Fresh Year. Fresh Hurdles. Fresh Protection.

As time goes on, new threats and challenges develop across the technology spectrum, impacting Microsoft 365 Account Security. Some organizations have a dedicated individual to manage security for their Microsoft 365 accounts, while others assign security tasks to their administrators. In either case, it’s crucial to set specific goals for 2023 to enhance Microsoft 365 account security and make it harder for attackers to compromise your system.

Microsoft’s ten immutable cybersecurity laws stress the importance of staying proactive in the constantly evolving cybersecurity landscape. According to Microsoft’s guidance, failing to keep up with advancements is like falling behind. That’s why conducting annual assessments of your infrastructure, such as Microsoft 365, is crucial. These assessments help identify potential areas of improvement to stay ahead of potential threats.

Another key principle from Microsoft’s laws is that “Attackers don’t care.” This means attackers will persistently try to exploit new vulnerabilities. As a result, it’s imperative for Microsoft 365 tenants to continuously enhance their security measures to counter the latest attack methods effectively. You can better protect your systems and data from cyber threats by staying vigilant and proactive.

Evaluate and enhance Microsoft 365 account security for better protection and contented users. Stay proactive and secure!

5 Key Importance Factors to Ensure a Secure Microsoft Office 365 Account

1. Enable MFA Usage and Quit SMS Challenges

To enhance security measures, Microsoft has made significant efforts to eliminate the primary cause of account compromise, which is basic authentication for email protocols, from Exchange Online. By combining authentication policies, organisations can successfully prevent attackers from exploiting the system to obtain sensitive account information through tactics such as password sprays. Moreover, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) would further enhance security by making it more challenging for hackers to access an organisation’s systems.

In 2019, Microsoft stated that MFA blocks 99.9% of account compromises. However, the low percentage of protected Microsoft 365 accounts is concerning. As of September 2022, only 26.64% of Azure AD user accounts and 34.15% of administrative accounts have MFA enabled. While Microsoft plans to protect more accounts with Security Defaults, organizations must also mandate MFA for all accounts to enhance security significantly. Taking this step is crucial for improving their overall security posture.

To improve Microsoft 365 account security, utilize MFA and avoid SMS challenges. Opt for the updated Microsoft Authenticator app and be ready for the mandatory number matching on May 8, 2023, except on WatchOS devices.

While Microsoft offers MFA, explore other MFA solutions in the market. Strive to implement MFA for all user accounts by the end of 2023 to bolster security.

2. Get Power of Connections

After setting up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to prevent unauthorized access, the next step is managing access with conditional access policies. Unfortunately, these policies are limited to users with Azure AD Premium P1 licenses, which might be a concern for smaller tenants seeking robust security. Larger enterprises often have access through bundled plans like Enterprise Security and Mobility. Expanding availability for conditional access policies would benefit many users.

Conditional access policies are created to limit access to resources based on specific conditions. For instance, sensitive SharePoint sites may only be accessible to users within the corporate firewall using managed devices. It can also require strong MFA, like the Authenticator app, for certain resources. Microsoft regularly updates and adds new capabilities to offer organizations more flexibility in access management. Staying informed about these developments is vital for maximizing security measures.

Using conditional access policies is a robust way to manage resource access but can also be risky. It is possible to create a confusing network of conflicting policies or accidentally lock oneself out of critical resources. As a suggestion for those starting with conditional access policies in 2023, starting with straightforward policies and gradually introducing additional conditions as you become more familiar with the process is recommended. It is important to consider user requirements to ensure that policies do not interfere with the necessary access.

3. Secure Confidential Data and Information

Cyber attackers are skilled at evading security measures, including MFA and conditional access policies. In the event of a successful breach, organisations can limit the information attackers can access by implementing sensitivity labels. While only a minority of organisations currently use sensitivity labels, this number is increasing due to recent investments in information protection technology within Microsoft 365. The click-to-run, online, and mobile versions of Microsoft Office now offer built-in support for sensitivity labels, and paid versions of Adobe Acrobat also include this feature. Furthermore, the Edge browser can read protected documents, and the information protection ecosystem is becoming more advanced and sophisticated. Organisations can strengthen their defences against cyber threats by incorporating sensitivity labels into their security strategies.

SharePoint Online sites and email attachments can present security risks if unprotected documents are left accessible to unauthorised users. Sensitivity labels can prevent this by ensuring that only users with the assigned rights can access the content of protected documents. If unauthorised users attempt to open these documents, they will remain inaccessible. Users will still be able to view the metadata, such as the title, but will not have access to the content of protected Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files.

In 2023, it would be nice if more organisations embraced sensitivity labels and started the planning process to introduce the technology. Do not launch sensitivity labels without planning: it will not work. Figure out how to use labels effectively and train users to protect information. Then, run a test over several months with a representative set of people to discover if additional work must be done before a full launch. That is enough for 2023.

4. Consider Defence while PowerShell Upgrades

PowerShell developers working on Microsoft 365 automation face a challenging task due to Microsoft’s decision to deprecate the Azure AD and Microsoft Online Services (MSOL) modules by June 2023. Furthermore, the license management cmdlets from these modules will cease functioning by the end of March 2023. Additionally, Exchange Online will stop supporting Remote PowerShell connections around the same time, adding to the complexity of the task.

When making updates to scripts that involve utilising the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK, Graph API requests, or contemplating ways to access data from Exchange Online mailboxes, it is advisable to consider the following measures:

• Remove any insecure credentials stored in scripts or files.
• Use Azure Key Vault to store credentials or utilise certificate-based authentication.
• If utilising Azure Automation to run scripts, consider utilising managed identities.
• Implement the least permissions possible in your code.
• Audit apps to ensure compliance with these requirements.
• Limit application access to mailbox data with the Exchange Online RBAC for Applications feature.

It is important to avoid leaving any tempting vulnerabilities in your code that an attacker could potentially discover and exploit, particularly after they have successfully passed through MFA and conditional policies. Therefore, it is essential to establish new barriers to enhance your security measures continuously.

5. Master Audit Data

Microsoft 365 generates a vast amount of audit data, but it’s essential to determine how to utilise this data effectively. One can adopt a passive approach and only review the audit data when something negative occurs or take an active approach to analyse and comprehend the data. In October 2022, Microsoft’s cybersecurity DART team discussed how they utilise audit data for forensic investigations, specifically concerning compromised tenants. Any tenant administrator can access and utilise the same data to identify possible anomalies for investigation. For instance, attackers can compromise a tenant by planting a malicious app for spamming. This attack relies on being able to assign Graph permissions to the app after creating it within the tenant. Assigning app permissions is an auditable event, and the data captured by Azure AD is accessible to administrators, provided they choose to investigate. Alternatively, administrators can use automation to scan for similar events periodically.

Numerous organisations opt to transfer the audit data produced by Microsoft 365 into a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system such as Microsoft Sentinel or Splunk. This is done to preserve the data for a more extended period, beyond the 90-day limit imposed by Office 365 E3 licenses, and to leverage the SIEM’s advanced search and analytical capabilities.

We have two recommendations for taking action regarding audit data in 2023. First, ensure you are familiar with the information captured in the unified audit log by the significant workloads, such as Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, and Azure AD, and know how to search the log using PowerShell. Second, acquire a basic understanding of the Kusto Query Language (KQL) to analyse the data stored in Microsoft Sentinel. Although you can search the internet for KQL queries to make sense of the logs in the SIEM, it’s best to learn the KQL basics and be able to construct and execute moderately complex queries. This will enable you to identify when something is not right and take prompt action to address the issue and resolve any intrusion effects. If your organisation does not use Sentinel, ensure you can query the SIEM for evidence of wrongdoing.

Always Better to Do

For comprehensive Microsoft 365 Account Security, administrators must thoroughly review tenant security measures beyond common practices. Keep in mind that Exchange Online client access rules will no longer be effective after September 2023. If your tenant depends on these rules to limit user access to client protocols, it’s essential to reassess your security approach. While Microsoft suggests advanced protection like Azure AD continuous access evaluation, simple measures like blocking certain protocols through mailbox settings can also enhance security, preventing unauthorized use of protocols like IMAP4 and POP3.

As a Microsoft Solutions Expert, I recognize the importance of securing your tenant in today’s rapidly changing threat landscape. With my expertise and knowledge about TECHOM Systems’ solutions and services, I highly recommend choosing TECHOM Systems for their assistance in setting up strong barriers, implementing continuous monitoring, and ensuring meticulous attention to every detail. You can trust TECHOM Systems to expertly safeguard your Microsoft tenant, allowing you to concentrate on what truly matters – growing your business with confidence.

Don’t delay! Reach out to TECHOM Systems now and collaborate with them to secure your system and shield your organization from cyber-attacks. Taking action promptly can help prevent potential risks in the future.