10 Microsoft 365 for Business security tips

Microsoft 365 Business plans, including Basic, Standard, and Premium, come equipped with security features like anti-phishing, anti-spam, and anti-malware protection. The Premium plan offers additional security features such as device security, advanced threat protection, and information protection. This article provides guidance on securing your data using Microsoft 365 for Business and compares the security capabilities across its plans. 

How to maintain your Microsoft 365 for Business environment secure

Use Multi-Factor Authentication 

Multi-factor authentication is a crucial measure in protecting your business data. With MFA, individuals must provide a code from their phone or authentication app when logging into Microsoft 365. This extra layer of security helps prevent unauthorized access in case a hacker obtains your password. 

Protect your Admin Accounts 

Administrator accounts have increased privileges, making them a target for cyberattacks. It is important to properly manage the number of admin and user accounts for your business. Additionally, it is recommended to follow the principle of least privilege in information security, granting only necessary access to data and operations for users and applications to perform their tasks. 

Use Preset Security policies 

Your subscription comes with preconfigured security policies that utilize recommended settings for anti-spam, anti-malware, and anti-phishing defense. Learn more about this topic in this Microsoft article.  

Protect all devices 

Every device presents a potential entry point for attacks on your network and must be set up appropriately. 

See the following articles:

• Help users set up MFA on their devices
• Protect unmanaged Windows and Mac computers
• Set up managed devices (requires Microsoft 365 Business Premium or Microsoft Defender for Business) 

Train your team on email best practices 

Emails can disguise harmful attacks as harmless communications. Email systems are particularly susceptible, as they are handled by all members of an organization, and the safety of these communications relies on each individual’s actions. It is important to train everyone to recognize signs of spam, phishing attempts, spoofing, and malware in their emails. 

Use Microsoft Teams as your collaboration and communication hub 

The most secure way to collaborate and share is through Microsoft Teams. It provides a secure environment for all your files and communications, ensuring that they are not stored in vulnerable locations outside the platform. 

Configure the sharing settings for SharePoint and OneDrive files and folders 

The default sharing levels for SharePoint and OneDrive may be set to a more lenient level than is appropriate. It is advisable to review and adjust the default settings, if necessary, to enhance the protection of your business. Provide access only to the minimum necessary for individuals to perform their tasks. 

Use Microsoft 365 Apps on devices 

Outlook and Microsoft 365 Apps, facilitate productive and secure work across devices. Whether you’re utilizing the web or desktop version of the app, you can start working on a document on one device and continue on another. Instead of sending files as email attachments, you can share links to documents stored in SharePoint or OneDrive. 

Manage calendar sharing 

You can facilitate effective collaboration in your organization by managing the appropriate sharing of calendars. You can control the level of detail shared, such as restricting the information to only free/busy times. 

Maintain your environment 

Once the initial setup and configuration of Microsoft 365 for Business is completed, it is important to establish a maintenance and operations plan. As personnel changes occur, you will need to add or remove users, reset passwords, and possibly reset devices to their original factory settings. Additionally, it is important to ensure that individuals have access to only the resources necessary for their job duties. 

We hope this information was helpful. For more details you can read the complete Microsoft guide ‘’How to secure your business data with Microsoft 365 for Business’’. Remember that our Microsoft licensing specialists are available through chat, phone, and email for further support or to answer your questions.