Microsoft Entra ID

Secure agent users with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access

7 October 2026New feature+106 / −0 lines

In brief

A new guide explains how to apply Conditional Access to agents using their own user accounts, including policies for agent risk, compliant devices, and compliant networks. It also documents agent-specific targeting and prerequisites.

What Entra admins need to know

Existing policies targeting all users don't include agent user accounts. Administrators must target agent users separately and account for the documented licensing, role, device, and network requirements.

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title: Secure agent users with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access description: Learn how to configure Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies for agents that access resources through their own agent user accounts. author: gracenagy ms.author: gracenagy ms.service: entra-id ms.topic: how-to ms.date: 07/31/2026 ms.reviewer: kvenkit ms.custom: msecd-doc-authoring-1017 ai-usage: ai-generated

#customer intent: As an identity administrator, I want to protect agents that act as users so that their access follows agent-specific risk, device, and network policies.

Secure agents that act as users with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access

Use Conditional Access to protect an agent that accesses resources through its own agent user account. This access pattern supports agents that need a mailbox, access to chat, or the ability to participate in collaborative workflows as a team member.

In this access pattern, the access token's subject is the agent's user account. Conditional Access policies therefore target the agent's user account, not its agent identity.

Before you start, review the licensing, role, agent-user, device, and network requirements.

Prerequisites

A Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 license.
At least the Conditional Access Administrator role.
An agent user account linked to an agent identity.
For device compliance, an agent that runs on an Intune-managed Windows 365 Cloud PC for Agents.
For compliant network policies, a Global Secure Access client installed on the endpoint.

A policy that targets an agent identity doesn't apply to the agent's user account. If the agent also uses its own agent identity, create a separate policy for that access pattern. For more information, see Secure autonomous agents with Conditional Access.

Block risky agent user accounts

Create a policy that blocks agent user accounts when Microsoft Entra ID Protection detects medium or high agent risk. Agent risk is in Preview.

Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Conditional Access Administrator.
Browse to Entra ID > Conditional Access > Policies.
Select New policy.
Enter a name for the policy.
Under Assignments, select Users, agents or workload identities.
Under What does this policy apply to?, select Agents.
Under Include, select All agent users (Preview).
Under Target resources > Include, select All resources (formerly 'All cloud apps').
Under Conditions > Agent risk (Preview), set Configure to Yes.
Select Medium and High.
Under Access controls > Grant, select Block, and then select Select.
Set Enable policy to Report-only.
Select Create.

[!INCLUDE conditional-access-report-only-mode]

Require a compliant device

Use this policy for an agent that runs on a managed endpoint, such as a Windows 365 Cloud PC for Agents. The Agent execution environments (Preview) condition limits the policy to agent user sessions that start from endpoints. Agents that don't run on a device are excluded from evaluation.

Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Conditional Access Administrator.
Browse to Entra ID > Conditional Access > Policies.
Select New policy.
Enter a name for the policy.
Under Assignments, select Users, agents or workload identities.
Under What does this policy apply to?, select Agents.
Under Include, select All agent users (Preview).
Under Target resources > Include, select All resources (formerly 'All cloud apps').
Under Conditions > Agent execution environments (Preview), set Configure to Yes.
Under Include, select Agent user sessions initiated from endpoints.
Under Access controls > Grant, select Grant access.
Select Require device to be marked as compliant, and then select Select.
Set Enable policy to Report-only.
Select Create.

[!INCLUDE conditional-access-report-only-mode]

Require a compliant network

Use this policy for an agent that runs on an endpoint with the Global Secure Access client. The client provides the network location signal that Conditional Access evaluates.

Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Conditional Access Administrator.
Browse to Entra ID > Conditional Access > Policies.
Select New policy.
Enter a name for the policy.
Under Assignments, select Users, agents or workload identities.
Under What does this policy apply to?, select Agents.
Under Include, select All agent users (Preview).
Under Target resources > Include, select All resources (formerly 'All cloud apps').
Under Conditions > Agent execution environments (Preview), set Configure to Yes.
Under Include, select Agent user sessions initiated from endpoints.
Under Access controls > Grant, select Grant access.
Select Require compliant network, and then select Select.
Set Enable policy to Report-only.
Select Create.

[!INCLUDE conditional-access-report-only-mode]

Related content

@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@+---+title: Secure agent users with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access+description: Learn how to configure Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies for agents that access resources through their own agent user accounts.+author: gracenagy+ms.author: gracenagy+ms.service: entra-id+ms.topic: how-to+ms.date: 07/31/2026+ms.reviewer: kvenkit+ms.custom: msecd-doc-authoring-1017+ai-usage: ai-generated++#customer intent: As an identity administrator, I want to protect agents that act as users so that their access follows agent-specific risk, device, and network policies.+---++# Secure agents that act as users with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access++Use Conditional Access to protect an agent that accesses resources through its own agent user account. This access pattern supports agents that need a mailbox, access to chat, or the ability to participate in collaborative workflows as a team member.++In this access pattern, the access token's subject is the agent's user account. Conditional Access policies therefore target the agent's user account, not its agent identity.++Before you start, review the licensing, role, agent-user, device, and network requirements.++## Prerequisites++- A Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2 license.+- At least the [Conditional Access Administrator](../role-based-access-control/permissions-reference.md#conditional-access-administrator) role.+- An [agent user account](../../agent-id/agent-users.md) linked to an agent identity.+- For device compliance, an agent that runs on an Intune-managed Windows 365 Cloud PC for Agents.+- For compliant network policies, a Global Secure Access client installed on the endpoint.++> [!IMPORTANT]+> Agent user targeting is in Preview. Policies that target all users don't include agent user accounts. Group-based inclusion and exclusion also aren't supported for agent user accounts. Target all agent users, select individual agent users, or use custom security attributes.++A policy that targets an agent identity doesn't apply to the agent's user account. If the agent also uses its own agent identity, create a separate policy for that access pattern. For more information, see [Secure autonomous agents with Conditional Access](policy-autonomous-agents.md).++## Block risky agent user accounts++Create a policy that blocks agent user accounts when Microsoft Entra ID Protection detects medium or high agent risk. Agent risk is in Preview.++1. Sign in to the [Microsoft Entra admin center](https://entra.microsoft.com) as at least a Conditional Access Administrator.+1. Browse to **Entra ID** > **Conditional Access** > **Policies**.+1. Select **New policy**.+1. Enter a name for the policy.+1. Under **Assignments**, select **Users, agents or workload identities**.+1. Under **What does this policy apply to?**, select **Agents**.+1. Under **Include**, select **All agent users (Preview)**.+1. Under **Target resources** > **Include**, select **All resources (formerly 'All cloud apps')**.+1. Under **Conditions** > **Agent risk (Preview)**, set **Configure** to **Yes**.+1. Select **Medium** and **High**.+1. Under **Access controls** > **Grant**, select **Block**, and then select **Select**.+1. Set **Enable policy** to **Report-only**.+1. Select **Create**.++[!INCLUDE [conditional-access-report-only-mode](../../includes/conditional-access-report-only-mode.md)]++## Require a compliant device++Use this policy for an agent that runs on a managed endpoint, such as a Windows 365 Cloud PC for Agents. The **Agent execution environments (Preview)** condition limits the policy to agent user sessions that start from endpoints. Agents that don't run on a device are excluded from evaluation.++1. Sign in to the [Microsoft Entra admin center](https://entra.microsoft.com) as at least a Conditional Access Administrator.+1. Browse to **Entra ID** > **Conditional Access** > **Policies**.+1. Select **New policy**.+1. Enter a name for the policy.+1. Under **Assignments**, select **Users, agents or workload identities**.+1. Under **What does this policy apply to?**, select **Agents**.+1. Under **Include**, select **All agent users (Preview)**.+1. Under **Target resources** > **Include**, select **All resources (formerly 'All cloud apps')**.+1. Under **Conditions** > **Agent execution environments (Preview)**, set **Configure** to **Yes**.+1. Under **Include**, select **Agent user sessions initiated from endpoints**.+1. Under **Access controls** > **Grant**, select **Grant access**.+1. Select **Require device to be marked as compliant**, and then select **Select**.+1. Set **Enable policy** to **Report-only**.+1. Select **Create**.++[!INCLUDE [conditional-access-report-only-mode](../../includes/conditional-access-report-only-mode.md)]++> [!NOTE]+> Device compliance requires Intune enrollment. The current published guidance supports this check on Windows 365 Cloud PCs for Agents.++## Require a compliant network++Use this policy for an agent that runs on an endpoint with the Global Secure Access client. The client provides the network location signal that Conditional Access evaluates.++1. Sign in to the [Microsoft Entra admin center](https://entra.microsoft.com) as at least a Conditional Access Administrator.+1. Browse to **Entra ID** > **Conditional Access** > **Policies**.+1. Select **New policy**.+1. Enter a name for the policy.+1. Under **Assignments**, select **Users, agents or workload identities**.+1. Under **What does this policy apply to?**, select **Agents**.+1. Under **Include**, select **All agent users (Preview)**.+1. Under **Target resources** > **Include**, select **All resources (formerly 'All cloud apps')**.+1. Under **Conditions** > **Agent execution environments (Preview)**, set **Configure** to **Yes**.+1. Under **Include**, select **Agent user sessions initiated from endpoints**.+1. Under **Access controls** > **Grant**, select **Grant access**.+1. Select **Require compliant network**, and then select **Select**.+1. Set **Enable policy** to **Report-only**.+1. Select **Create**.++[!INCLUDE [conditional-access-report-only-mode](../../includes/conditional-access-report-only-mode.md)]++## Related content++- [Conditional Access for agents](agent-id.md)+- [Target agent identities in Conditional Access policies](howto-target-agent-identities.md)+- [Secure autonomous agents with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access](policy-autonomous-agents.md)