Why Microsoft 365 Detection and Response Matters

Microsoft 365 is a cornerstone of modern business operations, but it also presents a significant attack surface for cybercriminals. Hackers and other threat actors are increasingly targeting SaaS environments, exploiting vulnerabilities in email, collaboration tools, and identity management systems. Traditional security information and event management (SIEM) solutions can identify suspicious activity but lack built-in mechanisms to respond in real-time. This gap leaves organizations vulnerable to breaches, data loss, and account takeovers.

Thrive’s Microsoft 365 Detection and Response

To strengthen Microsoft 365 security, Thrive enhanced its security platform with new capabilities to continuously monitor Microsoft 365 for anomalous activity, unauthorized access attempts, and potential security breaches. What sets Thrive’s service apart is its new auto-remediation feature, which proactively responds to identified threats in real time.

Thrive Microsoft 365 Detection and Response goes beyond simple threat detection. It enables automated protective actions, such as:

• Locking accounts exhibiting problematic behavior.
• Blocking access to compromised services.
• Restricting unauthorized attempts to modify security settings.

This automation significantly reduces response times, minimizing the window of exposure and mitigating risks before they cause harm. Thrive Security Operations Center (SOC) and support teams will then investigate and help get the compromised account back to secure state.

Migration and Availability

Starting in April, our existing O365/M365 Security Monitoring customers will be enabled with the new response capabilities. This transition will ensure they benefit from enhanced security automation and streamlined threat response. The new Microsoft 365 Detection and Response features will also be available as an add-on option for clients subscribed to EDR, MDR, and other Thrive security services.

The Thrive Advantage

Thrive’s security-first approach ensures businesses can operate with confidence in today’s evolving threat landscape. Our MDR services provide:

• 24×7 Threat Monitoring: Continuous oversight of Microsoft 365 environments to detect and respond to cyber threats.
• Automated Response & Remediation: Auto-remediation feature that proactively neutralizes security risks.
• Expert Security Guidance: Thrive’s cybersecurity professionals help organizations optimize their security strategy.
• Seamless Integration: Enhanced MDR services align with existing security infrastructure, including EDR and SIEM, for comprehensive protection.

Secure Your Microsoft 365 Environment Today

With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated, businesses can’t afford to rely on detection alone. Thrive’s MDR services provide real-time threat response and automation for Microsoft 365 environments, ensuring security teams stay ahead of attacks. Contact Thrive today to learn how you can strengthen your Microsoft 365 security with next-gen MDR capabilities.

The post Enhancing Microsoft 365 Security with Thrive’s Managed Detection and Response Services appeared first on Thrive.

Managing Microsoft 365 can be challenging for mid-market businesses, especially when it comes to security, compliance, and data protection. Without a clear governance strategy, organizations risk inefficiencies, unauthorized access, and compliance violations.

This guide provides practical insights and best practices to help mid-market companies take control of their Microsoft 365 environment. Learn how Thrive can help your business manage access, enforce policies, and safeguard sensitive data while ensuring compliance with industry regulations. Download now to strengthen your Microsoft 365 governance strategy.

The post The Mid-Market Guide to Microsoft 365 Governance appeared first on Thrive.

These issues have many small and mid-market companies like yours wondering how to optimize your SharePoint storage and save costs while ensuring compliance and governance. At Thrive, we have the team and the tools to solve your Microsoft 365 storage challenges.

47% of digital workers struggle to find information or data needed to effectively perform their jobs – Gartner

What Is Thrive’s Microsoft 365 Platform Services Team?

Thrive’s Microsoft 365 Platform Services team consists of experts specializing in Microsoft 365 solutions, with specialists in strategy and governance, end-user training, development services, and support. They are dedicated to helping clients regain control of their data, from assessments to remediation and managed services.

Our Approach to Control Storage Costs

Our team of experts will work with you to optimize your storage and your budget. Here’s how:

• Microsoft 365 Storage Optimization Assessment: We will conduct an assessment of your SharePoint storage using our Storage Optimization System and provide you with a detailed report on your ROT and inactive data and the potential cost savings you can achieve by optimizing your storage.
• ROT & Inactive Data Reduction: We will help you configure and execute storage optimization policies and provide you with a summary of the changes and the impact on your SharePoint storage.
• SharePoint Retention Consultation: We will help you design and deploy retention policies for your SharePoint data and provide you with a summary of the compliance and governance outcomes.
• Storage Optimization Policies: We will help you implement tailored retention policies to declutter your Microsoft 365 workspaces and establish a clean baseline, including monthly reports and consultations on your storage optimization progress and best practices.

Thrive will work with you to understand your business goals and needs and tailor our services to fit your specific requirements and budget. We will also provide you with ongoing support and guidance to ensure that you get the most out of the Storage Optimization System.

With our storage optimization services, you can benefit from the following outcomes:

• Reduce your SharePoint storage costs by up to 50% by archiving or deleting ROT and inactive data to cheaper storage or the recycle bin.
• Improve your SharePoint performance and user experience by decluttering your sites and making it easier to find relevant and updated information.
• Enhance your compliance and governance by applying retention policies to your SharePoint data and ensuring that it is disposed of according to your legal and regulatory obligations.
• Align your information management strategy with your business goals and needs by using our Storage Optimization System and recommendations to make informed decisions about your SharePoint storage optimization.

Ensuring Compliance and Governance

By helping clients apply accurate classification and disposal policies to their content, Thrive ensures that SharePoint data is managed in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, facilitating compliance for your organization.

Get Started With Thrive

If you are interested in taming your Microsoft 365 storage costs and enabling robust information management, contact us today to schedule a free consultation. We will discuss your current storage situation, challenges, and goals, and how we can help you through our services.

The post How to Optimize Your Microsoft 365 Storage and Save with Thrive appeared first on Thrive.

Learning and Adoption services include the following:

• Advisory service to assist with developing an adoption plan for your organization
• A Learning Management System (LMS) to serve as the platform to drive adoption in your organization
• Analytics pulled directly from the Microsoft 365 Graph about feature usage and adoption metrics
• Live instructor-led trainings, Q&A sessions, webinars, and recorded short-form content delivered directly to your end-users
• “Right in time” content for when users need help in the moment

Empower Your Microsoft 365 End-Users

Embracing new technology is critical for organizational success. By adopting technology like Microsoft 365, organizations can better streamline their operations, enhance efficiency, and stay competitive in their industry.

But with any user-based solution like Microsoft 365, ensuring successful end-user learning and adoption is crucial for optimizing and driving awareness of critical software features. Accelerating and tracking the adoption of new technologies in your organization will allow for higher productivity and the ability to get new employees started off on the right foot. Having cloud-based learning management in place allows your organization to manage your corporate learning and be able to roll out new technology and monitor its adoption all from one platform.

Learning Management System Highlights

Like with any learning technology, an LMS is only as effective as the content it provides to its end-users and how it’s delivered to them. When implemented properly, there are many benefits to using a modern LMS platform like Thrive’s to create the ideal learning experience:

• Short courses to keep user attention
• Live-moderated webinars
• Automated communications
• Ability to upload and customize content
• LMS application for Microsoft Teams

No matter what industry your organization is in, driving Microsoft 365 adoption through Thrive’s Learning and Adoption service can improve your business’s processes and productivity, and ultimately help achieve your business goals. Utilizing the Thrive’s LMS and Learning and Adoption services allows you to:

• Develop Tailored Content: You can create different skill paths that relate directly to each end-user and the way they work
• Provide Proactive Communication: You can write and schedule automated messages that simplify and scale communications across your organization
• Create Customized Experiences: You have the ability to create different interactive experiences, such as integrated user polls, executive sponsor videos, and more!
• Analyze Graph Data Integration: You can see real-time data reporting on the LMS platform via integration with the Microsoft Graph API
• Content Updates: You can use evergreen content that reflects the latest updates from Microsoft

Contact Thrive today to learn more about how we can provide consulting and best practices around utilizing Learning and Adoption services and improve adoption of Microsoft 365 technology in your organization.

The post Drive Microsoft 365 Feature Adoption With Thrive’s End-User Learning and Adoption Services appeared first on Thrive.

The Microsoft Teams app has become a fundamental tool for collaboration, integrating chat, meetings, and business functionalities seamlessly. Using Microsoft’s integrated phone services and calling plans can transform your communications infrastructure into an all-encompassing, efficient hub.

Benefits of Unifying Your Communications with Microsoft Teams Phone:

Centralized Communications System

• One-stop Communication Solution: Integrating phone services transforms Microsoft Teams from a basic collaboration tool into a unified communication system. Manage voice, video calls, and chats all within one platform—reducing the need to switch between apps and thereby boosting productivity.
• Expand Global and Local Reach: Enable your team to make and receive calls with local phone numbers through Microsoft Teams Voice, regardless of geographical location. This feature not only ensures a consistent local presence but also helps to establish a global reach without the complexities of traditional phone systems.

Cost-Effective Communication

• Significant Cost Reduction: Merging your telephony with Microsoft Teams can lead to substantial savings. Traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) systems are expensive compared to the VoIP services that Microsoft Teams uses, which reduces call costs, especially for international communications.
• Simplified IT Management: Unifying your communication tools into the Microsoft Teams client minimizes IT complexity. This integration facilitates easier management, maintenance, and secures your communications under one platform, ultimately cutting down on IT costs.
  Boosted Productivity and Collaboration
• Seamless Office 365 Integration: Microsoft Teams Phone services are intricately linked with Office 365 applications. This integration allows for effortless access to emails, contacts, and calendars, streamlining workflows and enhancing decision-making processes.
  Accessibility and Availability – Features such as voicemail, call forwarding, and caller ID are accessible worldwide. This availability ensures that team members are reachable anytime and anywhere, enhancing responsiveness and connectivity.

Enhanced Customer Interactions

• Direct Client Engagement: Integrated calling in Microsoft Teams facilitates direct and immediate communication with clients, providing a personalized touch. Easy access to previous interaction histories offers valuable context during follow-ups, improving customer service outcomes.
• Call Center Features: Utilize advanced features like call queues, auto-attendants, and conference calls to handle customer inquiries professionally. These capabilities are essential for maintaining high customer service standards and ensuring client satisfaction.

Taking your communications to the next level is made easy by partnering with Thrive. Our managed IT service experts will work directly with your IT team to set up and manage Microsoft 365 Platform services, so that your team can communicate and work seamlessly across a secure platform. Unifying your communications will also increase organizational productivity and customer service capabilities. Businesses looking to refine their communication systems will find Microsoft Teams with integrated phone services an invaluable solution. Contact Thrive today to learn more about this advanced communication platform and propel your business to new heights of efficiency and connectivity.

The post Unify Your Business Communications with Microsoft Teams Phone appeared first on Thrive.

With the rise of generative AI solutions such as ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot, productivity is at an all-time high. But this productivity can come at a price if it leaves sensitive data more vulnerable to cyber threats. 

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot has garnered acclaim as one of the most potent productivity tools available. It represents a cutting-edge Large Language Models (LLMs) AI assistant that seamlessly integrates into various Microsoft 365 apps — including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, and more. 

What sets Copilot apart from other AI tools, such as ChatGPT, is its unparalleled deep integration with Microsoft 365. Functioning as the user’s ‘copilot,’ Copilot gains access to the entirety of a user’s work history within the platform. This comprehensive access enables Copilot to efficiently retrieve and compile data from documents, presentations, emails, calendars, notes, and contacts. By synthesizing the user’s workload, Copilot promotes creativity and alleviates the mundanity of day-to-day tasks. 

Understanding the Security Risk

While the remarkable benefits of Copilot are absolute, it’s imperative that as a business owner or IT leader, you understand the security risks associated with this kind of data integration tool. One of the primary concerns lies in Copilot’s extensive access to sensitive data, both within the company and with third parties like clients and partners. It inherits the same access privileges as the user, raising important questions about data security, confidentiality, integrity, and privacy.

The crux of the matter revolves around data vulnerability. Copilot’s ability to access and process vast amounts of organizational data dramatically increases the likelihood of data breaches, unauthorized access, and accidental exposure of confidential information. Moreover, the reliance on AI algorithms introduces complexities in data governance, compliance, and regulatory adherence, further complicating security management efforts.

As AI becomes increasingly prevalent within business operations, it represents an opening for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities, manipulate algorithms, and orchestrate sophisticated attacks. As such, organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in implementing robust security measures to safeguard against potential threats and vulnerabilities associated with Copilot’s deployment.

How Thrive Can Help

Thrive specializes in both collaboration services via Microsoft 365 as well as comprehensive cybersecurity solutions, making Thrive uniquely suited to meet the needs and challenges of organizations leveraging AI technologies like Copilot. We offer a multifaceted approach to Microsoft 365 strategy and governance, and security optimization, encompassing risk assessment, threat detection, incident response, and compliance management with the help of the following services: 

• Ongoing Strategy and Governance Services for Microsoft 365:

• Information Architecture Consulting
• Access Controls and Policy Management

• Vulnerability Management

• Managed Detection and Response

• Autonomous Penetration Testing

• Endpoint Detection and Response

Our seasoned Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSPs) and Microsoft 365 experts offer your organization 24x7x365 monitoring and remain vigilant against evolving technology and threats, providing continuous surveillance over core critical infrastructure and security landscapes. Thrive can offer the security and governance assistance needed to move your business’s productivity and creativity forward.

All Things Considered, Is Copilot Right for Your Organization?

In evaluating Microsoft 365 Copilot, organizations must assess their risk tolerance, security needs, and readiness for AI integration. While Copilot enhances productivity and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, its access to sensitive data requires careful consideration of security implications.

By engaging cybersecurity experts like Thrive and implementing robust security measures, organizations can mitigate risks associated with Copilot while harnessing its transformative potential for innovation and collaboration. With strategic planning, you can navigate the complexities of AI-driven technologies with confidence and ensure the security and integrity of your organization’s digital ecosystem. Contact Thrive to learn more about your current security capabilities and assess if Copilot and other AI integrations are right for your organization. 

The post Is Microsoft Copilot Secure? What You Need to Know and Essential Steps for Security Optimization appeared first on Thrive.

Luckily, Office 365 offers several advanced threat protection features to help you monitor your data and stay ahead of cyber threats.

Overview of Office 365 Security

Office 365 is a cloud-based productivity suite. With over 345 million people using this suite, it’s a popular choice for businesses. Office 365 provides familiar tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as secure storage solutions like OneDrive and SharePoint. But with any online service comes the risk of security breaches, so how does Office 365 keep your data safe?

The answer is simple—Microsoft is committed to ensuring the safety of customer data, so they offer several built-in security features and a shared responsibility model between customers and Microsoft. With these tools combined, Office 365 offers a comprehensive security strategy that spans prevention, detection, and response

7 Key Security Features of Office 365

From Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection to Data Loss Prevention, here are seven key security features in Office 365 that help keep your business prepared for anything.

1. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA, or Multi-Factor Authentication, is a security measure that requires users to provide more than one form of authentication. For instance, alongside your username and password, you’ll be prompted to use the Authenticator app for an additional layer of protection.

Microsoft has taken this enhanced authentication process as a pivotal step to fortify security. MFA adds an extra layer of protection that significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

2. Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a system that helps you monitor the way sensitive data is used and shared. It can detect when files are sent or shared with unauthorized recipients, as well as non-compliant file types like .exe files. You can customize DLP policies to protect specific data sets and user groups, so you always know who has access to sensitive data.

3. Threat Protection with Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) provides comprehensive protection against email and file-based threats, like malware, ransomware, and zero-day attacks. It also offers two additional features—Safe Attachments and Safe Links—which scan emails and links for malicious content before they reach your inbox.

4. Information Rights Management (IRM)

Information Rights Management (IRM) in Office 365 allows you to control and protect documents and emails by defining access permissions. This includes setting limitations on copying, printing, and forwarding your sensitive information. To implement IRM in Office 365, navigate to the Security & Compliance Center, then to the Information Protection section.

From here, you can create and manage IRM policies for your Office 365 environment. Remember to apply these policies to the right groups and users to secure your sensitive data effectively.

5. Security and Compliance Center

The Security and Compliance Center within Office 365 acts as a unified interface where you can manage and monitor your data. Its centralized structure ensures that security and compliance are not scattered across various modules, but are instead managed collectively from one place.

6. Data Encryption and Secure Collaboration

Data Encryption helps protect your files by encoding them with a secure key. This makes it much harder for hackers to access sensitive data and ensures that only authorized users can view the encrypted files.

Office 365 also offers secure collaboration features, like allowing employees to securely share documents across different teams and locations. These features help ensure that your company’s confidential data stays secure throughout its entire lifespan.

7. Mobile Device Management (MDM)

Mobile Device Management (MDM) in Office 365 provides the capability to manage both company-owned and personal devices. It includes access and security controls to protect your organization’s information from potential threats.

MDM also allows you to create device security policies, manage device access settings and remotely wipe a device if it’s lost or stolen. Plus, you’ll get conditional access control, which means that access to Office 365 can be blocked or limited based on conditions such as location, device compliance, or risk.

Leverage Office 365 Threat Protection with Thrive

Contact us today to learn more about how Thrive can help you manage Office 365 securely! Our experienced team of security experts will work with you to create a comprehensive security strategy tailored to your unique needs.

The post 7 Security Features in Office 365 You Need to Know About appeared first on Thrive.

Security experts are seeing a significant number of Exchange servers getting “backdoored” by malware that lets threat actors maintain update-resistant and “stealth” access to the IT infrastructure of a targeted organization. Despite its long-held reputation as a reliable on-premise workhorse for email that allows for total administrative control, many of our clients are starting to see this beloved server as legacy technology. Exchange has limitations that become more noticeable as companies migrate to the cloud, namely, modern authentication and other security features that are unavailable in Exchange environments.

There is no business strategy without a cloud strategy.

The lasting business shift to remote and hybrid work has prompted slow adopters to finally embrace the cloud. Some statistics show nearly 90% of organizations have adopted the cloud for at least some of their business applications, though it appears that for some, the decision to let go of their legacy or hosted email system remains a challenge.

The major benefits of migrating to Microsoft 365 can be broken down into three categories:

• End-user productivity
• Security and compliance
• Scalability and cost-efficiency

Growing companies need more than just email. Around 80% of Fortune 500 companies have already undertaken data migration to Microsoft 365, and start-ups to medium-sized organizations are now following this trend. Smaller organizations are implementing Microsoft’s productivity suite into their everyday operations and utilizing its set of tools to drive business productivity at a flexible, calculable cost.

… and Re-Think Productivity.

Cost reduction is frequently cited as the core driver for migration plans, however there are many arguments in favor of taking the leap to the new Microsoft 365 including an array of novel tools, product updates, and the opportunity for new workflows and routines. Yes, migration can be a complex task, but it’s one that brings many benefits:

• Upfront cost certainty 
• Preserves business agilily
• Enhances organizational communication
• Boosts employee productivity and reduces downtime
• Streamlines IT operations

And there is no need for Capex spend on hardware, software, data center space, ever. Here are some additional benefits for your in-house IT department:

• Flex user count up or down very quickly
• More times than not the mailbox size quota is substantially greater with Microsoft 365
• No need to audit MS licensing, as all licenses are included
• No need to patch or keep servers up to date
• No need to patch or update Office versions
• Users are spread out among many servers so a single server outage does not impact all users
• Guarantees compliance with industry-specific, local, and national regulations, such as HIPAA, SOC 1, 2, & 3, ISO/IEC 27001, CIS Benchmarks, CDSA, and more
• Faster onboarding with Thrive Customer portal integration

How can Thrive’s Cloud-First, NextGen Managed Services help your business? To discover more, please CONTACT US.

The post It’s Time to De-Risk with Microsoft 365 appeared first on Thrive.

The most important part of procuring any new technology solution is how it will impact your workflow. With so many technology solutions out there, you need to implement those that make sense for your business. To ensure this happens, consider the following four suggestions.

Consider Alternative Costs

Implementing a new solution is wonderful, but only if your staff know how to use it. If you try to implement a solution to enhance productivity, you’ll need to also consider the return on investment in terms of how much time you’ll have to spend getting your team on board with it, along with the time spent training and testing your staff on its use. It might not seem like an immediately apparent cost, but we assure you it is a very real one.

Involve the Right People In the Discussion

When discussing new technology implementations, it’s important to get the perspectives of the people who will be using it. This might mean asking your staff, particularly experienced employees, or other stakeholders and management. With these valuable perspectives on your side, you’ll be able to make the most educated decisions possible about any new technology implementation project.

Choose Your Partners Carefully

When it comes time to add new solutions to your infrastructure and processes, you’ll want to work with businesses that have your company’s best interests at heart. In other words, the vendors you work with should be invested in your company’s success rather than just looking for their next big sale.

Remember to Set Achievable Goals

Without realistic and achievable goals, any new technology implementation will be doomed to failure. Big changes might be a big deal for your business, but only if they have direction. Otherwise, you could wind up being mired in the processes that drag your business down and prevent it from making any forward progress. With clear objectives and goals, you’ll be able to optimize your chances for success.

When it comes to implementing new technology, it’s best to leave this important task to professional technicians with years of experience and expertise. Thrive can consult your organization on the best path forward. Contact Thrive to learn more about what we can do for your company.

The post 4 Steps to Improve Your IT Decisions appeared first on Thrive.