You might be excused if you forgot there was such a thing as cybercrime over the last year or so. After all, the virus we as a society have been preoccupied with is a biological one, unrelated to malware or cyberattacks.
But residents and businesses in the U.S. eastern seaboard were jolted back to reality in June 2021 by the ransomware attack on computers belonging to Colonial Pipeline. As part of its response, the company shut down much of its extensive network of gasoline delivery infrastructure, leading to temporary gasoline shortages for millions of consumers.
Although pipeline operations were restored to full capacity within days, the incident served–or should have served–as a wake-up call to businesses everywhere: If cybercriminals can hit part of a nation’s critical energy infrastructure, they can hit anyone.
Security and Microsoft 365
For businesses that have adopted Microsoft 365, there’s good news. Microsoft offers a suite of security products, such as Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Cloud App Security, as reported previously in this blog. These products integrate with both software-as-a-service products, such as Skype for Business and SharePoint, and locally installed Microsoft 365 productivity tools such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The integrated security products can make a significant positive impact on your organization’s overall cybersecurity. How?
- Coverage for all Microsoft 365 products: No matter what Microsoft 365 products your business subscribes to, you can be covered by Microsoft 365 security.
- Automated response and remediation: In the event of an attack or breach, Microsoft 365 Security has AI-powered response features that can detect, identify, and contain the threat and remediate any compromised components back to a secure state.
- Protection for on-premise and remote users: Microsoft 365 endpoint security products protect all your users, whether they are working in the office or working from home.
Even without the additional security products, using Microsoft 365 for your cloud-based productivity and infrastructure tools affords enhanced security. Security experts will tell you that keeping your applications and operating systems up to date is one of the most important security actions you can take. The cloud-based Microsoft 365 applications are always up to date with the latest security patches.
The Catch
Despite all the good news, there is a catch. The Microsoft 365 security tools have to be licensed, configured, and turned on. Depending on the complexity of your Microsoft 365 ecosystem, this part can be tricky and may require some expertise in IT security.
360 Visibility and Microsoft 365 Security
At 360 Visibility, we are experts in IT security in general and Microsoft 365 security products in particular. With our extensive expertise in Microsoft cloud solutions as well, 360 Visibility can design and configure the right mix of Microsoft 365 security products for your business.
By relying on 360 Visibility, you can have the peace of mind of having appropriate IT security without overspending on products and services you don’t need.
Contact our Microsoft 365 security consultants today to learn more about how we can design and implement a custom security solution for your Microsoft 365 environment.