Article Best Practices for Services Providers on Microsoft 365 Security

New trends in IT are constantly emerging, but one thing always stays the same: the constant need for more, better, and stronger security. Hackers of today are well-organised, very professional and more ruthless than ever. They are inexhaustible in finding new tricks to steal valuable data from innocent users. Phishing, viruses and worms, DDoS attacks, cookie theft, spoofing, malware injections… And as a service provider, it is up to you to provide security services to keep your customers safe from harm. A great challenge!

So many threats, so many solutions

With the surge in cybercrime, security is top of mind for most CEOs. As a service provider you can offer them an array of IT security services to keep hackers at bay: upgrading and patching, installing firewalls and virus scanners, monitoring and detection, penetration tests, advanced user authorisation, and so on. There are many options to secure the online assets of your customers. But the first step is ensuring that only verified users have access to their IT environment and data. The best way to do so is to install Multi Factor Authentication (MFA). 

Multi Factor Authentication for safe and easy log-in

Installing Multi Factor Authentication in MS365 is simply a matter of ticking the right boxes to add an extra layer of security to the IT environment. The process itself is pretty straightforward: when a user enters his or her username and password, the software asks for an extra verification code to confirm identity. After entering this code (generated by an authenticator app or sent by text message or SMS) the user gets access to the online workplace. 

MFA makes it harder for cybercriminals to mess with user accounts, but never underestimate them. One of the latest tricks they use to bypass MFA is snatching cookies or buying them from even darker places. Then there are the endless helpdesks that lure users into giving their identity 'voluntarily' away. MFA is one of the most reliable safety measures to secure user accounts, but additional security is still needed to keep online assets safe. 

M365 Defender: one platform for integrated security

No matter what precautions you take, some security incidents are simply inevitable. The most dedicated employee might fall into the trap of downloading malware, and even the best software might be vulnerable to code injection. Just hope for the best and prepare for the worst by optimally securing and monitoring your IT environment. Though you cannot prevent every single incident, you can take precautionary measures to prevent worse.

Still, cloud infrastructure is often complex and consists of numerous servers, databases, applications, devices, and interfaces, so where do you start monitoring? A modern cloud platform like Microsoft 365 helps you to monitor the different components in your cloud environment and to keep track of all online traffic in the network. It offers one unique unified portal for all MS security solutions:

• Microsoft Defender provides a powerful set of filters preventing and detecting different types of cyberattacks across different domains.
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is an enterprise endpoint security platform designed to protect all devices connected to the network.
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365 focuses on protecting the Office 365 applications and collaboration tools like Outlook, Teams and Sharepoint. 
• Microsoft Defender for Identity is integrated with the Active Directory to protect (user) accounts against identity theft.
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, (the former Cloud App Security) is an innovative service broker that allows users to log in safely on different devices and applications even outside the Microsoft environment, with one single sign-on. 

The integrated Microsoft 365 Defender portal gives you as a service provider more grip on the security signals from different environments and customers. That enables you to analyse irregularities, assess the impact, and get your priorities straight. 

Also for on-prem security

Not all organisations want to move entirely to the cloud, as some prefer to keep (part of) their local infrastructure. In that case, Defender for Business is a great choice. After all, cybercriminals target not only large companies. Smaller organisations are usually seen as easy prey by hackers since they mostly don't have their own IT department, and so many other things on their minds. 

Defender for Business is available for small and medium enterprises up to 300 FTEs. Service providers can integrate Defender for Business with Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools and Professional Service Automation (PSA) software. This way, you enable all your customers to stay safe and healthy. 

Need help?

Are you interested in the Security services that Microsoft 365 can offer your business? We at Insight have been working with partners like you across Europe for many years. We help them to find ways to optimise security, reduce costs and maximise revenue by providing valuable time, knowledge, and support in many (hybrid) cloud scenarios. 

Contact one of our cloud specialists to find out how we can support you in optimising your ambitions in line with your business goals. 

Further reading?

Follow our blogs on cloud adoption or read our client stories to find out what others say.