Some software simply becomes part of the way we do business, and Microsoft 365 is a perfect example. From email and Teams to file sharing and collaboration, it’s a platform many businesses rely on every day without giving it a second thought.
Cybercriminals think about it differently.
Researchers recently detected more than 81 million login attempts against Microsoft 365 accounts in just two weeks, proving that attackers are constantly searching for weaknesses in passwords, settings, and user accounts.
That’s why understanding how to secure Microsoft 365 is more important than ever. In this article, we’ll explore the essential security settings every business should have so you can strengthen your security, reduce risk, and move into the new financial year with confidence.
What Security Settings Should You Enable In Microsoft 365?
The most effective way to secure Microsoft 365 is by implementing a security baseline that includes multi-factor authentication (MFA), Conditional Access policies, secure administrator accounts, logging, and regular security reviews. Together, these controls help prevent unauthorised access, detect suspicious activity, and strengthen your overall cybersecurity posture.
Why Microsoft 365 Isn’t Secure by Default
Microsoft invests heavily in security, but every organisation has different requirements. That’s why many security features aren’t automatically enforced when a new Microsoft 365 environment is created.
A strong security baseline should include:
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for every user
- Conditional Access policies to verify sign-in attempts
- Blocking legacy authentication methods
- Additional protection for administrator accounts
- Audit logging and alerting
- Regular reviews of security settings as new features become available
These measures work together to reduce the likelihood of compromised accounts and unauthorised access.
- Pro Tip: Business email compromise remains one of the most common cyber threats affecting Australian organisations. Our article on explains how attackers exploit weak account security and what businesses can do to reduce the risk: Business Email Compromise: Common Tactics and How to Prevent Them
Why Security Baselines Matter
The recent Microsoft 365 attack we mentioned earlier highlights just how persistent cybercriminals have become. Rather than exploiting Microsoft itself, attackers targeted organisations with weak passwords and incomplete security settings, demonstrating why a strong security baseline is essential.
A properly configured Microsoft 365 environment helps:
- Reduce the risk of compromised accounts
- Protect sensitive business and customer information
- Support compliance with industry security requirements
- Detect unusual login behaviour sooner
- Minimise disruption if an account is targeted
The Australian Cyber Security Centre’s “Essential Eight” also recommends multi-factor authentication, application control, and regular patching as key strategies for reducing cyber risk, reinforcing the importance of establishing strong security foundations.
- Insight: According to Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report, password-based attacks continue to occur at enormous scale every day, making identity protection one of the most important layers of business security.
How We Secure Microsoft 365 Without Disrupting Your Team
One concern we hear regularly is that stronger security will make life harder for staff. In reality, the opposite is often true when security is implemented correctly.
Rather than applying every available setting at once, we take a measured approach by reviewing your environment, identifying unnecessary risk, and implementing improvements that suit how your business operates.
Our Microsoft 365 security reviews typically include:
- Reviewing existing security configurations
- Validating MFA and Conditional Access policies
- Securing privileged administrator accounts
- Monitoring sign-in activity and suspicious behaviour
- Testing changes before wider deployment to minimise disruption
This allows businesses to strengthen security without creating unnecessary lockouts or impacting day-to-day productivity.
- Insight: Cybersecurity is only one part of keeping your business resilient. Proactive IT support helps identify risks, apply critical updates, monitor systems, and resolve issues before they affect your operations. If you’d like to learn how this approach reduces downtime and improves security, read our guide: Proactive IT Support That Never Sleeps: What We Monitor 24/7
Building a Stronger Security Foundation
“Software as a service allows us to empower people to do great things, collaborate, and make the world work better.” Bill Gates’ words perfectly capture why platforms like Microsoft 365 have become essential for modern businesses.
Getting the most from Microsoft 365 means more than enabling productivity features. A secure foundation of MFA, Conditional Access, monitoring, and regular reviews helps protect your people, data, and business from evolving cyber threats.
If you’re unsure whether your Microsoft 365 environment follows today’s security best practices, we’d be happy to help. Get in touch with our team for a friendly, no-obligation security review and expert advice.
