The Microsoft 365 security checklist every business needs

Microsoft 365 runs a huge share of Australian businesses, and attackers know it. The good news: a handful of configuration changes dramatically reduce your risk.

1. Enforce multi-factor authentication

MFA is the single most effective control you can enable. It should be enforced for every user especially administrators using conditional access policies, not left as an optional setting.

2. Lock down admin access

Limit the number of global admins, use dedicated admin accounts, and review privileged access regularly. Most breaches escalate through over-permissioned accounts.

3. Protect email

Enable anti-phishing, safe links, and safe attachments. Email remains the number one entry point for attacks, and default settings rarely go far enough.

4. Back up your data

Microsoft 365 is not a backup. Deleted or ransomware-encrypted data may not be recoverable without a dedicated backup solution.

Working through this list is exactly what a security review covers and it's where we start with every new client.