Security checks / Check reference / Conditional Access

Conditional Access Break Glass Account Covered By Policy

Critical Severity Microsoft 365 security check in the Conditional Access domain.

Break-glass (emergency access) account is not explicitly excluded from one or more enabled Conditional Access policies. The account may be blocked or challenged during an emergency sign-in If MFA or block controls apply to the break-glass account during a tenant lockout, emergency recovery fails. Siemserva runs this check automatically across your tenant and maps every finding to the compliance frameworks below.

Critical SeverityConditional AccessSCuBA MS.AAD.1.1v1

Check summary

Severity

Critical

Domain

Conditional Access

Rank in domain

Frameworks

What this check verifies

Break-glass (emergency access) account is not explicitly excluded from one or more enabled Conditional Access policies. The account may be blocked or challenged during an emergency sign-in

Why it matters

If MFA or block controls apply to the break-glass account during a tenant lockout, emergency recovery fails. The entire purpose of a break-glass account is to bypass normal access controls and remain accessible when the primary auth infrastructure is unavailable

How to fix it

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.

I manage Microsoft 365 security. Facts for the Senserva check "Conditional Access Break Glass Account Covered By Policy" (source: https://senserva.com/check/imconditionalaccessbreakglassaccountcoveredbypolicy.html):
- Verifies: Break-glass (emergency access) account is not explicitly excluded from one or more enabled Conditional Access policies. The account may be blocked or challenged during an emergency sign-in
- Severity: Critical; domain: Conditional Access
- Risk: If MFA or block controls apply to the break-glass account during a tenant lockout, emergency recovery fails. The entire purpose of a break-glass account is to bypass normal access controls and remain accessible when the primary auth infrastructure is unavailable
- Remediation guidance: Open each listed CA policy in the Entra admin center and add the break-glass account object ID to Exclude Users. Verify with What-If. Group-based exclusion is also acceptable if the account belongs to an excluded group
- Compliance frameworks: SCuBA, MCSB, NIST, SOC2, CIS, HIPAA; SCuBA MS.AAD.1.1v1, MS.AAD.2.1v1, MS.AAD.2.2v1, MS.AAD.2.3v1, MS.AAD.3.1v1, MS.AAD.3.2v1; MCSB PA-4, IM-1
Using these facts plus your general knowledge: 1) Explain the risk in plain language I can paste into a change ticket. 2) Step-by-step remediation for a Microsoft 365 tenant. 3) What evidence an auditor would accept that this is fixed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Compliance framework mappings

Findings from this check serve as evidence for:

SCuBAMCSBNISTSOC2CISHIPAASCuBA MS.AAD.1.1v1 SCuBA MS.AAD.2.1v1 SCuBA MS.AAD.2.2v1 SCuBA MS.AAD.2.3v1 SCuBA MS.AAD.3.1v1 SCuBA MS.AAD.3.2v1MCSB PA-4MCSB IM-1

References

learn.microsoft.com: /entra/identity/conditional-access/overview...learn.microsoft.com: /entra/identity/conditional-access/plan-conditiona...www.cisa.gov: /sites/default/files/2023-12/Azure%20Active%20Dire...

Related Conditional Access checks

Conditional Access Admin Portal Missing MFA Conditional Access Block Legacy Exchange Active S...Conditional Access Block Legacy Exchange Active S...Conditional Access Block Requested Platforms Conditional Access Break Glass Account Excluded Conditional Access Browser O365 Missing MFA Conditional Access Coverage Gap Conditional Access Critical Coverage Gap

Related Entra ID guides

This is an Entra ID and identity check. See the broader guidance and the exact checks Siemserva runs in this area:

Conditional Access analysis Entra ID security best practices Azure AD and Entra ID security All Conditional Access checks

Common questions

What does the Conditional Access Break Glass Account Covered By Policy check verify?

Break-glass (emergency access) account is not explicitly excluded from one or more enabled Conditional Access policies. The account may be blocked or challenged during an emergency sign-in It is a Critical Severity check in the Conditional Access domain, one of the 650+ checks Siemserva runs across Microsoft 365, Intune, Defender, and Entra ID.

How do I fix a Conditional Access Break Glass Account Covered By Policy finding?

Open each listed CA policy in the Entra admin center and add the break-glass account object ID to Exclude Users. Verify with What-If. Group-based exclusion is also acceptable if the account belongs to an excluded group 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, including SCuBA policy MS.AAD.1.1v1, MS.AAD.2.1v1, MS.AAD.2.2v1, MS.AAD.2.3v1, MS.AAD.3.1v1, MS.AAD.3.2v1, and MCSB controls PA-4, IM-1. 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.