Microsoft Office 365 and Email Security

Microsoft Office 365 is a subscription-based service that features email and collaboration tools for business. Some plans include popular Office applications, all hosted on Microsoft’s Cloud so they are easily accessible anywhere with any device. Along with an explanation of the many benefits of using Microsoft Office 365 for your business, this blog will cover strategies to help you improve your email security.

The Benefits of Using Microsoft Office 365

Plans are offered with multiple subscription levels to businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions. Premium plans include local installation capabilities of Microsoft Office desktop applications; including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Subscribers also receive free upgrades to the current version of the applications, as well as access to web versions of the Office Suite. 

Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft’s personal cloud storage for users. It includes 1TB of storage per user accessible from anywhere an internet connection is available. OneDrive makes collaboration among employees more seamless, even outside of office hours or while traveling.

Microsoft Hosted Exchange Mail Services

A major benefit of Exchange Online email services is that it runs on Microsoft’s Azure redundant Cloud Data Centers. Even if your office network is down, you still have the ability to send and receive emails with your staff and clients. In addition, each user is allotted a 50GB mailbox, so space is not a concern.

Email Security for Office 365

Securing your organization’s email is more important than ever. Microsoft 365’s addon, Advanced Threat Protection, includes anti-phishing capabilities that can detect email spoofing by hackers.  Email rules can be set up to notify an administrator when attacks have occurred.

Email Encryption

Email without encryption can be easily intercepted. Office Message Encryption (OME) protects sensitive emails by encrypting the message so it cannot be intercepted and read by unintended parties. OME lets you send encrypted emails to any email address and encrypt all messages within a conversation. When sending sensitive information via email, especially to recipients outside of your institution, Office 365 Message Encryption is a common-sense step toward protecting email communication.

Security Starts with the End User

Email security starts with you and every member of your team employing best practices.

1. Never give anyone your username and password unless you requested a change from an administrator.
2. Make sure no one can see the login information you enter on the screen, whether in a public area or the workplace.
3. Do not open emails from senders you don’t know, and never click on unknown links.
4. Before clicking on any link, check that the address matches the address of the actual website by hovering over the link with your mouse.

Use Free 2-Factor Authentication With Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 subscriptions come with 2-factor authentication, which provides an extra layer of security when logging in to applications. It should be used regularly, especially with business email accounts.

Authentication works like this.

1. Login to a website with a username and password.
2. Before the login completes, you will receive, depending on your settings, a text message sent to your phone with a randomly generated code that must then be entered to successfully log in.

Microsoft Office 365 is Software as a Service subscription that provides communication and collaboration tools for businesses.  It has the redundancy and security to be a valued member of your IT infrastructure.