Endpoint Privilege Management in Microsoft Intune: The Complete Guide to Eliminating Local Admin Rights

EPM enables organizations to implement true least-privilege access by replacing permanent local admin rights with controlled, just-in-time elevations. This comprehensive guide covers everything from core concepts to the new EPM Overview Dashboard, Copilot AI integration, and the upcoming inclusion in Microsoft 365 E5 licenses in 2026.

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What is Endpoint Privilege Management?

Endpoint Privilege Management is a capability within the Microsoft Intune Suite that allows standard users - those without local administrator rights - to perform tasks that traditionally require elevated privileges. These tasks include installing applications, updating device drivers, running diagnostic tools, and executing administrative scripts.

Core Benefits

Benefit	Description
Zero Trust Alignment	Enforces least-privilege access across all endpoints
Reduced Attack Surface	Eliminates persistent local admin accounts that attackers exploit
Maintained Productivity	Users can still perform necessary tasks without IT intervention
Complete Audit Trail	Every elevation is logged with detailed metadata
AI-Powered Risk Assessment	Copilot integration evaluates threats before approvals

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How EPM Works: Architecture Deep Dive

The Virtual Account Model

When a user triggers an elevation through EPM, the system doesn't simply grant admin rights to the user's account. Instead, EPM uses a virtual account to execute the elevated process. This isolation mechanism provides several security advantages:

• The elevated process runs in a separate context from the user's profile
• User-specific data exposure is minimized
• Lateral movement risks are significantly reduced
• Even if the elevated process is compromised, the user's credentials remain protected

Policy Architecture

EPM operates through two complementary policy types:

1. Elevation Settings Policy

• Controls the EPM client behavior on devices
• Defines the default elevation response when no specific rule matches
• Configures diagnostic data collection levels
• Enables or disables EPM functionality

2. Elevation Rules Policy

• Defines specific elevation behaviors for identified files or scripts
• Uses detection criteria (file hash, metadata, certificates) to identify applications
• Specifies the elevation action to take when a match is found

Client-Side Components

When an elevation settings policy is received by a device, Intune provisions the following components:

• EPM Agent Service: Located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft EPM Agent
• Right-click context menu: Adds "Run with elevated access" option
• Policy enforcement engine: Evaluates requests against configured rules

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Elevation Types Explained

EPM supports five distinct elevation behaviors, each serving different security and operational requirements:

1. Automatic Elevation

Applications matching automatic rules elevate silently without user interaction. This provides a seamless experience but should be used sparingly.

Best for: Trusted internal tools, pre-approved enterprise applications, routine maintenance scripts.

2. User Confirmed Elevation

Requires the user to acknowledge a confirmation prompt before elevation occurs. Administrators can configure additional requirements:

• Authentication prompt: User must re-enter credentials
• Business justification: User must provide a reason (logged for audit)
• Both: Maximum security with full accountability

Best for: Semi-trusted applications, developer tools, applications with moderate risk profiles.

3. Support Approved Elevation

The most secure option for unplanned elevation requests. The workflow:

1. User right-clicks an application and selects "Run with elevated access"
2. A request is submitted to the Intune admin center
3. Administrator reviews the request with full context
4. If approved, the user receives a notification and can complete the elevation
5. Approval includes an expiration time

Best for: Unknown applications, one-time installations, high-security environments.

4. Elevate as Current User (New in October 2025)

Unlike other elevation types, this runs the elevated process under the user's own account context. Prior to elevation, Windows Authentication validates the user's credentials.

When to use:

• Applications that require access to user profile paths
• Installers that configure user-specific settings
• Tools that need environment variables or personalization data

5. Deny

Explicitly blocks identified files from running in an elevated context. Even if a user attempts elevation, the request is denied.

Best for: Known malware signatures, unauthorized tools, applications that violate corporate policy.

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The New EPM Overview Dashboard

Released in October 2025, the EPM Overview Dashboard provides a centralized view to assess organizational readiness for migrating from local admin accounts to standard users.

Dashboard Location

Navigate to: Endpoint security > Endpoint Privilege Management > Overview tab

Key Metrics

The dashboard aggregates data from the last 48 hours and displays:

Tile	Description
Users with only unmanaged elevations	Users elevating files without EPM rules - candidates for rule creation
Top elevated files	Most frequently elevated applications across the organization
Elevation trends	Visual timeline showing elevation patterns over time
Managed vs. unmanaged ratio	Percentage of elevations controlled by EPM rules

Three Critical Questions Answered

The dashboard helps IT teams answer:

1. Which users experience friction? Identifies users frequently hitting elevation requirements
2. What changes improve user experience? Shows elevation patterns that suggest rule candidates
3. Where can we auto-approve safely? Highlights trusted applications for automatic elevation rules

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Microsoft Copilot Integration: AI-Powered Risk Assessment

The Analyze with Copilot Feature

Within the support approved workflow, administrators can select "Analyze with Copilot" while reviewing an elevation request. This triggers:

1. File hash submission: Copilot uses the file's hash to query Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence
2. Threat analysis: AI evaluates potential indicators of compromise
3. Risk scoring: Returns comprehensive risk assessment data

Information Returned by Copilot

Data Point	Description
File reputation	Known good, unknown, or suspicious
Indicators of compromise	Any associated malware signatures or malicious behaviors
Publisher verification	Certificate chain validation
Device risk score	Risk level of the device submitting the request
User risk score	Risk level associated with the requesting user

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Creating Effective Elevation Rules

File Detection Methods

EPM rules identify files using one or more detection criteria:

Certificate-based detection

• Most flexible approach
• Allows any application signed by a trusted certificate
• Use with caution: a compromised certificate could elevate malicious code

File hash detection

• Most precise but least flexible
• Must be updated when application versions change
• Best for static executables that rarely update

Metadata detection

• Uses file properties (product name, internal name, description)
• Balanced approach between flexibility and precision
• Can be combined with certificate rules for stronger validation

Best Practices for Rule Creation

1. Start with certificates: Publisher-based rules scale better than hash-based rules

2. Layer detection criteria: Combine certificate + file name + path for strongest validation

3. Use the Get-FileAttributes cmdlet: Extract attributes and certificate chain material:

   Import-Module EpmTools
   Get-FileAttributes -FilePath "C:\Path\To\Application.exe"
   

4. Control child processes: Configure child process behavior to prevent elevated parent processes from spawning unrestricted children

5. Scope tightly: Limit rules to specific file paths that standard users cannot modify

6. Test thoroughly: Some applications expect default Windows behavior; changing child process controls may cause compatibility issues

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Deployment Strategy: A Phased Approach

Phase 1: Discovery (2-4 weeks)

Objective: Understand current elevation patterns without changing user experience

1. Deploy elevation settings policy with audit mode enabled
2. Configure comprehensive diagnostic data collection
3. Allow policies to gather data across representative devices
4. Do NOT remove local admin rights yet

Phase 2: Rule Development (2-4 weeks)

Objective: Create rules for known-good applications

1. Analyze Phase 1 data using the EPM Overview Dashboard
2. Identify the most frequently elevated applications
3. Create elevation rules starting with line-of-business applications

Phase 3: Pilot Enforcement (4-6 weeks)

Objective: Validate rules with a controlled user group

1. Remove local admin rights from pilot devices
2. Deploy finalized elevation rules
3. Implement support approved as the default for unmatched requests
4. Monitor closely for user friction reports and unexpected blocks

Phase 4: Broad Deployment

Objective: Roll out to the entire organization

1. Extend policies to broader groups in waves
2. Maintain support approved workflow for edge cases
3. Use Copilot to evaluate unknown elevation requests
4. Continuously refine rules based on reporting data

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Licensing: What's Changing in 2026

Current Licensing (2025)

EPM requires one of the following:

• Microsoft Intune Suite ($10/user/month)
• EPM standalone add-on ($3/user/month)
• Both require base Intune Plan 1 license

2026 Changes

License Tier	EPM Availability
Microsoft 365 E3	Not included (requires add-on)
Microsoft 365 E5	Included (2026)
EMS E3	Not included
Intune Suite	Included

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Security Recommendations

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Conclusion

Endpoint Privilege Management represents a fundamental shift in how organizations approach endpoint security. By eliminating persistent local admin rights and replacing them with controlled, audited, just-in-time elevations, EPM helps organizations implement true least-privilege access without sacrificing productivity.

The new EPM Overview Dashboard provides the visibility needed to plan and execute migrations from local admin to standard user accounts. Copilot integration adds AI-powered threat intelligence to elevation decisions, enabling confident approvals even for unknown applications.