Microsoft Office 365 Hardening
Signing up for Microsoft Office 365 is easy. While uploading documents, setting up email, and sharing data may provide immediate benefits to your team, security issues are often overlooked.
Using cloud services has never been easier. Between Google and Microsoft, more data than ever is stored on public cloud servers, available from anywhere in the world. Before Office 365, your email and business data lived safely on your business network, generally hidden away from prying eyes. As long as your firewall was keeping the bad guys out, your data was relatively safe.
Cloud services has changed our safety expectations. When you upload your confidential data to the cloud, it is available from anywhere – after all, that’s half the benefit of cloud services. Without a proper plan in place to secure your data, you could be exposing your business to possible data loss, fines, and reputation damage.
My dad once said, “Just because you can buy a ticket on a plane doesn’t mean you should ride in the cockpit.” Microsoft has brought the power of the cloud to businesses everywhere, but have you secured your cloud environment?
Microsoft Office 365 Hardening
Effective security is about balancing accessibility with data protection. Too much of either can compromise your systems or your processes. Luckily Microsoft has provided enhanced capabilities to both protect your privacy while allowing your team to limitlessly collaborate. Learn more about Microsoft Office 365 Hardening below.
Azure Active Directory
Restrict access permissions and block insecure authentication protocols. Proper limitations for your team will help ensure they don’t accidentally grant permission to access your data to a malicious actor. Fake software and services rely on vulnerable employees handing over the keys to the kingdom.
Sharepoint and OneDrive
Limiting the duration for external data shares can help prevent data exposure weeks and months after the share was created. Versioning can help ensure protection from accidental data loss or ransomware infection.
Exchange Online
Email encryption, mailbox management limitations, and outbound spam filtering can help ensure your systems aren’t compromised with a persistent threat. Anti-phishing and anti-malware protections can further protect your team from email compromise.
Auditing and Reporting
Logging of access, policy changes, and rule creation can help keep systems secure and provide additional information should a breach occur. By reviewing malware threats and provisioning reports, intrusion attempts can be halted before sensitive data is stolen.
Microsoft Teams
Disabling file sharing and storage can help keep sensitive data safe. Additional steps should be taken identifying guess access limitations, external access to communication channels, and 3rd party application integration.
Contact Us to Protect Your Microsoft Office 365 environment
Interested in learning how you can increase efficiency, improve culture, and win new business with a Microsoft Office 365 Hardening engagement? Schedule a consultation and learn about the powerful protections available through Microsoft Office 365 today.
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