As the world’s most popular cloud application, Microsoft 365 has played a vital role for many businesses when managing activities and productivity. However, with so many people using it for key business purposes, it’s a major target for cyber criminals and requires vigilant security protocols to keep it protected. An absolute essential that all staff in your business must do is set up MFA or “multi-factor authentication” in order to prevent some of the risks outlined below.

 

Microsoft 365 Security Risks

First of all, what are the main security risks involved when using Microsoft 365 across a business? Whilst Microsoft hail their security as “world-class”, there are still risks that need to be managed in order to minimise the chances of a breach. Here are some of the main security concerns associated with Microsoft 365:

 

  1. Account breaches

An account breach is potentially the biggest concern, as an unauthorised user could gain access to sensitive data, leak information and records, and even use the account to send malicious emails to customers or other staff members.

As hackers get smarter and smarter, it remains a top priority to protect individual accounts from unauthorised access.

 

  1. Email security

Businesses could not do without email in 2022 and as a result, are vital to keep secure. Over 90% of all cyber-attacks start with email through phishing, spam, account compromise, and ransomware.

Once a user has access to your business’s email, they can view customer data, cause financial harm to your business, and leverage the account access to scale an attack on your business’s network.

 

  1. Data Loss

Hackers and cyber criminals use many tactics to exploit business data for financial gains, one of which being fraudulent data loss.

Once a hacker has access to your data, they can encrypt it with malware and will demand that you pay them a large sum of money to recover it for you. Not only can this cost your business financially, but you could easily end up losing the data forever which could have legal implications as well.

 

What Is MFA For Microsoft 365 And How Does It Help?

Multi-factor authentication – commonly known as MFA – is an effective security method that’s used to prevent unwanted access to email and Microsoft 365 accounts. The way that MFA works for Microsoft is by requiring approval from a mobile device whenever the account is logged into. That way, even if someone gains access to your password, they’re still unable to gain access to the account as they do not have your mobile device, and therefore cannot gain the required approval for login.

Enabling MFA on all of your Microsoft 365 and email accounts is absolutely crucial in 2022 as access to passwords is becoming easier than ever. By doing so, you block access to unauthorised login attempts which keeps cyber criminals from gaining entry to your business’s data, emails, and all information stored within 365. It is important that all staff using your Microsoft 365 system are aware of MFA and are able to set it up, as access to even one account could be devastating due to the sharing nature of 365.

For all Azure Active Directory tenants, Microsoft is now enabling stricter secure default settings (security defaults) which enables MFA as a default setting for your organisation.

 

Get In Touch With Equity Support

If you require any help with securing your Microsoft accounts or would like to understand more about your security options, call us and speak with an advisor today. We can support you with additional information and advice on your Microsoft security issues, helping your organisation to remain more secure and protected.

Remember that all staff and every member who has access to your Microsoft 365 must have this set up in order for the account to be effectively secured. Share this article with them to help them understand MFA and how they can easily get it set up for a more secure account!

 

Get In Touch With An Advisor Today