Eight Security Features of Office 365

Do you worry that HACKERS may try and steal your sensitive data? Learn how to improve your cybersecurity and AVOID ATTACKS with Microsoft Office 365 features.

What security options do Office 365 features provide, and why are they important for your small business? If you don't take steps to avoid cyberattacks, your company's finances and personal information could be at risk. This post explains how Office 365 features can save you from disaster.

Microsoft 365 E5 has many built-in security features. As a business owner, you should consider utilizing these resources to get the most out of your network and cloud storage protection. If your current security software is not delivering optimal results — especially when shifting toward remote operations — Office 365 features can save you from unnecessary stress.

Professionals from the top-rated managed service provider in Corona, CA, explain everything you need to know. See how your company can avoid falling victim to cyberattacks with 24/7 threat identification software. Once you finish reading, invest in a cybersecurity company that can keep your business running smoothly.

What Is Microsoft Office 365?

Microsoft Office is a collection of intuitive workplace-enhancing computer applications. Whether you own a small company of 50-200 employees or an international corporation, this software can help streamline your operations. Microsoft Office 365 E5 is an enterprise variation of the core program and offers three essential features:

Security Controls

Integrated tools automate network security functions and monitor activity for potential cyber threats. Depending on the scope of your company's digital framework, applying these features could minimize the risk of cyberattacks or eliminate them altogether. Most companies that utilize Office 365 invest in a managed service provider (MSP) to locate vulnerabilities and provide updates when needed.

Compliance

You can enjoy centralized compliance features when investing in Microsoft 365 E5. Its information protection capabilities help govern and shield data from attacks. Additionally, these programs help your company obey regulatory and organizational criteria.

Compliance features make it easier for MSPs to identify unusual discrepancies in network activity and the sources of potential threats.

Analytics

Among security prevention features, Microsoft Office 365 E5 provides user-friendly analytic dashboards. Workers can extract data and obtain insights from these resources. Successful companies in Corona, CA, often use these features to discover new business potential.

How Can These Features Protect Sensitive Data From Disasters?

Cyber attacks on businesses are more common than you may expect. Small to medium-sized companies are generally at a higher risk of attack due to lowered security capabilities. By investing in Microsoft Office 365 features, your company could become a smaller target for hackers, phishing scams, and more.

Consider which types of disasters these programs can protect against:

Hacking Attacks

Hacking is the unauthorized access of persons or entities in a company's private digital framework. Since a hacker can infiltrate a network using dozens of different strategies, it can be challenging to protect your data against attacks without assistance. Microsoft Office provides monitoring features that respond immediately to suspicious activity.

Additionally, it provides data leak prevention (DLP) that prohibits the transfer of sensitive data outside the company. This solution makes it harder for hackers to take advantage of your network.

Network Failures

Network failures can be a persistent annoyance for companies with weak IT infrastructure. These disasters contribute to lower employee retention rates and create vulnerabilities for an attack. To avoid these problems, Microsoft Office enables your company to increase its OneDrive cloud storage capacity by up to 25 TB.

You can back up your data in another secure location to prevent loss or delays during network failures. Depending on the quality of your current MSP, network failures can take hours to resolve. That is why investing in Office 365 mitigation features can keep the wheels turning throughout the day.

Power Failures

Like network failures, a sudden loss of power in the office can destroy your data. Having the capacity to offload large quantities of digital information in a secure location can save your company during power outages, fires, or floods.

Optimizing Staff

As a business owner, you have an obligation to protect the personal data of your staff. Microsoft Defender provides identity monitoring and protection features that will investigate compromised identities, suspicious insider behavior, and other threats. Owning this highly secure productivity software might encourage staff retention and promote a safe workplace environment.

Microsoft Office 365 is also compatible with mobile devices such as phones and tablets. Employees who use Windows or Mac can access these security features without hassle.

What Are the Best Security Features of Office 365?

Now that you understand how this program can benefit your company, explore the best features of Office 365 for security.

1. Azure AD

Identity and access management tools improve security when logging into Microsoft Office 365. Azure AD allows employees to use single sign-on credentials when accessing all Office 365 features. For greater account protection, users can set up multi-step verification logins.

Azure AD premium provides advanced monitoring and alerts if you want to improve your software’s response to suspicious activity. Administrators can investigate and resolve incidents with greater ease using these security features.

2. Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender is a network-enhancing and web-blocking security solution with enterprise-grade endpoint protection. It includes an easy-to-navigate dashboard where users can view their risk assessment score and suspicious command line activity. Companies that regularly receive external emails can use Microsoft Defender to filter out email phishing and other malicious messages.

It also uses a complex algorithm to prioritize responses for more significant threats. Some companies suffer from multiple cyber attacks every year. Microsoft Defender can help remediate these problems with automated systems and cross-platform compatibility.

3. MIP/MIG

Owning capable information protection and governance systems is essential for any small to medium-sized business. Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) routinely classifies and secures organization-critical data across the company's entire infrastructure. Microsoft Information Governance (MIG) features manage, import, and secure this information.

MIG is ideal for governing sensitive information and ensuring compliance with company standards.

4. Risk Management Tools

Outside attacks can impair a company within minutes. However, internal disasters can be just as threatening to sensitive data. Microsoft Office 365 provides risk management tools that minimize threats occurring within the network. Administrators can establish settings that define risks and allow the program to monitor activity for discrepancies.

These proactive tools allow your company to stay ahead of problems that may threaten sensitive data. Your MSP can quickly identify and protect vulnerabilities before cyber criminals or network failures compromise information.

5. Power BI

Viewing performance reports can help you adjust your cybersecurity strategy when necessary. Power BI constructs interactive insights you can use to translate and share activity coming from your digital infrastructure. Some of these features include spreadsheets, secure data pools, and multi-layered storage options.

Power BI reinforces your existing cybersecurity solutions while offering the metric tools to facilitate better decision-making.

6. Cloud Security

In modern business, cloud security is fundamental to a company's cybersecurity infrastructure. You can shield your cloud storage data with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. These programs support reverse proxy deployment and API connectors for optimal performance.

Office 365 features also include complex metrics that improve your visibility of digital data travel. This program makes tracking threats across third-party cloud systems more accessible.

7. eDiscovery

Compiling information for internal and external investigations has never been easier. eDiscovery improves the analytic capabilities of administrators by centralizing digital audits.

This feature extends the scope of audit log retention so that you can track older activity. It also makes it easier for legal teams to collect information across a wide range of user activities.

8. Third-Party Compatibility

Microsoft Office 365 makes it safe to move data from third-party locations. Users can connect with social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn without compromising their company's network. Administrators can also view archived material in the Office 365 compliance dashboard.

Which Microsoft 365 Office Features and Benefits Suit Your Operations?

Which Microsoft 365 Office features are a must-have for small business owners?

The scale of your digital operation determines which features will benefit you the most. For example, professional MSPs recommend using a combination of security features if you store financial or personal information on your network. At the very least, investing in a solid automated threat response system with analytic capabilities is wise.

An MSP can assess your digital architecture and make necessary recommendations.

How Else Can You Protect Your Data With Microsoft 365 Features?

You can enhance your security policy with some basic wisdom and safe practices:

Password Protection

Never make any workplace information accessible to users without a password. Establishing multi-factor verifications is a safe way to protect sensitive data. These passwords usually require security questions or personal ID codes to prove authorization.

Change your password every few months to avoid opening the door to unnecessary vulnerabilities. Additionally, ensure that your staff does not use information for their passwords that hackers can find on social media, like the names of pets or family.

Administration

Securing your administrative accounts should be a top priority. These accounts usually provide extra network privileges that hackers can exploit. Privileged Identity Management with Office 365 makes it easier to avoid exposure to threats and designate temporary administration privileges to other users.

Encryption

Cybercriminals can intercept data in transit if you don't deploy the proper encryption tools. Microsoft Office 365 features, like BitLocker, allow you to protect files on your Windows system.

Alternatively, you can use TLS connections to protect saved data on a company cloud network. Encryption also enables users to send messages safely outside the organization. This perk helps streamline communications in and out of the office without worry.

MDM Tools

Does your company encourage workers to bring their own devices to the office? If so, you need to ensure they don't expose their smartphones or tablets to threats. Unsecure devices can invite devastating cyber attacks that compromise the company's network.

Fortunately, Office 365 provides built-in mobile device management (MDM) options that protect users when reading emails and accessing employee websites on their own devices. This feature will serve essential day-to-day operations as remote work becomes more popular for new companies.

Company Data Loss Policy

Creating a data loss prevention policy (DLP) is a great way to comply with safe work standards. Microsoft Office provides templates that help you build and amend your guidelines according to industry compliance requirements. These solutions help you record documents containing personal data (SSNs, phone numbers, etc.) and deploy automatic blocks on emails containing certain sensitive information.

Using ATP

Email phishing is one of the most popular methods for hackers to infiltrate a company's network. Although you can avoid most of these attacks by training your workforce to identify and report suspicious messages, phishing can sometimes be challenging to recognize. Turning on Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) can help reduce the risk of human error when receiving malicious emails or links.

These systems vet each message in a separate digital space before forwarding them to the recipient. ATP is an excellent first line of defense. It saves employees time from assessing malicious emails by throwing out messages that don't make it through the algorithm.

Employee Education

Although resources like ATP can minimize the risks of infiltration, your cyberstrategy should rely on more than just Office 365 features. Training your staff on identifying suspicious digital activity is an excellent way to stay safe.

Your cybersecurity solution will change over time. Keep your workforce up-to-date with new technology and software.

Remember that your workers don't need to be experts in computer science to avoid cyberattacks. Start by demonstrating how to recognize malicious links or other threatening communications. Lastly, ensure that each worker who uses the network can access security resources like Microsoft Office 365.

How Can You Start Protecting Your Data Today?

At TechWorks, we believe every small business should fortify its cybersecurity solution to defend against multiple threats. Our digital specialists provide proactive maintenance, disaster recovery services, Microsoft Office 365 optimizations, and more. Start protecting your business before advanced attacks can breach your network.

Our consultants have all the experience and wisdom necessary to monitor and shield your data from disaster. Enjoy friendly communication and professional advice when asking questions about how these Office 365 features can protect your data.