Top Microsoft 365 Security Concerns & How To Overcome Them

With over 250 million monthly users, Microsoft 365 is one of the most widely used cloud suites. This huge popularity, combined with the data stored in Microsoft 365 environments, makes Microsoft 365 a tempting target for cybercriminals.

One in five organizations will experience at least one Microsoft 365 account compromise by 2022. Microsoft 365 environments are still being targeted. It's important that you understand the common security concerns and measures your organization can take to safeguard itself. This article will cover the Microsoft 365 security issues, their three-layered security strategy and how to protect your organization from costly, damaging attacks.

Top Microsoft 365 Email Security Concerns

To protect your organization against the ongoing threat of cyberattacks on Microsoft 365 environments, you have to be well-informed about common security risks. Below are five frequently occurring Microsoft 365 security concerns that you should be aware of.

Privilege Escalation Resulting in Further Malicious Activities?

Privilege escalation is a type of attack where a malicious actor gains privileges on a system or application they shouldn’t have access to. To prevent privilege escalation:

• Implement role-based security controls to limit access to sensitive applications and systems.
• Update and patch systems regularly to minimize known vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
• Protect privileged accounts against unauthorized access by using multi-factor authentication.
• Monitor and log any attempts at privileged access to detect suspicious activity.

Bypassing Multi-factor Authentication Leading to Unauthorized Access?

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an effective security measure to prevent unauthorized access. However, attackers can still bypass MFA through various methods. To prevent bypassing MFA:

• Use advanced MFA techniques such as biometrics, behavioral analytics, and geolocation-based authentication.
• Limit the number of authentication attempts to prevent brute force attacks.
• Use an out-of-band channel for MFA such as SMS or email to prevent SIM swapping attacks.
• Educate employees about the risks of phishing attacks and to never share MFA credentials with anyone.

Phishing Attacks Putting Sensitive Data at Risk

Phishing attacks are one of the most common methods used by attackers to steal sensitive information. A recent report states that roughly 20% of all phishing emails found were marked as clean by the Microsoft 365 Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and reached users' inboxes. To prevent phishing attacks:

• Educate employees about how to identify phishing emails and avoid clicking on suspicious links or attachments.
• Implement email security measures such as spam filters, anti-virus, and anti-malware software.
• Use web filtering to block access to known malicious websites.
• Conduct regular phishing simulations to train employees on how to respond to phishing attacks.

Malicious Macros Threatening Critical Systems?

Malicious macros are a type of malware that uses macros embedded in documents to execute malicious code. To prevent malicious macros:

• Disable macros in documents by default and only enable them on a case-by-case basis.
• Implement file blocking to prevent the execution of files that contain malicious macros.
• Use anti-malware software to detect and remove malicious macros.
• Educate employees on the risks of opening suspicious documents and how to report them to IT.

Data Exfiltration Leading to the Compromise of Sensitive Information

Data exfiltration is the unauthorized transfer of data from a system or network to an external location. To prevent data exfiltration:

• Implement data loss prevention (DLP) solutions to monitor and block unauthorized data transfers.
• Implement encryption to protect sensitive data from being accessed by unauthorized users.
• Use firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to detect and block suspicious network traffic.
• Educate employees about the importance of data security and the risks of data exfiltration.

Microsoft 365 Vulnerabilities

Microsoft 365, a popular suite of productivity tools, is used by many companies around the globe. Microsoft provides a number of security mechanisms that protect Microsoft 365 assets against malicious software. However, it is still important to know about vulnerabilities which could lead to security breaches.

Microsoft has recently made significant investments to improve its Threat and Vulnerability Management experiences in Microsoft 365. Microsoft has combined product features and experiences to improve security capabilities to protect, detect and investigate email, collaboration, endpoint, identity and endpoint threats.

Microsoft 365 can have vulnerabilities despite these efforts. Researchers found, for example, a vulnerability within Microsoft Teams in 2021 that allowed hackers access to sensitive information, such as conversations and files. Microsoft discovered the vulnerability more than a month before it was patched.

The "ZeroLogon", discovered in August 2020, is another example of a Microsoft 365 vulnerability that has been exploited over a period of more than a calendar year. This vulnerability enabled attackers to take control of the domain controller, and eventually an entire network. Microsoft released a fix for this vulnerability in August 2020. However, many organizations did not apply it, which led to successful attacks.

Microsoft 365 should be patched immediately to protect against these vulnerabilities and others.

Keep Learning About Microsoft 365 Vulnerabilities

Despite the security concerns, many have decided the advantages of Microsoft 365 outweigh the risks. It is essential that organizations take a comprehensive approach to mitigate critical vulnerabilities in their Microsoft 365 environment. Consistent evaluation and maintenance are necessary to achieve a strong security posture. By implementing the strategies and tools shared in this article, organizations can better protect their Microsoft 365 environment from potential security threats.?

• Learn more about the consequences of modern phishing attacks in our Phishing eBook.
• Learn more about effectively protecting your business from ransomware.
• Learn more about an effective email security solution that understands the relationships you have with other people while gaining a deeper knowledge of the types of conversations you have with them.
• Prepare your business for cyberattacks to make sure employees stay safe online.
• Improve your email security posture to protect against attacks and breaches by following best practices.
• Keeping the integrity of your email safe requires securing the cloud with spam filtering and enterprise-grade anti-spam services.
• Get the latest updates on how to stay safe online.