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Mastering Certificates with Microsoft Intune September 2026

I’m excited to announce that I will be delivering another edition of the Mastering Certificates with Microsoft Intune course, hosted by ViaMonstra Online Academy. This is a three-day live online training course that takes place September 1-3, 2026. This course dives deep into issuing and managing certificates using Microsoft Intune, covering both on-premises and cloud-based solutions.

Course Overview

This interactive training equips IT professionals with the skills to provision and manage enterprise PKI certificates using Microsoft Intune. It explores Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), Microsoft Cloud PKI for Intune, and non-Microsoft solutions, with live demonstrations featuring real-world scenarios.

Key Learning Objectives

Those taking the online training course will learn the following.

  • Certificate Basics: Understand certificate roles and enterprise use cases.
  • Deployment Options: Master Intune certificate deployment (Intune policies, revocation, security) and Microsoft Cloud PKI (licensing, benefits, limitations, BYOCA).
  • Intune Deployment: Learn PKCS and SCEP deployment, security best practices, and troubleshooting.
  • High Availability: Explore strategies for reliable certificate management.

Course Highlights

Here are some key highlights for attendees of the training.

  • Expert-Led: Learn from a veteran IT professional, a Microsoft MVP, with deep PKI and Intune expertise.
  • Interactive Demonstrations: The course includes numerous practical exercises in real-world scenarios.
  • Resources: Access to security best practices and sample scripts for automated configuration.
  • Community: Join a private Facebook group for peer collaboration.
  • Live Q&A: Engage directly with the instructor for a clearer understanding.

Who Should Attend?

This training event is ideal for IT administrators, security professionals, and systems engineers working with Intune, AD CS, or Microsoft Cloud PKI for Intune.

Prerequisites

Those attending the online training course should be familiar with the following.

  • Basic networking knowledge (TCP/IP, DNS).
  • Familiarity with Active Directory, Windows OS, and Intune.
  • Access to an AD CS setup and an Azure subscription with Intune Suite licenses.

Why It Matters

Certificates are vital for secure authentication and communication. This course bridges theory and practice, equipping you to deploy and manage digital certificates effectively in cloud-native environments.

Details

Here is some additional information about the training event.

  • When: September 1-3, 2026 (sessions begin at 9:00 AM CDT).
  • Where: Live online via ViaMonstra Online Academy.
  • Cost: $2,395.00 (Sold separately – not included in All-Access Pass).

Why ViaMonstra?

ViaMonstra delivers top-tier IT training from Microsoft MVPs, focusing on practical, up-to-date skills and fostering a collaborative community.

Take the Next Step

Ready to master certificate management with Microsoft Intune? Register at ViaMonstra Online Academy for the August 2025 Mastering Certificates with Microsoft Intune training course today!

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by Richard M. Hicks on June 8, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in Active Directory, Active Directory Certificate Services, AD CS, administration, authentication, Azure Active Directory, Azure AD, CBA, Certificate Authentication, Certificate Authority, Certificate Connector for Intune, Certificate Services, Certificate-Based Authentication, certificates, cloud, Cloud PKI, Cloud Service, Cryptography, Deployment, Device Management, education, Encryption, Endpoint Manager, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, Entra, Entra CBA, Entra Certificate-Based Authentication, Entra ID, Infrastructure, Intune, Intune Certificate Connector, Intune PFX Connector, learning, MDM, MEM, Microsoft, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Intune, Mobile Device Management, Mobility, NDES, Network Device Enrollment Service, Network Device Enrollment Services, Operational Support, PFX Connector, PKCS, PKI, public cloud, public key infrastructure, SCEP, Security, Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol, systems management, Training, troubleshooting, Trusted Platform Module, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on June 8, 2026

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2026/06/08/mastering-certificates-with-microsoft-intune-september-2026/

What’s New in Entra Global Secure Access Client v2.28.96

On April 27, 2026, Microsoft announced an update for the Entra Global Secure Access (GSA) client version 2.28.96. This new release includes improvements to the user experience for BYOD scenarios, to surface more information about endpoint status on the main screen, and to Intelligent Local Access (ILA).

Sign Out

Microsoft has changed how the Sign Out button is displayed depending on the device’s join type. With GSA client 2.28.96, the Sign Out button now appears by default only on Microsoft Entra-registered devices. This option is hidden on Microsoft Entra-joined devices but can optionally be displayed by setting a registry key.

Intelligent Local Access

This update also includes changes to the Intelligent Local Access (ILA) feature. Administrators can now assign a private application to multiple private networks. In addition, the GSA client now includes a new Private Access Definitions section on the Forwarding Profile tab of the Advanced Diagnostics tool. This new section includes the Private DNS definitions and a new Private network definitions section, which detail the current ILA configuration, including defined private networks, configured DNS server addresses, the FQDN to resolve for the private network, and the expected IP address for the ILA FQDN.

Additional Changes

GSA client v2.28.96 also includes additional changes to address known issues and bugs.

  • Internet connection test changed from msn.com to www.msftconnecttest.com
  • Additional log data collection, including Kerberos logs and the output of gpresult.exe
  • Log collection includes the list of trusted root Certification Authorities (CAs) on the endpoint

Download GSA v2.28.96

Administrators can download the latest release of the Global Secure Access (GSA) client here.

Additional Information

Global Secure Access Client for Windows v2.28.96

Entra Private Access Intelligent Local Access (ILA)

Entra Private Access and BYOD

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by Richard M. Hicks on April 28, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in Cloud Service, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, Entra, Entra Global Secure Access, Entra ID, Entra Internet Access, Entra Private Access, Global Secure Access, GSA, ILA, Intelligent Local Access, Microsoft, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Entra Global Secure Access, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Entra Internet Access, Microsoft Entra Private Access, Mobility, public cloud, Remote Access, SASE, Secure Access Service Edge, Secure Service Edge, Security, Security Service Edge, SSE, Windows 10, Windows 11, Zero Trust, Zero Trust Network Access, ZTNA
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on April 28, 2026

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2026/04/28/whats-new-in-entra-global-secure-access-client-v2-28-96/

DirectAccess IPHTTPS and Let’s Encrypt 6-Day Certificates

I’ve written extensively about how public TLS certificate lifetimes will drop to just 47 days by March 2029. Before then, we’ll see certificate lifetimes gradually drop from the current 398 days to 200 days on March 15, 2026, and then to 100 days on March 15, 2027. In preparation for this, I’ve been working with many customers to deploy automated certificate enrollment and renewal solutions to eliminate the need for manual intervention. Interestingly, Let’s Encrypt now offers extremely short-lived certificates that are good for just 6 days! While they work just fine for Always On VPN, I discovered they will not work for DirectAccess.

6-Day Certificate

After successfully enrolling for a 6-day TLS certificate from Let’s Encrypt (I used CertKit, BTW!), I encountered an error when trying to assign the short-lived certificate to the IP-HTTPS listener in the DirectAccess configuration. Specifically, when running the Set-RemoteAccess PowerShell command, I received the following error.

Set-RemoteAccess: The parameter is incorrect.

Further investigation showed that I could install other public TLS certificates just fine. For some reason, though, DirectAccess did not like this new 6-day certificate.

Missing Subject Name

After digging a bit deeper, I realized the Subject field of the new 6-day Let’s Encrypt certificate was empty.

Subject vs. SAN in Modern TLS

Modern TLS clients rely entirely on the Subject Alternative Name (SAN) field for identity validation, and the older practice of matching against the certificate’s Subject field has been phased out for many years. Many certificate authorities, including Let’s Encrypt, now leave the Subject field empty because it no longer serves a functional purpose in current TLS implementations. DirectAccess still expects this field to contain data and does not properly fall back to SAN‑only validation. As a result, any certificate with an empty Subject field, such as the new 6‑day certificates from Let’s Encrypt, will fail when applied to the DirectAccess IP‑HTTPS listener.

Workaround

Admittedly, using 6-Day public TLS certificates for DirectAccess is extreme and likely overkill for this workload. The good news is that DirectAccess still works perfectly with 90-day Let’s Encrypt certificates, so the lack of 6-day certificate support should not be impactful.

CertKit

Have you heard about CertKit? CertKit, an online service for automating Let’s Encrypt certificate enrollment and renewal, has added support for Always On VPN and DirectAccess. Find details on leveraging it for public TLS certificates for these solutions here.

Additional Information

Always On VPN SSTP with Let’s Encrypt Certificates

Always On VPN and 47-Day Public TLS Certificates

The Case for Short-Lived Certificates in Enterprise Environments

CertKit Agent Support for Always On VPN SSTP and DirectAccess IP-HTTPS TLS Certificates

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by Richard M. Hicks on March 16, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in administration, Always On VPN, AOVPN, Automation, certificates, CertKit, cloud, Cloud Service, Cryptography, Deployment, Encryption, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, Infrastructure, IP-HTTPS, IPv6 Transition, Microsoft, Mobility, Operational Support, PKI, public cloud, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, SSL and TLS, TLS, Transport Layer Security, troubleshooting, VPN, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on March 16, 2026

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2026/03/16/directaccess-iphttps-and-lets-encrypt-6-day-certificates/

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