Security checks / Check reference / Authentication methods
Auth Authentication Method Excluded User Target
Medium Severity Microsoft 365 security check in the Authentication methods domain.
Authentication method policy has excluded user targets. These users are exempt from the method policy, which may create coverage gaps Excluded users fall back to weaker methods or may not be prompted for MFA at all Each exclusion is a known gap in your authentication posture Siemserva runs this check automatically across your tenant and maps every finding to the compliance frameworks below.
Check summary
What this check verifies
Authentication method policy has excluded user targets. These users are exempt from the method policy, which may create coverage gaps
Why it matters
Excluded users fall back to weaker methods or may not be prompted for MFA at all Each exclusion is a known gap in your authentication posture
How to fix it
Review and minimize user-level exclusions; document the business justification and set an expiry date for each
Siemserva flags every tenant where this check fails and, with Senserva Trustworthy AI remediation, can propose a validated fix you approve before it applies.
Ask your own AI about this check
Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.
Compliance framework mappings
Findings from this check serve as evidence for:
Related Authentication methods checks
Common questions
What does the Auth Authentication Method Excluded User Target check verify?
Authentication method policy has excluded user targets. These users are exempt from the method policy, which may create coverage gaps It is a Medium Severity check in the Authentication methods domain, one of the 650+ checks Siemserva runs across Microsoft 365, Intune, Defender, and Entra ID.
How do I fix a Auth Authentication Method Excluded User Target finding?
Review and minimize user-level exclusions; document the business justification and set an expiry date for each Siemserva ranks the finding by Severity and, with Senserva Trustworthy AI, can propose a validated, approve-before-apply configuration fix.
Which compliance frameworks does this check evidence?
Findings from this check map to SCuBA, MCSB, NIST, SOC2, CIS, HIPAA, and MCSB control IM-6. That mapping is what turns a scan finding into audit evidence.
Can I ask my own AI about this check?
Yes. This page includes a free copy-paste AI prompt carrying the check's facts: what it verifies, the risk, the remediation, and the framework mappings. Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot; cite-worthy detail without giving an AI access to your tenant.
All 672 checks with severities and mappings: the Microsoft 365 security checks catalog.