedback to Security Admins for improved workflows.

Helpdesk & Support Teams

Primary Role: Assist users with remediation tasks requiring manual intervention.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide support when remediation actions affect end-user experience.

• Troubleshoot technical issues related to security policies or updates.

• Escalate non-standard cases to IT Admins for resolution.

• Communicate security updates and guidelines to affected users.

Why Organizations Should Adopt Security Tasks Now

If you're not yet convinced, let me round out the why's:

• Faster Security Incident Response – Automated task generation removes bottlenecks.

• Improved Visibility Across IT and Security Teams – Real-time updates ensure accountability.

• Reduced Risk Exposure – Faster remediation prevents vulnerabilities from becoming attack vectors.

• Centralized Management with Intune and Defender XDR – Simplifies tracking and workflow coordination.

By adopting this structured approach, security teams can act faster, streamline their processes, and strengthen their overall security posture.

I hope that this gives you the insights and evidence to adopt Security Tasks within your organization.

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Use Intune to remediate vulnerabilities found by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Microsoft Learn Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management | Microsoft Learn

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