While other cyber security measures go a long way to protect your business, specific measures to harden your Microsoft tenant are also required. This is because of the rapid rate at which 365 updates are issued, to fight the rapid rate at which security threats themselves evolve.

So how do you make your Microsoft 365 environment secure? Don’t panic – the AJT experts are here to help.

Traditional IT security focused on servers. Regular maintenance – something IT providers charged their customers for – kept them patched and protected.

As servers disappear from the modern workplace and everything moves to the cloud, the game has changed. Microsoft 365 is often now the core of business operations – and a major attack vector.

The old ‘set and forget’ approach to security is long gone. Microsoft 365 security is dynamic, and without proactive management, your environment can quickly fall behind.

Microsoft officially releases new security features, policy updates and patches monthly. However, the reality is that these updates are often more frequent to react to threats in real time.

The challenge with these frequent updates is that they do not apply themselves automatically. Every new feature or policy requires manual configuration. This is because these adjustments can impact end-user experience and so can’t be rolled out automatically, in case they damage functionality. This means that keeping up with the pace of updates is time-consuming and can be complex for any business.

Secure Score is Microsoft’s built-in tool that measures how well your Microsoft 365 tenant aligns with recommended security practices.

It gives you a numerical score out of 100, based on the level of 365 security your current settings enable.

The tool also suggests specific actions to improve security, like enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) or configuring conditional access.

Secure Score also helps businesses track progress over time, so you can see how changes strengthen your 365 security. Conversely, it also enables you to see how inaction damages your defences as time progresses.

A higher Secure Score means stronger protection against phishing, ransomware and data breaches. Reaching and maintaining that score requires ongoing effort.

Failing to keep up with Microsoft’s evolving security standard means:

• Lower Secure Score
• Increased vulnerability to cyberattacks
• Potential compliance issues and reputational damage

For local businesses like yours, this can lead to costly downtime and lost trust. Risks that are entirely avoidable with the right approach.

Improving and maintaining your Microsoft 365 security posture isn’t a one-off task. It’s an ongoing cycle of improvement and monitoring. Here’s what it looks like:

• Review your current configuration and identify gaps against Microsoft’s recommendations
• Outline actions to raise your Secure Score to a strong level (typically 70+, where possible)
• Identify any actions that might affect end users (e.g. changing sign-in policies and enabling MFA) and plan implementation to avoid disruption

• Monitor and adjust settings as Microsoft releases new features and policies
• Apply relevant changes to maintain your 365 security posture over time
• Keep your environment aligned with best practices, so your business is never left behind

Microsoft 365 is often mission-critical software and functionality for Brighton businesses. However, its constant updates and evolving security requirements make it hard to stay protected without expert help.

Cyber threats are growing and attackers can target misconfigured or outdated environments with poor 365 security. Falling behind best practices can lead to data breaches, downtime and compliance issues.

Working with AJT Managed IT Services, you’ll get:

• Hands-on expertise to configure and optimise your Microsoft 365 tenant for optimum security
• Proactive monitoring and maintenance to keep your security posture strong as Microsoft releases new features and policies
• Clear communication and minimal disruption, working with you to implement changes that protect your business without impacting productivity
• Optional reporting, giving you transparency into work done and confidence that your environment is secure
• A trust partner focused on reducing risk, improving resilience and helping your business thrive

*https://expertinsights.com/email-security/microsoft-365-usage-and-security-statistics-for-2024