The popularity of Microsoft 365 has not diminished since the rapid shift to remote work, as many organisations had to turn to the cloud and software as a service (SaaS) to ensure they could continue to operate. Keeping business data secure is a big concern for most businesses, especially with the increasing threat landscape. Microsoft 365 has the necessary security measures in place to keep your business and information safe.
The following tips can increase security in M365 and ensure your business data is always secure.
Enabling multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one of the most effective methods for securing your data when using M365. It works by adding an additional layer of security beyond just a password. This can be done by adding a code that is sent to a mobile device, a specialised device like a thumbprint scanner, or a biometric identifier like facial recognition or an iris scan.
By enabling multi-factor authentication, you are significantly decreasing the chance that a malicious actor will be able to gain access to sensitive information. This can be especially important for administrators working with sensitive data. If you are an administrator, enabling multi-factor authentication is a must. With these tips, you can make sure your organisation is prepared and ready to boost your security posture and protect your data.
Utilising encrypted connections
Beyond just adding an additional layer of authentication, encrypted connections are an essential part of any security strategy. You can use Microsoft 365 to enforce encrypted connections and protect your data from prying eyes. This can be especially important for organisations handling sensitive data like healthcare providers or financial institutions.
By enforcing encrypted connections across your organisation, you can ensure that data is not vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This can be done by using a Microsoft Intune or Azure AD Managed Service. While multi-factor authentication can be an important piece of your security strategy, only using it would leave your data vulnerable. By enforcing encrypted connections, you can help protect the data that your organisation is handling.
Implementing access control policies
Another way you can protect your organisation’s data is by implementing access control policies. Access control policies are used to control what actions are available to certain users or groups in your organisation. This is important because it lets you control who has access to what data.
By implementing access control policies, you can help protect sensitive data from being accessed by unauthorised users. Access control policies are essential to protect data from being accessed by rogue employees who may have malicious intentions. They are a critical piece of any security strategy that aims to protect sensitive data from malicious actors.
Deploying data loss prevention tools
Another great tip to boost your Microsoft 365 security posture is to create data loss prevention policies and in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Centre. Data loss prevention (DLP) tools are used to identify and protect sensitive data across your organisation and can identify and block sensitive data from being sent outside of your company. This can be helpful in reducing the risk of data breaches and making sure your organisation is well-prepared to handle sensitive data without putting your data at risk.
Securing mobile devices
Another critical aspect of protecting your organisation’s data is securing mobile devices. Mobile devices are a critical part of most organisations and are often used to handle sensitive data. However, many of these devices are not adequately secured and pose a significant security risk. To ensure that your devices are adequately secured, you can use Microsoft Intune to secure them.
Microsoft Intune is a mobile device management platform available in the Microsoft Cloud. It can be used to remotely wipe devices that are lost or stolen. This can be helpful in the event that a device is stolen and the data on it is not adequately protected. Microsoft Intune can be used to remotely wipe devices that are lost or stolen. This can help ensure that sensitive data on those devices is not accessible to malicious actors. It can also help you remotely lock devices that are on the lost or stolen list, preventing malicious actors from accessing your data.
Securing the cloud
The cloud offers many benefits, but it can also be a security risk if not properly managed. Microsoft 365 has a number of tools to help you secure the cloud and protect your data.
- Microsoft 365 Security Center: a central location for keeping track of and safeguarding all of your Microsoft accounts, hardware, software, data, and infrastructure.
- Microsoft Cloud Security: this allows you to monitor the health and security of your Microsoft services. It lets you identify issues with your services and see a timeline of any outages.
- Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph: a central location for cybersecurity operations. It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help you protect your organisation from cyber threats.
- Microsoft Compliance Manager: keeps you up to date on data privacy and information security standards and makes keeping track of data protection standards easy and painless for your organisation, including monitoring law changes, staying current on certifications, and reporting to auditors.
M365 security with Microsoft experts
Microsoft 365 is a robust and comprehensive collaboration suite of apps and tools that is designed to allow your business to operate at its best. With the help of INTELLIWORX certified Microsoft experts, you can leverage the capabilities of Microsoft’s comprehensive suite of tools and future-proof your business against the cyber threats of the future.
