What CAE solves
Microsoft Entra issues access tokens that are valid for an hour by default. Without Continuous Access Evaluation, a user whose access is revoked (account disabled, password reset, group removal) can keep using their existing token until it expires. CAE makes Microsoft 365 services revalidate access in near-real-time — so a critical event (password reset, IP change to a blocked location, device falls out of compliance) takes effect immediately rather than at token expiry.
Where it matters
CAE matters for incident response and offboarding. When you disable a compromised account in Entra, CAE means Outlook on the Web, Teams and SharePoint kick the user out within minutes, not up to an hour. For Australian organisations under Privacy Act and APRA timeframes, this materially reduces exposure window during an incident.