As businesses transition online, there’s a need for a reliable solution to help streamline business operations. In the world of cloud-based solutions and suites, few options get the job done as much as Office 365.
Office 365 is a leading suite of collaboration and productivity applications aiming to transform physical entities into online juggernauts. The benefits of going with Office 365 as your choice of cloud-based solution are incomparable with the costs. However, there’s one thing everyone needs to know beforehand.
Namely, the more businesses rely on cloud-based solutions, the greater the need for enhanced security. Why? Because Microsoft isn’t necessarily responsible for your data. Therefore, the responsibility of safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring robust protection against cyber threats falls on the customer’s shoulder.
To help you remain vigilant, acquiring Office 365 total protection solutions is clever. These solutions can be fully integrated with Office 365, and they’re the preferred security method for many.
But that doesn’t mean you cannot utilize the Microsoft Cloud app security array of protection features. Considering the need for a proactive and comprehensive approach to defending against potential vulnerabilities, this article will discuss the seven essential protection measures to strengthen your cloud defense and ensure the safety of your Office 365 environment.
Let’s begin.
Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a critical security measure that adds a layer of protection to user accounts in Office 365. MFA is an upgrade to the well-overdue legacy protocol authentication, which can’t implement modern authentication.
The way MFA improves the suite’s security is by requesting users to provide two or more forms of authentication before accessing their accounts. This can typically be a combination of something they know (like a password), something they have (such as a mobile device or security token), or something they are (like a fingerprint or facial recognition).
By enabling MFA, even if an attacker obtains a user’s password through phishing or other means, they won’t be able to access the account without the second authentication factor. Thus, MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and helps prevent security breaches.
Secure Administrative Privileges
Administrative accounts in Office 365 have elevated privileges that give them control over critical settings and data within the suite. Naturally, securing these accounts is paramount to maintaining a robust security posture. One way to do that is to limit the number of users with administrative rights. Ensure only those requiring them can access the suite with administrative privileges.
Furthermore, implement strong password policies, such as enforcing complex passwords and regular password changes. These two policies can drastically reduce data breaches by adding an additional layer of protection on top of existing measures.
Lastly, consider using the Privileged Identity Management (PIM) feature to enforce just-in-time access controls, granting temporary administrative privileges only when needed and for a limited time. This helps minimize the misuse of administrative rights.
Regularly Update and Patch
Cyber threats are constantly evolving, forcing businesses to look for new and sophisticated ways to defend cloud apps and mobile devices. But one security measure that rarely gets mentioned is the simple practice of patching and updating the Microsoft suite.
Hackers constantly look to exploit software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems and, therefore, data. Microsoft regularly releases security updates and patches for Microsoft 365 applications to address these vulnerabilities.
Therefore, make it a regular occurrence to update your Office 365 environment to ensure you are running the latest versions of software and have applied the most recent security patches. One way to automate the process is to have an employee with an administrator account enforce auto-patching and updating policies.
Automatically patching the suite will help streamline the process and make it more difficult for security threats to bypass your security features and measures.
Utilize Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policies
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is yet another critical aspect of Office 365 security, especially for businesses handling sensitive information. Such businesses are constantly at odds with hackers and threat actors. That’s where DLP policies come in handy. These policies enable organizations to identify, monitor, and protect sensitive data, preventing it from being shared or leaked unintentionally or maliciously.
Create DLP policies that detect sensitive data types, such as social security and bank numbers, or intellectual property being shared through Microsoft apps, including Microsoft Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint Online, and more.
Configure actions to be taken when violations occur, such as notifying users, blocking email transmission, or encrypting sensitive data.
Enable Email Protection Features
Email is a primary vector for cyberattacks. The importance of email in modern business communications cannot be overstated. Thus, securing your email is essential to improve cloud security and the overall security of the suite. Luckily, Office 365 offers built-in email protection features, including anti-phishing, anti-spam, anti-business email compromise, and malware scanning.
Enable these features to automatically scan incoming and outgoing emails for malicious content, suspicious links, and potential threats. Regularly review the email protection settings to ensure they are up to date and effectively mitigate emerging email threats.
Regular Backups and Recovery
Despite robust security measures, data loss incidents can occur due to human error, cyberattacks, or system failures. Therefore, implementing a reliable data backup and recovery strategy is crucial to ensure business continuity and minimize the impact of data loss.
Utilize Office 365’s built-in backup capabilities or consider third-party backup solutions that offer automated and regular backups of critical data and configurations. Test the recovery process periodically to verify that you can restore data quickly and accurately if needed.
Monitor and Analyze User Activity
Proactive monitoring of user activity is a powerful way to detect and respond to potential security incidents in Office 365. Utilize Office 365’s security and compliance centers to review user logs, access patterns, and login activity regularly.
Consider implementing User Behavior Analytics (UBA) tools that use AI and various machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior and identify deviations from normal patterns. This helps detect suspicious activity, such as unauthorized access attempts or abnormal data access, and allows for swift action to mitigate potential threats.
Conclusion
Securing your cloud services, such as the Office 365 environment, is essential to protect your organization’s data, reputation, and business continuity.
By implementing these seven protection measures, you can significantly strengthen your cloud defense against cyber threats. Instead of relying on the basic security defaults and measures, tinker with the suite’s security features to protect your data and prevent it from getting into the hands of the wrong people.