Securing Your Microsoft 365 Tenant—
More Than Just Passwords
Configuration, Practices, and Security
You might feel confident in the trustworthiness of your employees– and you should! But do you trust the entire world with your business’s data? Absolutely not. That’s because threats are everywhere, and when sensitive data is involved, it needs protecting. A plethora of businesses that rely on cloud services often overlook the critical step of optimizing security, but data security should be a top priority. Especially since hackers are everywhere, scanning the plane for vulnerable data ripe for the picking.
When you set up Microsoft 365 for your business, the default configurations might seem convenient, but they leave your organization open to a variety of vulnerabilities. Securing your tenant from the very real threats out there requires a more fortified approach involving managed IT services that focus on protecting both personal and managed devices, limiting access, and implementing additional layers of cybersecurity services to safeguard your data and users.
Fortify Your Sign-In and Setup
Out-of-the-box, Microsoft 365 offers default settings that may not align with your organization’s security needs. These settings often leave your tenant susceptible to attacks. To reduce risk, you should make the proactive choice to work with a cloud solution provider that can help reinforce your sign-in process with multi-factor authentication (MFA), stronger password policies, and restricted admin access. Relying on default configurations is like leaving the door unlocked – it invites unwanted attention from cybercriminals.
The Cloud Isn’t Inherently Secure
Many businesses assume cloud computing is inherently secure. However, just like on-premises infrastructure, your cloud solution is only as secure as you make it. Cloud service providers like Microsoft rent their hardware, but data protection and security remain your responsibility. If data is lost or stolen, cloud providers won’t help recover it. Working with managed IT services ensures that your cybersecurity services are in place to prevent data loss and mitigate risks, maintaining control over your data security.
Securing Personal Devices Beyond Basic Passwords
Securing your Microsoft 365 tenant goes far beyond just securing the desktop computer in your office. Any device that accesses your tenant – including smartphones, tablets, and laptops used at home or on the road – must also be protected. Cloud services are often accessed through various endpoints, and without cybersecurity services, these points can be easily exploited. As a business, you have to make sure all devices accessing email, SharePoint, or OneDrive are locked down with proper encryption, helping to protect data security across the board.
Control Managed Devices and Limit Lateral Movement
Once a device is connected to your Microsoft 365 environment, the real challenge begins: controlling what that device can access. We know you trust your employees; and we believe that you should! Hackers exploit lateral movement, gaining access to data security layers, SharePoint, and OneDrive without raising alarms and without the help of a man inside. To prevent this, we implement cloud computing practices that enforce device management policies limiting access to sensitive resources. This step is critical for ensuring cybersecurity services are in place to monitor and prevent unauthorized movement within the system.
Boost Security Protections with Customized Configurations
Microsoft 365 offers a dizzying array of security features– but none of these are automatically enabled. You need a trusted managed IT services partner like Acendex who understands which security features are relevant for your specific cloud solution and how to implement them effectively. Monitoring your security through cybersecurity services gives you insight into how well your protective measures are functioning.
Email Security
Emails are a favored entry point for cyberattacks. Hackers often disguise malicious emails as legitimate communication, tricking users into sharing sensitive data. It’s easy to fall for and, with the right tools, easy to prevent.
Microsoft 365’s default email security settings are not enough to protect your business. By integrating advanced threat protection (ATP) from cybersecurity services, you can strengthen your data security and ensure email is not an open door for attacks. Managed IT services can help configure these protections, significantly reducing the risks associated with email-based attacks.
Secure Sharing and Collaboration in the Cloud
Sharing and collaboration tools like Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint are backbone platforms for modern businesses, but they can also be a major security risk if not properly configured. Cloud computing environments are complicated, and simply turning on sharing features in Microsoft 365 does not automatically secure them. A comprehensive cloud solution must be implemented to segment users and establish security boundaries. One-size-fits-all security is ineffective. Acendex’s Managed IT services specializing in data protection can tailor your Microsoft 365 tenant to ensure sensitive data stays secure.
Understanding the Attacks on Public Cloud Environments
In an on-premises environment, your attack surface was small and localized. Moving to Microsoft 365 and cloud services expands that surface, exposing your business to new risks. Hackers know where the cloud environment is located and systematically test every entry point. Without the right cybersecurity services and managed IT services in place, your tenant is at risk of being compromised. By implementing data protection measures and patch management strategies, you can reduce the likelihood of an attack and ensure your data security is not compromised.
The Importance of Planning Ahead
Securing your Microsoft 365 tenant involves more than just reactive measures; proactive cybersecurity services are what it takes to really keep sensitive information safe. Everything else is just putting a bandaid on a cut you didn’t need to get in the first place. As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure data protection and the long-term security of your systems. Don’t be careless— Prevent injury before it happens.
Implementing managed IT services with expertise in cloud computing will help you stay ahead of threats, ensuring that your infrastructure is protected from emerging risks.
Securing Your Microsoft 365— Our Outsourced IT Support Can Help
Microsoft 365 provides businesses with powerful tools for collaboration and productivity, but these tools come with security risks if not configured properly. From controlling device access to ensuring proper data security measures, every aspect of your tenant needs attention. Managed IT services and cybersecurity services are vital for businesses that want to ensure their cloud solution remains secure.
At Acendex, our commitment to continuity of service, efficiency, flexibility, and partnership are a perfect fit…
- For organizations without the resources for a full-time information technology staff
- For companies whose lack of capabilities or recurring problems cost cash, clients, and credibility
- For enterprises needing creative or smarter use of information and communications to gain an edge, especially if having a platform for launching incremental continuous advances is essential
- For cases where Acendex information and communication expertise (perhaps from a specific technology or combination of technologies) enables a leap ahead. This can make a company more attractive to prospective employees, customers, and investors
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