Increasing your Cyber Security Posture with Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Many businesses are looking for ways to increase their cyber security in the wake of recent high-profile cyber-attacks. Microsoft 365 Business Premium is a comprehensive security solution that can help protect your business data from threats like ransomware and phishing. Microsoft 365 Business Premium leverages powerful Microsoft security tools like Defender for Business (Next Generation Anti-Virus and Endpoint Detection and Response Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a cybersecurity technology designed to monitor and respond to threats on network endpoints. These endpoints include devices such as laptops, desktops, servers, and mobile devices. EDR solutions provide continuous and comprehensive visibility into what?s happening on these endpoints, enabling organizations to detect malicious activities that could compromise their network security. Key features and benefits of EDR include: Continuous Monitoring: EDR tools continuously monitor endpoints for any signs of suspicious or malicious activities. This real-time surveillance ensures that potential threats are identified promptly. Threat Detection: By utilizing advanced analytics and machine learning, EDR solutions can detect both known and unknown threats. They analyze patterns and behaviors to identify anomalies that may indicate malicious activity. Incident Response: EDR solutions equip security teams with the tools needed to investigate and respond to incidents. They provide detailed activity logs and forensic data to help understand how an attack occurred and how it can be mitigated. Automated Remediation: Some EDR tools offer automated response capabilities, allowing for immediate containment and remediation of threats. This reduces the time it takes to neutralize threats and minimizes potential damage. Integration: EDR solutions often integrate with other security tools and systems, such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, to provide a more comprehensive security posture. This integration can enhance overall threat detection and response capabilities. Endpoint Visibility: EDR provides detailed visibility into endpoint activities, helping organizations understand what is happening on their network. This visibility is crucial for identifying potential security gaps and improving overall security strategies. Implementing EDR is vital for modern cybersecurity defense, as it enhances the ability to detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats. By providing a deeper understanding of endpoint activities, EDR solutions help organizations maintain a robust security posture and protect sensitive data from cyber threats. – NGAV/ EDR Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a cybersecurity technology designed to monitor and respond to threats on network endpoints. These endpoints include devices such as laptops, desktops, servers, and mobile devices. EDR solutions provide continuous and comprehensive visibility into what?s happening on these endpoints, enabling organizations to detect malicious activities that could compromise their network security. Key features and benefits of EDR include: Continuous Monitoring: EDR tools continuously monitor endpoints for any signs of suspicious or malicious activities. This real-time surveillance ensures that potential threats are identified promptly. Threat Detection: By utilizing advanced analytics and machine learning, EDR solutions can detect both known and unknown threats. They analyze patterns and behaviors to identify anomalies that may indicate malicious activity. Incident Response: EDR solutions equip security teams with the tools needed to investigate and respond to incidents. They provide detailed activity logs and forensic data to help understand how an attack occurred and how it can be mitigated. Automated Remediation: Some EDR tools offer automated response capabilities, allowing for immediate containment and remediation of threats. This reduces the time it takes to neutralize threats and minimizes potential damage. Integration: EDR solutions often integrate with other security tools and systems, such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, to provide a more comprehensive security posture. This integration can enhance overall threat detection and response capabilities. Endpoint Visibility: EDR provides detailed visibility into endpoint activities, helping organizations understand what is happening on their network. This visibility is crucial for identifying potential security gaps and improving overall security strategies. Implementing EDR is vital for modern cybersecurity defense, as it enhances the ability to detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats. By providing a deeper understanding of endpoint activities, EDR solutions help organizations maintain a robust security posture and protect sensitive data from cyber threats. ), Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 (Email security), Azure Information Protection Plan 1 (Email Encryption and Data Labeling), Data Compliance (Litigation Hold), Azure Active Directory Plan 1 (Identity Management and SSO), and Intune (Device management. In this blog post, we'll look at some of the key features of Microsoft 365 Business Premium and how they can help keep your business safe.

Features overview with Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the perfect solution for your business needs. Not only does it provide the latest version of Office applications, like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but with individual user cloud-based storage via OneDrive, and organization-wide cloud storage through SharePoint and Outlook email, you can access all your documents from anywhere. This platform also includes Mobile Device Management Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a type of security software used by IT departments to monitor, manage, and secure employees' mobile devices that are deployed across multiple mobile service providers and across multiple mobile operating systems being used in the organization. MDM is a core component of enterprise mobility management (EMM). The MDM software enables the deployment and enforcement of company policies on mobile devices, ensuring that sensitive business data is protected while still allowing employees the flexibility to use their own devices for work purposes. Key features of MDM include remote device configuration, application deployment, data encryption, and compliance enforcement. MDM tools allow IT administrators to remotely lock or wipe devices if they are lost or stolen, preventing unauthorized access to corporate data. Additionally, MDM solutions can push software updates and patches to devices, ensuring that they remain secure and up-to-date. MDM is particularly critical as the use of mobile devices in the workplace continues to grow. With employees increasingly accessing corporate networks and data from smartphones and tablets, MDM helps organizations maintain robust security protocols and manage the diverse range of devices and operating systems in use. By implementing MDM, businesses can enhance their data security, improve operational efficiency, and support a more flexible, mobile workforce. and cyberthreat protection, which provides a secure virtual environment to keep data safe and protected from online threats. Furthermore, Microsoft 365 Business Premium gives you 60 minutes of Skype calling monthly to stay in touch with colleagues or clients. Every feature of this comprehensive suite helps simplify people's lives, making businesses more efficient and effective.

Cyber Security overview with Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium provides businesses with robust, intelligent security to help protect business data from cyber threats. It features built-in advanced threat protection, which allows companies to detect, investigate and respond to advanced attacks more quickly (Defender for Office 365 Plan 1) and solid identity and access management tools (Azure Active Directory Plan 1). It also offers Data Loss Prevention Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a set of strategies and tools designed to prevent the unauthorized access, use, transmission, or leakage of sensitive information from an organization. The primary goal of DLP is to safeguard confidential data, ensure regulatory compliance, and protect intellectual property. DLP solutions monitor, detect, and respond to potential data breaches by enforcing policies that control data flow within the network and across endpoint devices. DLP systems typically incorporate three key functionalities: Identification and Classification: DLP tools identify and classify sensitive data based on predefined criteria, such as data type, location, and behavioral patterns. Common categories include Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Payment Card Information (PCI), and Protected Health Information (PHI). Monitoring and Inspection: Continuous monitoring and inspection of data in motion (e.g., network traffic), data at rest (e.g., stored data), and data in use (e.g., active processes) are conducted to ensure that sensitive information is not exposed to unauthorized entities. Policy Enforcement and Response: Enforcement of data protection policies that dictate how data can be accessed and shared. When a policy violation is detected, the DLP solution can trigger automated responses such as alerts, encryption, quarantine, or blocking of data transfer. DLP can be deployed across various points in an organization, including endpoints (e.g., laptops, desktops), networks (e.g., email, internet), and cloud environments. Implementing a robust DLP strategy is vital for organizations to mitigate the risks associated with data breaches, protect their reputation, and avoid potential financial and legal repercussions. By utilizing DLP solutions, businesses can ensure that critical data remains secure while enabling authorized users to perform their duties without compromising the organization's integrity. Some popular DLP tools include Symantec DLP, McAfee Total Protection for DLP, and Forcepoint DLP. These solutions offer comprehensive features tailored to address the unique needs of organizations across different industries. solutions through Litigation Hold, Content Searching, Data-loss-prevention ( DLP Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a set of strategies and tools designed to prevent the unauthorized access, use, transmission, or leakage of sensitive information from an organization. The primary goal of DLP is to safeguard confidential data, ensure regulatory compliance, and protect intellectual property. DLP solutions monitor, detect, and respond to potential data breaches by enforcing policies that control data flow within the network and across endpoint devices. DLP systems typically incorporate three key functionalities: Identification and Classification: DLP tools identify and classify sensitive data based on predefined criteria, such as data type, location, and behavioral patterns. Common categories include Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Payment Card Information (PCI), and Protected Health Information (PHI). Monitoring and Inspection: Continuous monitoring and inspection of data in motion (e.g., network traffic), data at rest (e.g., stored data), and data in use (e.g., active processes) are conducted to ensure that sensitive information is not exposed to unauthorized entities. Policy Enforcement and Response: Enforcement of data protection policies that dictate how data can be accessed and shared. When a policy violation is detected, the DLP solution can trigger automated responses such as alerts, encryption, quarantine, or blocking of data transfer. DLP can be deployed across various points in an organization, including endpoints (e.g., laptops, desktops), networks (e.g., email, internet), and cloud environments. Implementing a robust DLP strategy is vital for organizations to mitigate the risks associated with data breaches, protect their reputation, and avoid potential financial and legal repercussions. By utilizing DLP solutions, businesses can ensure that critical data remains secure while enabling authorized users to perform their duties without compromising the organization's integrity. Some popular DLP tools include Symantec DLP, McAfee Total Protection for DLP, and Forcepoint DLP. These solutions offer comprehensive features tailored to address the unique needs of organizations across different industries. ), and Azure Information Protection Plan 1, allowing businesses to limit the risk of sharing confidential business information or sharing or accessed without authorization. Microsoft 365 Business Premium also gives companies a unified view of their organization’s devices through Intune, helping them better secure the security posture of their assets. With this intelligent combination of modern solutions for cyber security protection, businesses can be sure that their data is protected from potential cyber threats.

Device management with Intune

Microsoft 365 Intune and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) security allows organizations to provide a secure computing environment for remote employees utilizing their devices. At its core, Microsoft 365 Intune gives IT admins control over hardware, software, and applications brought into the organization by allowing device enrollment, remote policy setting, and application deployment. BYOD security enhances this by allowing employees to use their personal devices while keeping company data secure. In addition, it will enable admins to establish restrictive policies regarding data sharing and access and push out software updates remotely. Ultimately, Microsoft 365 Intune seeks to empower both employers and employees to securely engage with each other in an increasingly mobile workplace.

Tips on using Business Premium

To get the most out of Microsoft 365 Business Premium to protect from cyber threats, it is important to stay organized and up to date. Using features such as threat protection provided by Microsoft Security to monitor for malicious activity and unsecured connections through Defender for Business (Anti-Virus) and Office 365 Plan 1 (Email security) is also critical. Configure email filters for domains protected with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS). Additionally, regularly update applications, including Windows OS and Office suite, mainly when patches are released through Intune. Data can be saved frequently to OneDrive or SharePoint to ensure critical data remains secure in the case of any potential attack. Finally, consider investing in highly authenticated protection measures such as biometric authentication networks or identification token solutions within your organization’s infrastructure to protect against cyber threats. Windows 10/11 has built-in features, like Windows Hello, that allow businesses to set up biometric sign-ins.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is an excellent tool for small businesses to increase productivity and protect themselves against cyber threats. By using some of the features like two-factor authentication and malware protection, you can help keep your business safe from attacks. If you have any questions about how to use Microsoft 365 Business Premium or need support, please don't hesitate to contact us. We would happily help you get the most out of this product.