5 ways to secure your business with Microsoft 365

News headlines continue to report on cyber attacks experienced by large companies. Within these headlines, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that businesses became targets due to their size. However, small to medium companies are just as much a target. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) saw a 13% increase in reported attacks in the last financial year, and large enterprises were not the only victims in this statistic.

If you are a small-to-medium business, enhancing your cyber security posture may feel too difficult due to the expertise, tools, and costs involved. However, if you have a Microsoft 365 Business Premium subscription, you already possess the necessary tools to bolster your cyber security posture.

By understanding your current Microsoft licensing, you can unlock a range of security benefits that offer incredible value for your investment. With powerful tools supported by AI, you can strengthen your business from end to end. In this blog, I'll explore these Microsoft 365 security tools and how they enhance your security posture.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint leverages AI and machine learning to detect and respond to threats across various devices, including PCs, servers, and mobile devices. It proactively protects against new and emerging threats, helping your business stay ahead of the evolving cyber threat landscape.

Key features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint include threat and vulnerability management, which aids your organisation in discovering, prioritising, and remediating vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Attack surface reduction is another essential feature that implements security measures such as network and web protection which limit access to malicious websites. 

By leveraging Microsoft Defender for Endpoint in your cyber security strategy, your business can enjoy numerous benefits, such as protecting devices from a wide range of threats, identifying and responding to threats more quickly, and reducing your organisation's endpoint attack surface.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an AI-powered email security solution that protects your organisation from phishing and other email-based attacks. It analyses messages and attachments, effectively identifying and blocking malicious content before it reaches users. The solution boasts advanced anti-phishing capabilities that detect and block deceptive emails and anti-malware features that scan email attachments and embedded links for harmful content.

With features like anti-phishing, anti-malware, safe attachments, and safe links, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 helps your organisation safeguard email communication and prevent data breaches. These capabilities also function on collaboration platforms, like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 offers real-time threat detection and response, ensuring that only safe and legitimate emails reach users. By leveraging powerful AI and machine learning technologies, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 offers robust email security, protecting your team from sophisticated threats.

Azure Active Directory Identity Protection

Azure Active Directory (AD) Identity Protection is an identity and access management solution that detects and prevents identity-based attacks, including password spray and atypical sign-in activity. AI algorithms identify suspicious activities by analysing data from sources like sign-in logs and user behaviour patterns.

A critical feature of this solution is risk-based conditional access policies, which enable your organisation to define and enforce access controls based on the risk level associated with a user's sign-in attempt. For instance, if a user attempts to sign in from an unfamiliar location or device, the system may require additional authentication factors, such as multi-factor authentication, before granting access to sensitive resources.

By implementing Azure AD Identity Protection, your business can benefit from robust protection against identity theft and identity-based attacks. So, only trusted users can access your company’s sensitive data and resources.

Azure Information Protection

Azure Information Protection automatically classifies and labels sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII). It then applies appropriate protection policies based on the assigned classification. It leverages AI algorithms to intelligently analyse your organisation's data, including documents, emails, and other digital assets.

By implementing Azure Information Protection, your organisation can gain several advantages. The first is enhanced data protection through automatic classification and labelling of sensitive data. The second is improved regulatory compliance by identifying and protecting sensitive information subject to strict privacy regulations. Additionally, this solution streamlines data management and governance, enabling your organisation to quickly locate and manage sensitive data across various locations.

Microsoft Cloud App Security

Microsoft Cloud App Security is a cloud access security broker (CASB) solution. It protects against unauthorised access to cloud applications and data by leveraging AI to analyse user activities and access patterns. Microsoft Cloud App Security gives you improved visibility over the cloud apps leveraged in your organisation, mitigating the risks brought on by Shadow IT.

With Microsoft Cloud App Security, you gain visibility and control over cloud app usage. It allows you to identify and monitor unauthorised or unapproved applications that employees may be using without IT oversight. By setting granular access controls and data-sharing policies, your business can ensure that employees use only approved cloud applications, minimising the risks associated with unapproved software and maintaining a secure IT environment.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 Business Premium, powered by cutting-edge AI technology, offers a comprehensive suite of security components to better protect your users and data. By fortifying your business from end to end, you can establish a robust security posture and gain peace of mind.

If you're a small to medium business in Australia, maximising the Microsoft 365 security features is essential to address the looming security risks and concerns. By understanding your current Microsoft licensing, you can unlock a range of security benefits that will provide optimal protection for your organisation.
VISITS can help you get the most from these Microsoft 365 security features

We understand that regardless of your organisation's size, having a comprehensive cyber security response plan is essential to effectively respond to potential cyber attacks. Our experts have in-depth knowledge of Microsoft 365 security and licences. We can help you better secure your organisation by leveraging the tools you likely already have access to and ensuring you do not have licensing blindspots.

Don't leave your business's security to chance – take action today to strengthen your defences and ensure the success and resilience of your organisation. Please visit our IT managed support services page for more information.