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By addressing vulnerabilities and strengthening your Microsoft 365 security posture, you can safeguard your critical data, protect your organization's reputation, and maintain the trust of your customers and stakeholders.

A recent CoreView study of 1.6 million Microsoft 365 users paints a concerning picture: a staggering 90% of organizations have misconfigurations leaving them exposed to attacks. Without the right strategy, IT teams are stuck manually sifting through gigabytes of audit logs, constantly on the lookout for vulnerabilities. When issues arise, a mad scramble ensues to fix them before attackers exploit the weaknesses.

This approach is clearly unsustainable, error-prone, and unacceptable for enterprise-grade organizations. IT teams deserve a more efficient and effective way to handle security operations in Microsoft 365.

Common Microsoft 365 Security Vulnerabilities to Watch Out For

Tenant misconfigurations are a leading cause of security headaches in Microsoft 365, stemming from admins failing to adjust default settings, implement best practices, or activate available security controls. Let's take a look at some common scenarios that can jeopardize your Microsoft 365 tenant security, often without you even realizing it:

• Disabled Unified Audit Logging (UAL): UAL logs user and admin actions across Microsoft 365 services. If disabled, it hinders forensic analysis and the ability to determine the root cause of security incidents. These logs are essential for breach detection and identifying suspicious activity.
• No Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Requirement: Not enforcing MFA, particularly for admin accounts, is a widespread misconfiguration that invites attackers to take over accounts. With only username and password authentication, threat actors can easily breach accounts through tactics like password spraying, phishing, and credential stuffing.
• Allowing Legacy Authentication Protocols: Older email protocols like POP3, IMAP, and SMTP lack support for modern authentication controls like MFA. Allowing these legacy protocols creates an opportunity for attackers to compromise accounts without needing additional verification beyond stolen credentials.
• Broad Global Administrator Privileges: Many Microsoft 365 tenants have too many global admins or don't adhere to least privilege principles for admin role assignments. Accounts with excessive privileges are prime targets for attackers, as compromising one grants extensive access to control Microsoft 365 configuration and data.
• Lack of Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policies: Without DLP policies in place, sensitive data can easily be exposed accidentally or maliciously through Microsoft 365 services like Exchange Online, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Not having DLP configured to identify, monitor, and protect critical data raises the risk of data leakage and compliance violations, a major concern under NIS 2 regulations.

Choosing the Right Security Platform for Microsoft 365

The right security solution for Microsoft 365 helps ensure consistent policy enforcement, minimizes human error, and enables rapid response to potential threats. Here's a look at your options:

• PowerShell Scripts: Administrators can write custom PowerShell scripts to automate various security tasks. This requires strong PowerShell skills and ongoing maintenance.
• Microsoft 365 DSC: Microsoft's native solution leverages PowerShell and DSC to define and enforce the desired configuration state of a Microsoft 365 tenant. It enables configuration-as-code but has a steep learning curve.
• CoreView: This comprehensive SaaS platform simplifies Microsoft 365 administration, reporting, and automation. It offers an intuitive interface, pre-built workflows, and advanced capabilities for securely delegating tasks and governing the environment, making it easier to comply with NIS 2's stringent security requirements.

To evaluate the best solution for your organization, consider your team's bandwidth and skills. IT teams choosing PowerShell Scripts or Microsoft 365 DSC will need to be proficient in PowerShell, potentially requiring department-wide training.

Manually monitoring and fixing security issues in Microsoft 365 is a time-consuming and risky endeavor. It's essential to adopt a proactive security approach that streamlines operations, reduces human error, and ensures compliance with NIS 2 regulations. Choosing the right security platform tailored to the organization's needs is crucial in achieving this goal.