Compliance Policy: Firewall Disabled Causes Non-Compliance
Exhibit
{
"@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.windows10CompliancePolicy",
"passwordRequired": true,
"passwordMinimumLength": 6,
"passwordRequiredType": "deviceDefault",
"osMinimumVersion": "10.0.19041.0",
"osMaximumVersion": "10.0.22621.0",
"storageRequireEncryption": true,
"activeFirewallRequired": true,
"defenderEnabled": true
}Refer to the exhibit. You have applied this compliance policy to a Windows 10 device running build 10.0.19044. The device meets all requirements except that the firewall is disabled. What will be the compliance status of the device?
Quick Answer
The answer is non-compliant, because the firewall is disabled. This occurs because the compliance policy explicitly requires the `activeFirewallRequired` setting to be true, and a disabled firewall fails that single condition, rendering the entire device non-compliant regardless of meeting all other requirements. On the Microsoft 365 Endpoint Administrator MD-102 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that compliance policies evaluate each setting independently and that a single failure—even a common one like a disabled firewall—results in a non-compliant status, with no built-in grace period unless explicitly configured. A frequent trap is assuming that meeting most requirements or having a grace period will save the device, but the policy here has no grace period, so the firewall being disabled directly triggers non-compliance. Remember the mnemonic: “One false firewall, whole device falls.”
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume meeting the OS version requirement alone makes the device compliant, ignoring that compliance policies enforce all configured settings independently, and a disabled firewall is a distinct failure condition.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Non-compliant, because the firewall is disabled.
The compliance policy requires the firewall to be enabled. Since the device has a disabled firewall, it fails that specific requirement, making it non-compliant regardless of meeting other conditions like OS version. In Microsoft Intune, compliance policies evaluate each setting independently; a single non-compliant setting results in an overall non-compliant status.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Compliant, because the OS version is within the allowed range.
Why it's wrong here
While the OS version does satisfy the allowed range, compliance requires every configured setting to pass. The disabled firewall breaches the firewall rule, so the device is non-compliant overall; a single passing condition cannot offset a failing one.
- ✓
Non-compliant, because the firewall is disabled.
Why this is correct
Compliance policies evaluate each configured setting independently; a disabled firewall breaches the firewall requirement, so the device reports as non-compliant regardless of other satisfied conditions. Intune marks the device non-compliant until the firewall is re-enabled and the device checks in again.
- ✗
Compliant, because the policy includes a grace period for firewall.
Why it's wrong here
The policy's firewall setting is enforced with no grace period configured, so a disabled firewall marks the device non-compliant immediately. Grace periods apply only to specific settings where configured, typically giving time before enforcement; they are not a universal buffer for every rule.
- ✗
Non-compliant, because the OS version is not within the allowed range.
Why it's wrong here
Build 10.0.19044 (Windows 10 21H2) does fall within the policy's permitted OS version range, so the OS check passes. The actual failure is the disabled firewall, which the policy requires to be enabled; the OS version is a red herring here.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Enrolling Devices with Microsoft Intune
Key term
Windows 10
Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft that combines the familiarity of Windows 7 with the modern features of Windows 8, designed to run on a wide range of devices from desktops to tablets.
Key term
Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules to protect trusted internal networks from untrusted external networks.
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Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. You have applied this compliance policy to a Windows 10 device running build 10.0.19044. The device meets all requirements except that the firewall is disabled. What will be the compliance status of the device?
medium- A.Non-compliant, because the OS version is not within the allowed range.
- B.Compliant, because the policy includes a grace period for firewall.
- C.Compliant, because the OS version is within the allowed range.
- ✓ D.Non-compliant, because the firewall is disabled.
Why D: The device is non-compliant because the compliance policy explicitly requires the firewall to be enabled. Even though the OS version (10.0.19044) falls within the allowed range of 10.0.17763 to 10.0.19045, the firewall requirement is a separate condition that must be met. In Microsoft Intune, if any required setting is not satisfied and no grace period is configured for that setting, the device is marked non-compliant immediately.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This MD-102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the MD-102 exam.