In today’s digital landscape, maintaining a robust security posture is crucial for organizations of all sizes. Microsoft Secure Score is a powerful tool designed to help businesses assess and enhance their security across Microsoft 365 (M365) environments. Get ready to explore what Secure Score is, why it’s important, and how you can improve it with practical examples. 

Microsoft Secure Score is a security analytics tool that provides a numerical representation of your organization’s security posture. It evaluates your M365 environment based on system configurations, user behaviors, and other security-related measurements, offering a score between 0 and 100. The higher the score, the better your security posture. 

There are four main reasons why you should care about improving your Secure Score:

1. Visibility and control: Secure Score offers centralized visibility into your security status, allowing you to monitor and manage your security posture effectively 2. 
2. Benchmarking: It enables organizations to compare their security posture against industry standards and similar organizations, helping to identify areas for improvement. 
3. Guidance and recommendations: Secure Score provides actionable recommendations to enhance your security, making it easier to prioritize and implement security measures 3. 
4. Risk mitigation: By following Secure Score recommendations, organizations can reduce their risk of security breaches and protect sensitive data. 

Obviously, higher scores are better than lower scores, but as in all things security–related, it is a bit of an arms race.  The threat landscape is constantly changing, and best practices are evolving to address them.

While aiming for a high score is important, it’s more crucial to focus on a target that reflects your organization’s specific security needs and industry. A score of 80 or higher is generally considered satisfactory, but the ultimate goal is to reach a security level that aligns with your organization’s needs and risk tolerance, and then maintain it over time. 

For most organizations, reviewing your secure score, understanding the recommendations and risks and implementing a program for continuous improvement with meaningful targets and timelines is a good start.

There are often a few easily implemented recommendations that can make a significant impact on the Secure Score.  Further improvements may require more time and effort to realize the benefits.

Improving your Secure Score involves implementing recommended security actions. Here are some practical steps and examples to help you boost your score: 

1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
   • Example: Require MFA for all users accessing M365 services. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity through a second factor, such as a mobile app or SMS code. 
   • Example: Implementing passwordless authentication provides even more protection than MFA and results in a higher Secure Score. 
2. Secure User Identities  
   • Example: Implement Azure Active Directory Identity Protection to detect and respond to suspicious activities related to user identities. This helps prevent unauthorized access and protects user accounts.
3. Enhance Email Security  
   • Example: Configure anti-phishing policies in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 to protect against phishing attacks. This includes enabling Safe Links and Safe Attachments to scan and block malicious content. 
4. Protect Data with Encryption 
   • Example: Use Microsoft Information Protection to classify and label sensitive data. Apply encryption to emails and documents containing sensitive information to ensure they are protected even if they are shared outside the organization. 
5. Regularly Review and Update Security Policies
   • Example: Conduct regular security assessments and update your security policies based on the latest threats and vulnerabilities. Use Secure Score’s recommendations to guide your policy updates. 
6. Limit Administrative Privileges
   • Example: Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to ensure that users have only the permissions they need to perform their tasks. This minimizes the risk of accidental or intentional misuse of administrative privileges. 
7. Monitor and Respond to Security Alerts
   • Example: Set up alerts in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to monitor for suspicious activities and respond promptly to potential threats. This proactive approach helps mitigate risks before they escalate. 

Improving your Secure Score is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and adaptation. By following these steps and leveraging the recommendations provided by Microsoft Secure Score, organizations can significantly enhance their security posture and reduce the risk of cyber threats. If you’d like assistance in improving your Secure Score, book a free consultation with our experts and we can ensure that your organization stays ahead of evolving security challenges.