Layered Defense: Why Account Lockout + ASR Rules Protect Your Business
- Yiu Lung Jerry LEE
- Nov 24
- 2 min read
Microsoft Secure Score gives you a checklist—but not the full picture. Take this recommendation: “Set account lockout threshold to 1–10 invalid login attempts.” Sounds simple, right? But here’s the reality:
This setting comes from legacy Group Policy, not modern cloud management.
In an Intune environment, you need custom scripts and profiles to make it happen.
For business owners, this isn’t just a technical tweak—it’s a frontline defense against brute-force attacks that could compromise your entire organization.
The Bigger Picture: ASR + Account Lockout
Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules in Microsoft Defender block exploit techniques—such as preventing malware from abusing Office or stealing credentials. But ASR doesn’t stop password guessing attacks. That’s where account lockout policies come in. Together, they create layered security:
ASR rules protect against malicious code execution.
Account lockout protects identity and access.
Result: A stronger defense that attackers hate.
What We Did
Reviewed Secure Score recommendations for account lockout thresholds.
Built and tested PowerShell scripts to apply settings across Windows 10+ devices.
Migrated legacy GPO logic into Intune configuration profiles.
Verified compliance and remediated exposed devices (3 of 6 fixed, ongoing).
Why It Matters
Security isn’t just automation—it’s expert interpretation and execution. We translate Microsoft’s guidelines into real-world protection for your business.
Impact
Secure Score improved by +3 points for this control.
The risk of brute-force attacks has been significantly reduced.
For cloud-only setups, Azure AD Smart Lockout provides similar protection by default—but to earn full Secure Score credit, policy enforcement is required.
✅ Want experts who turn security guidelines into real protection? Let’s talk.
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