Your Quick Guide to Office 365 Secure Email Issues and Settings
Unlike Google, which launched its productivity services in the cloud, Microsoft has had to transition its software (and customers) into the cloud. This transition has created several unique challenges for the company, the least of which being securing its new cloud applications. While Microsoft has made great improvements on the Office 365 secure email front, there are some concerning gaps and limitations as well.
When your organization moves Outlook email services to cloud-based Office 365 email, you need to plan for the differences in security risks and how to mitigate them. You will have to reset your client-side rules. Depending on the level you’ve licensed, you will also find significant differences in the visibility and control you have over access, behavior, and restrictions in Office 365.
The last point is important. Many IT managers have felt blind-sided by this loss of control, and for good reason. If you can’t control the emails and activity in your environment, there is no way you can secure it and ensure compliance.
Security Issues With Office 365 Email
There are some security issues with Office 365 email that users should be aware of:
1. Email Threats
Email is still the most common threat vector for malware, phishing, etc. Spam emails make up as much as 95% of emails sent, making this a major security issue for Office 365 email, as well as all email platforms, cloud-based or otherwise. This is also where one of the greatest possibilities for human error in cybersecurity opens up. In fact, employees falling for phishing and pretexting attacks account for 93% of breaches, 96% of those breaches used email as the attack vector.
2. Reduced Visibility
Moving from Office to Office 365 leads to reduced visibility, the extent to which depends on the level your company has licensed, and what (if any) security add-ons have been purchased. With less visibility comes less effective security monitoring and controls. Security teams typically use logs and alerts from an email platform to detect threats and unusual behavior. With reduced visibility in the cloud, they are unable to access these details, leading to some serious security issues.
3. Access and Authentication Issues
Firewalls and gateways are not able to secure access to cloud applications, such as Office 365. Because of this, organizations are now moving to a zero trust security approach. The zero trust security approach includes using location intelligence and multi-factor authentication at the point of login access, but it doesn’t stop there. Zero trust security also monitors user behavior after a successful login to detect anomalous behavior. When you switch to Office 365, you need a Microsoft cloud access security CASB in order to implement this level of zero trust security account monitoring and control.
4. Data Loss
Data loss prevention tools help ensure your important data isn’t lost, misused, or given to an unauthorized user. Because Office 365 is a cloud based platform, the risk of both accidental and malicious data loss is greater due to the lack of advanced visibility and control features. Limitations in Office 365 secure email settings are known to have serious data loss repercussions.
Office 365 Secure Email Settings
In order to properly setup your account, we’ll help you better understand the Office 365 secure email settings.
1. Encryption
Office 365 Message Encryption will help lower the risk of unintended disclosure through encryption and rights-protecting email messages. This can be sent within and outside of your organization. Encryption will allow you protect your sensitive emails, remain in control, and meet/manage compliance.
2. Content Monitoring
Use Cloud Malware Threat Protection to keep your cloud applications safe from phishing and malware threats, data loss, and account takeover. You will also be able to scan and flag any issues in your subject line, body text and images, attachments, and links. This will ensure that the content coming in and out of your account is safe and not harmful.
Protect Your Office 365 Email
Now that you better understand Office 365 secure email concerns and best practices, you can safely move forward. ManagedMethods offers Office 365 cloud security in an easy-to-use, all-inclusive platform. Start your free trial today and keep your company running smoothly and safely.
