There’s no doubt that the future is in the cloud. For companies that massively depend on remote working practices, that future is today. Cloud storage systems are well-built, but with Microsoft Office 365 receiving prominence, your once-physical offices are turning digital. However, new claims about the mishandling of customer data by Microsoft have raised many security concerns. The question now is about Office 365 Security?
What are the Security Concerns in Office 365 Cloud?
When companies plan to move to the cloud, their data’s security must be paramount. Microsoft takes the security of its Office 365 license holders very seriously. Moreover, that’s why companies of all sizes continue to count on Microsoft’s data security infrastructure. Including the processes used to power all the Office 365 apps.
Below are the common security problems when using Office 365 cloud:
- Legal and compliance: The standard retention periods of Microsoft alone might not be sufficient to meet compliance requirements. Having archiving solution and a third-party backup from Office 365 indicates you can set your retention policies safeguarding your business from expensive charges and reputational damage.
- Service provider outages: You’d lose access to your data if Microsoft were to go offline. Nonetheless, having an external backup would make it simple and fast to get back up and running. It is an essential step in your Office 365 security.
- Security risks: Mitigate the risks of important data being lost or ruined with regular backups of your O365 data. Recover right away from data loss events.
- Incidental deletion: Let’s say you deleted a user. Whether you planned it or not, that deletion is simulated across the network. Having a dependable and solid backup solution indicates you can keep users right away, either to O365 or on-premises Exchange, with less disruption.
Top Security Features in Office 365
For most, security is the major concern when we talk about cloud migration. The cloud provides obvious benefits over on-premises services when it comes to collaboration and storage. However, organizations are sometimes hesitant to leap as they think migration to the cloud will leave their data more vulnerable.
Here are some of the security features you’ll get.
- OneDrive for ransomware protection and file protection: Office 365 offers users file restore tools allowing them to revert to previous and non-corrupted versions of files within moments of experiencing the threat’s effects.
- Improved email encryption: Outlook.com is now presenting a selection of new encryption functionalities, which guarantee hackers cannot break into user emails and get sensitive and valuable files and data.
- Improved email control: Office 365 understands the risks of an email forwarded to the wrong individual—sensitive data passed along without the knowledge of the initial sender. That’s why emails delivered through Outlook could now be restricted by the sender to avoid forwarding.
- Identify suspicious links in Office 365: Infected and suspicious links are the easiest ways for cybercriminals to prey on companies. They provide a gateway for such threats to take advantage of unsuspecting users. Luckily, Office 365 allows admins to vet and check links to easily locate if URLs are fraudulent or dangerous.
Role of Multi-Factor Authentication in Office 365
Most cloud-based systems offer their multi-factor authentically offerings, such as the Microsoft Office 365 product. Did you know that Office 365 security by default utilizes Azure Active Directory (AD) as its authentication system? However, you will find some limitations to that.
For instance, you have only four basic options regarding what type of extra authentication factor you can use:.
- Oauth Token,
- Voice,
- SMS,
- Microsoft Authenticator.
You might also need to spend more on licensing depending on the option type you like accessible and whether or not you like you to control which users will need to use multi-factor authentication.
Moreover, enabling MFA allows email accounts in Office 365 to become more secure and complicated to hack. In fact, Microsoft started rolling out their mandatory multi-factor authentication in Office 365 in 2019 to specific companies and partner accounts. They understand how crucial multi-factor authentication is, and that’s why they made it a default.
Also check Office 365 Cloud Solution from EPC Group
What is advanced threat protection for Office 365
Microsoft Office 365’s Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is a cloud-based filtering service that aims to safeguard the organization against malware and viruses, including zero-day attacks. It can safeguard Microsoft 365 services such as Exchange Online in your company against the unidentified complicated threats or newest viruses, which haven’t been studied yet and can’t be identified by the newest virus signature databases.
Advanced Threat Protection in Office 365 utilizes policies configured by a system administrator. It then filters data, suspicious actions, and other parameters at the recipient, user, domain, and organization level. AIT could work-integrated along with Office 365 Threat Intelligence and Exchange Online Protection.
Using Advanced Threat Protection in the cloud allows you to offload your protection systems and mail servers on the mail servers, including on-premises. However, it’s not suggested to turn off Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection.
Importance of Mobile Device Management and Role of Intune
With the emergence of the pandemic and work from home policies, investigations have become more challenging to manage in part due to more data that can be stored on different mobile devices. Hence, mobile device management (MDM) utilities and software are necessary for collecting and identifying data for an internal investigation.
MDM software help companies manage and track the use of mobile devices, laptops, and tablets by staff. It can guarantee that equipment is properly configured and updated in a scalable, standardized, and consistent way.
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based management tool for mobile devices and desktops that helps enterprises offer their staff access to corporate applications, resources, and data of their choice while protecting company information.
Working with Microsoft 365 Security Reports
One of the efficient ways you could have a huge impact on your company is through reporting on Office 365.
With Office 365 reporting, Microsoft upped the chances compared to what was possible in the past. Before, there was little more than PowerShell for reporting. Nonetheless, they still only deliver a high level of overview while the new reporting features are awesome.
Luckily, Microsoft have launched an API that allows third party developers to make monitoring tools, which offers users even better and higher granularity about how Office 365 is being utilized.
MVISION Cloud for Office 365
MVISION Cloud for Microsoft Office 365 extends the available inclusive security solution that McAfee MVISION Cloud has for Office 365. That solution accompanies Team’s capacities by using an API-based cloud-native method. That enables IT teams to enforce data loss prevention policies and collaboration controls, audit all user activity, deal with threats from compromised accounts and insiders, contextual access control, and secure corporate data as users work in the cloud.
With MVISION Cloud for Office 365 , enterprises could answer employee’s requests for a collaboration platform and enforcing the security capacities they need to keep information safe at the same time. Also, the program offers a complete selection of security, governance, and compliance capabilities, such as:
- On-the-go security for the on-the-go policies
- Forensic investigations
- Threat prevention
- Comprehensive remediation
- Collaboration control
- Modern data security
- A unified, cloud-native security platform
Implementing and role of Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is a new tool, which has been made accessible to add-on to your Office 365 package. It scans the attachments and links arriving in your inboxes to make sure they’re not malicious.
ATP allows businesses to protect their users and their inboxes against potential attacks in real-time. Malicious attachments and links are scanned to guarantee zero-day protection. In case you didn’t know, zero-date is the term for new cyber threats, and there are no measures or patches designed yet to protect against them.
Advanced Threat Protection is the newest security tool that Office 365 measures has made accessible to add to Office 365. The idea of the tool is that it offers an extra layer of security to a user’s inbox to mitigate any incident clicks that can often happen.
EPCGroup For Office 365 Consulting and Implementation Partner
Joining the modern workplace allows your distributed workforce to collaborate virtually. The cloud-based platform of Office 365 offers your team the necessary tools to streamline regular operations and design systems that users will really enjoy.
As your official Microsoft Office 365 consulting and implementation partner, EPCGroup is here to make sure you never miss a beat in your workplace, despite location or time differences. You can rest assured that our team of modern professionals will help you unlock the potential of your workplace and get your business up and running more effectively than ever.
Moreover, we are committed to helping our customers with Office 365 security and transition to the modern workplace. Bringing applications, content, and people together in one place is what makes us the premier Office 365 Consulting and Implementation provider.
EPCGroup is here to support your company’s workflow and help you take the step in using the tools and software you already have. We help automate and update your platforms, giving your employees more time to concentrate on things that matter.
Our specialists will partner with your organization each step of the way, connecting along with stakeholders to learn your organization’s needs and identify what tools and technologies are required for success. Call us today to get a free consultation!
