Introduction
Organizations must ensure that access to their company data on Microsoft 365 is always secure. Microsoft 365 often contains sensitive and confidential data, including emails, documents, customer information, and intellectual property. Unauthorized access to Microsoft 365 can lead to data breaches, identity theft, and other malicious activities. This module examines how organizations can implement strong authentication methods, such as multifactor authentication (MFA). MFA can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Even if a user has their password unknowingly compromised, MFA requires another verification step to gain entry.
By securing user access, organizations can prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing and potentially misusing or leaking company data. Protecting user access also helps maintain the privacy and integrity of critical information. This module examines how user access security measures such as MFA and conditional access policies can also help protect against phishing attacks and social engineering attempts. These methods add an extra layer of security by requiring other verification steps, making it more challenging for attackers to gain unauthorized access to Microsoft 365 accounts.
When a security incident occurs, such as a compromised account or unauthorized access, attackers could compromise the integrity and availability of critical services and data in Microsoft 365. By securing user access, organizations can ensure business continuity by minimizing the risk of disruptions, data loss, and reputational damage.
Securing user access also helps organizations maintain control over their IT infrastructure and applications. It reduces the risk of unauthorized applications and devices accessing Microsoft 365 services, mitigating the potential security vulnerabilities introduced by shadow IT and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) practices.
In this module, you learn about the following methods that organizations can employ to secure user access:
- Changing passwords at specified intervals.
- Creating complex passwords.
- Resetting their own passwords.
- Signing in with multifactor authentication.
- Implementing conditional access policies.
- Implementing passwordless authentication.
- Implementing Microsoft Entra Smart Lockout.