Email Security Services (ESS): Microsoft Defender for Office 365 2024 Q2

Email Security Is Essential

Email is one of the most common ways that threats will hit an organisation. It’s the first stage in a series of unpleasant, expensive events that leads to data theft, data destruction and business cessation. Email is one of the very few standard ways that hackers start their attacks, this is why email security is so essential.

Classic examples of email threats include phishing emails, designed to steal important information that aid deeper attacks. Emails can contain links to dangerous websites that can trick users into handing over critical information or may even directly attack the user’s computer. Attached documents may contain nasty surprises, such as backdoors that give attackers access to the business’ network. Access means theft and destruction (e.g. ransomware).

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If the email security service you use can stop most of that, it massively reduces the risk from hacking. Not using one is, frankly, irresponsible.

You cannot just plug in email security or rely on the security features provided by your email platform, though. Configuration is king. Given that most businesses in the UK and USA don’t have a cyber security plan, it’s likely that many Office 365 users have not changed their email security settings from the default. In this report we used Microsoft’s best practice configuration, rather than the default. Even then, after the test, Microsoft recommended changes.

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