CAER Technologies - CAER Blog , Microsoft

11 Effective Security Measures To Bolster Your Microsoft 365 Data Protection

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 15:04:00 +0000

Making the most of your Microsoft 365 apps requires you to adopt appropriate security measures.

Microsoft 365 is one of the best collaboration and productivity tools around. It provides users with seamless communication, scalability and supports remote work with various features. The security is also solid due to a wide array of defense mechanisms.

But this doesn't mean you're impervious to cyberattacks.

Data leakage, unauthorized access, and malware can still jeopardize your system and offer ideal entry points for hackers. Should your business fall victim, the consequences can be dire, ranging from operational disruptions to severe reputational damage.

The only way to fend off hackers is to take your Microsoft 365 data protection to the next level. We're going to list some recommended security measures to help shield your data in Microsoft 365.

THE 11 EFFECTIVE SECURITY MEASURES

1. ACTIVATE MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTIFICATION

Microsoft 365 users have just one method of verifying their identity when using a username and password. Unfortunately, many people don't follow robust password protocols. If you’re doing the same, you’re exposing your organization to intrusions.

That's where multi-factor authentication (MFA) comes into play.

It can boost your Microsoft 365 security with one-time passphrases or other factors to verify user identity. Best of all, this measure is easy to apply.

However, enabling MFA should only be your first step. The next one is to activate Security Defaults, a Microsoft feature that enforces MFA in each administrator account.

Another great idea is to implement MFA in all accounts without administrator permissions. It’s because these accounts can still endanger services and apps in your ecosystem.

2. USE SESSION TIMEOUTS

Many employees fail to log out of their accounts and lock their mobile devices or computers. This can grant hackers unlimited access to enterprise accounts, enabling them to compromise your data.

Incorporating session timeouts into internal networks and accounts automatically logs users out after a certain inactivity period. That means hackers can't take over their devices and access sensitive information.

3. REFRAIN FROM PUBLIC CALENDAR SHARING

Calendar sharing enables your employees to synchronize and share schedules with colleagues. While this facilitates team collaboration, it can also give hackers insight into your operations and vulnerable users.

For example, if your security administrator is on vacation and this information is publicly available, attackers can use this window to launch malware.

4. EMPLOY ADVANCED THREAT PROTECTION

Advanced threat protection (ATP) is a robust solution that recognizes and prevents advanced threats that usually bypass antivirus and firewall defenses.

It grants access to a database that receives real-time updates, allowing users to understand the threats and integrate the data into their analysis.

ATP notifies you about attacks, the severity, and the method that stopped them, regardless of the source. It's especially effective at preventing phishing.

It relies on machine learning and a massive database of suspicious sites notorious for malware delivery or phishing attempts.

5. LEVERAGE POLICY ALERTS

Microsoft 365 lets you establish your policy notifications in the compliance center to meet your company's security needs. For example, they send your employees tips on sending sensitive information whenever they're about to send a message to a contact outside your network.

These warnings can safeguard against data leaks while educating your team on safe data sharing methods.

6. SECURE YOUR MOBILE ACCESS

Your team often uses smartphones to access work email, contacts, documents, and calendars, especially if they work remotely. So, securing their devices should be your top priority when protecting data.

The best way to do so is to install Microsoft 365 mobile management features. They can let you manage your security policy, permissions, restrictions, and wipe crucial information from stolen or lost devices.

7. DEACTIVATE LEGACY PROTOCAL AUTHENTIFICATION

It’s worth noting that legacy protocols don't support several security features in Microsoft 365 that reduce the chances of intrusion, such as MFA. This can make them perfect gateways for adversaries who want to target your organization.

That said, your best bet is to deactivate legacy protocols to mitigate risks.

However, you may not want to disable legacy authentication if your team needs it for older email accounts. The good news is that you can still make your network safer by restricting access to users who don't need this protocol.

8. INTEGRATE ROLE-BASED ACCESS CONTROL

Access management is a convenient security feature that can limit the flow of private information across your business. It allows you to establish the users who can access data in your company.

For instance, you can minimize data leaks by preventing rank-and-file team members from reading and editing executive-level files.

9. RELY ON UNIFIED AUDIT LOG

Unified audit log (UAL) includes logs from several Microsoft 365 services, such as Azure AD, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams. Enabling it can give the administrator insight into malicious activity and actions that violate organizational policies.

You may also want to incorporate your logs into an existing SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tool. Doing so enables you to connect logs with current log monitoring and management solutions to reveal abnormal activity. Plus, it can improve the overall security of your Microsoft 365 suite.

10. ENCRYPT EMAILS

Encrypting sensitive data is often the last resort when dealing with data breaches. But if cyberattackers access your emails, robust encryption tools can make them unreadable. That’s why email encryption is something worth looking into.

This feature is essential for Microsoft 365 users who share emails and files regularly.

11. TRAIN AND EDUCATE YOUR EMPLOYEES

The above measures are undoubtedly effective, but they may amount to nothing if you leave your employees out of the picture. In fact, human error is the leading cause of most data breaches.

One of the best ways to prevent security breaches in your business is to schedule employee security training and education. It can raise their awareness of potential threats and guide them on how to address them.

This is especially important when recruiting employees. Make sure they undergo in-depth security training before granting them access to sensitive data and organizational devices.

WE WON'T LEAVE YOUR BUSINESS'S DATA PROTECTION TO CHANCE

Microsoft 365 offers a bunch of intuitive and convenient tools. The experience can be so smooth that you may even forget about protecting your data.

However, you're taking a huge gamble in doing so, as it leaves your system open for hackers.

With that in mind, applying the defense mechanisms mentioned in this article will dramatically decrease security threats to your business.

We can help you further ensure your security when using Microsoft 365 apps. Reach out to a CAER Tech for a 10-15-minute chat that’s obligation-free. Let’s discuss how you can keep cyber threats at bay.

Article used with permission from The Technology Press

How Microsoft 365 Defender Can Shield Your Company from Phishing Scams

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 14:45:00 +0000

Phishing can lose you a lot of money and expose sensitive information. Microsoft 365 Defender can dramatically mitigate this risk with several features.

Phishing attacks are a severe threat to your business. These fraudulent actions can cause your team members to accidentally share financial, customer, and account information with cybercriminals.

How does this happen?

The issue is that the attackers seem credible since they’re impersonating trusted sources and high-level executives. As a result, your team members may not even have second thoughts about distributing sensitive personnel or corporate data.

Despite the attempts to raise user awareness of this fraud, phishing emails are still widespread.

They’re the starting point of most hacking activities and can make organizations lose millions of dollars. In addition, the victim may face legal action, diminished reputation, reduced customer confidence, and business disruption.

That’s why protecting your business from phishing attacks is paramount.

Numerous safety mechanisms are available, but Microsoft 365 Defender might be your best option. It comes with various security layers to safeguard against successful phishing attempts. There are certain key features of Microsoft 365 Defender that can help protect your business from phishing:

THE 7 KEY FEATURES

FEATURE 1. PHISHING EMAIL PROTECTION

The most dangerous type of phishing scam involves emails whose sender seems to be an actual entity. The attacker often uses cunning tactics, like referring to the victim by their name or nickname. Sometimes, they can even use real accounts and use them to trick businesses.

Using machine learning, Microsoft Defender 365 lists the contacts you regularly communicate with. Then, it uses advanced tools to differentiate suspicious from acceptable behavior. The result is more accurate detection of phishing emails.

FEATURE 2. MALWARE DEFENSE

Different types of malware can spread through phishing emails.

For example, ransomware locks your files and systems until the attacker receives a ransom.

Spyware can be even more dangerous. It steals your information by copying clipboards, taking screenshots, or recording keystrokes.

Microsoft Defender 365 addresses such malware with robust safety mechanisms, namely:

•Layered malware defense – The platform comes with multiple malware scan engines to help diagnose potential threats. They provide a robust heuristic inspection to shield your system even in the earliest stages of an outbreak. This type of protection is superior to using just one anti-malware program.

•Real-time response – During outbreaks, the platform provides your team with instant access to devices, allowing you to investigate and contain threats in real-time. It also enables your team to collect data and proactively tackle malware.

•Rapid definition deployment – The Microsoft 365 Defender team maintains a close relationship with anti-malware engine developers. Consequently, users of the platform receive malware definitions on time. Plus, the company checks for definition updates every hour to help protect you against the latest malware.

•Common attachments filter – Some file types aren’t meant for emails, such as executable documents. With that in mind, the common attachment filter lets you automatically block them without any scanning. Some of the file types it can remove include .ace, .exe, .app, .ani, and .scr.

FEATURE 3. SPAM BLOCK

Another common culprit for phishing campaigns is spam emails. Blocking them is an excellent way to shield your organization from attacks.

Defender boasts powerful anti-spam technology to address spam emails by examining the source of the message and the contents. If the email comes from untrustworthy sources or contains suspicious information, it automatically goes to your spam folder.

On top of that, this feature examines your team members’ activity to help make sure they don’t send spam emails to other users.

FEATURE 4. SAFE LINKS

Phishing emails don’t only contain attachments. They can also include URLs to lead your team members to a fraudulent website.

These web pages often look legitimate, but they generally require the victim to provide some information. Furthermore, they can lead to websites that install or download malware on your computers.

Safe Links shield your system from malware transmissions using URL detonation. It scans email links and checks for suspicious behavior.

Microsoft Defender 365 warns you not to visit links that open malicious websites. Otherwise, you can open your destination URLs normally. It’ll also rescan the service sometime later and look for any security problems.

Another great thing about this feature is that it scans email links from all personnel within your organization. Moreover, it works great on documents uploaded to SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.

FEATURE 5. SANDBOX ISOLATION

Some users, especially if they’re reckless, commonly open malicious email attachments without second thoughts. They can expose company data to prying eyes as a result, which can ruin your reputation and give your competitors the edge.

Defender can reduce this risk by opening all email attachments in a sandbox. It serves as isolation, meaning that malicious files can only affect the sandbox rather than your system.

Once the program isolates malware, it’ll warn you not to open it. But if the attachment is safe, you’ll be able to use it normally.

FEATURE 6. ENHANCED FILERING

Enhanced Filtering is perfect for enterprises that route emails to on-premises environments with third-party services before sending them to Microsoft 365.

The platform comes with inbound connectors that verify whether your email sources are trustworthy. The higher the complexity of the routing scenario, the higher the chances are that email connectors don’t reflect their real source.

What’s more, this feature preserves the authentication signals that may have disappeared while routing emails. It enhances the filtering capabilities of Microsoft 365, allowing it to detect phishing and spam emails more effectively.

FEATURE 7. USER SUBMISSIONS

Microsoft Defender lets you set specific mailboxes where you can send any threatening emails.

This feature allows you to determine the criteria for safe and malicious email while identifying the mailboxes that will store these messages. Thus, your administrators have more control over flagging emails and reporting them to Microsoft.

MICROSOFT 365 DEFENDER IS A SURE-FIRE SOLUTION

Phishing attacks can spell disaster for your company. To neutralize the threat, integrate your office’s computers with Microsoft 365 Defender.

This platform can keep your system intact with dependable security measures. It can also detect malicious activity on time, enabling you to address it before it spreads and compromises your privacy.

Using Microsoft 365 Defender is just one part of your cybersecurity. If you’d like help determining other potential risks in your network, reach out to a CAER Technician today.

Article used with permission from The Technology Press

How Kohler Uses Office 365 to Create a Culture of Agility (And the 8 Underused Tools That Will Make Your Business More Productive)

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 19:50:00 +0000

There are numerous suites of apps that can improve your productivity. One of them is Office 365, which features an array of underappreciated tools.

Office 365 has helped millions of organizations streamline their operations. One of the most famous examples involves Kohler, the manufacturer of kitchen and bath fixtures and plumbing.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, they struggled to manage operations since most of their team had to work remotely. The company had to adjust its activities to stay true to its values.

That’s where Office 365 came into play.

It helped them deliver personalized training in a short period. Their employees gained access to curated podcasts, Q&A sessions, microlearning videos, and renowned experts. All of which helped them become more comfortable with their new suite of apps.

Over time, the platform also enabled them to overcome the limitations of cultures, languages, and time zones with different tools.

For instance, they used Teams to mobilize professionals who shared insights into worldwide markets. Likewise, SharePoint facilitated the movement of over 400 terabytes of directories, expediting customer communication and support. The enterprise also enhanced its security and device deployment, creating a seamless culture of agility and productivity.

It’s worth mentioning that Office 365 isn’t just suitable for large companies like Kohler. Any business leader can leverage this productivity suite to increase productivity. The reality is that many of these tools are underused and underappreciated.

This article will highlight some of the top Office 365 tools you should consider implementing in your business.

THE TOOLS

TOOL #1 - FLOW

Microsoft Flow enables you to automate your workflow across various applications. You can connect it to instant message and email alerts, synchronize files from different apps or copy them from one platform to another.

For example, if you fill out a SharePoint form, you can use Flow to develop a lead in Dynamics 365.

Best of all, the tool isn’t limited to Microsoft Services. It lets you extract data from Facebook or upload files to Dropbox. The result is higher productivity through improved connections.

TOOL #2 - TEAMS

Teams is a meeting, sharing, and chatting hub for your team. This cloud-based platform combines notes, files, conferences, and several apps in real-time.

The program has dramatically improved collaboration and productivity, bringing people, content, and conversations together into a single hub. It integrates effortlessly with Office 365 apps and features a secure global cloud.

Another tremendous benefit is real-time communication. It lets all members watch edits in PowerPoint presentations, ensuring input from the entire team. Users can also provide feedback using the chat window to streamline productivity.

In addition, Teams supports cross-platform cooperation, allowing you to work on your phone, tablet, or computer.

TOOL #3 - TO-DO

Microsoft To-Do is a smart task management platform that facilitates planning throughout your day. Not to mention it delivers a personalized and intuitive way to help users stay organized.

It comes with a robust algorithm that lets you create lists for nearly anything, such as your home projects, work, and grocery shopping.

Keeping track of reminders is effortless with To-Do. You can add reminders, notes, and due dates while personalizing them with vivid themes. Aside from viewing them on the web, these lists are also accessible on most devices, including Android phones, iPhones, and Windows 10 devices.

TOOL #4 - MYANALYTICS

Although teams spend much of their time in meetings, talking on the phone, and sending emails, they still may not be very productive. To overcome this obstacle, Office 365 introduced MyAnalytics.

This tool increases employee efficiency by analyzing two productivity factors: who users spend their time with and how they spend it.

Using robust analytics, the tool suggests how you can be more productive by working less after-hours and reducing idle meeting time. There’s also AI that flags your Outlook commitments to remind you of your daily duties.

MyAnalytics consists of four components:

•Digests – Your Outlook inbox stores weekly digests to highlight the previous week.
•Dashboard – The dashboard displays various statistics like productivity insights, work habits, and suggestions on improving them.
•Insights Outlook – This feature presents cards that show your work experience and allow you to respond in many ways.
•Inline Suggestions – These suggestions are available in your Outlook to help boost productivity.

Also, Microsoft considered your privacy when designing this tool. That’s why you’re the only one who can access your personal insights and data.

TOOL #5 - VIVA

Microsoft Viva is an employee experience platform that helps to improve learning, wellbeing, and collaboration in the workplace. The tool consists of four modules: Viva Topics, Viva Connections, Viva Insights, and Viva Learning.

Viva Topics gathers and organizes content and knowledge around any topic in a business using Microsoft Graph and AI.

Viva Connections works as a SharePoint app within Teams, allowing you to share curated news and articles with your employers.

Viva Insights provides insight into employees’ work patterns that can cause stress and burnout, such as meeting overload and regular after-hours work. The app enables managers to help their teams find a balance between wellbeing and productivity.

Viva Learning is a learning hub in Teams that makes it easy for you to share learning content and training resources across your business.

TOOL #6 - DELVE

This is a nifty visualization tool that incorporates social media elements and social learning. It utilizes content from four platforms: Exchange, SharePoint, Yammer, and OneDrive,

However, it doesn’t aggregate your data points only. Instead, it detects relevant information like user activity and past interactions.

TOOL #7 - SWAY

Sway is a presentation app that might someday replace PowerPoint. It boasts an integrated design engine to produce appealing presentations and reports.

Some of the features include dragging and dropping images, charts, videos, and canvas-based formats. The program can also produce newsletters and stories that can be viewed on various devices.

TOOL #8 - PLANNER

Microsoft Planner is an excellent choice for companies with team members all over the globe and multiple simultaneous projects. The tool can rapidly digitize your task management processes.

It gives users access to visual organization tools and four key functions: information hub, insights, communication, and flexible categorizations. Also, it enables team members to share files, create plans, assign and assemble tasks, and converse with co-workers while receiving progress updates.

REINVIGORATE YOUR BUSINESS'S WORK ENVIRONMENT

Taking your operations to new heights is all about creating an agile and productive workplace. And Office 365 can help you achieve this with a wide range of communication and collaboration tools.

Whether your team works remotely or in-office, this suite of apps can dramatically improve project management. And Kohler’s example is proof of this.

That said, a subpar IT provider can impede your integration with Office 365.

If you feel your vendor isn’t delivering the necessary results, give CAER Technologies a call. We can schedule a quick chat and come up with the perfect solution to your business’s IT difficulties to save you from a lot of stress.

Article used with permission from The Technology Press

The 5 Biggest Questions about Windows 11 Answered

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 13:53:00 +0000

Microsoft’s latest operating system has taken the world by storm. But before jumping ship and upgrading to the new OS, better read this first.

Microsoft has released the latest version of its operating system — Windows 11.

At a time when computers and technology play a more central role in human lives, tech companies are scrambling to deliver the best user experience possible to capture the ever-expanding market.

Microsoft’s answer to the growing demand for better technology for home and business use is Windows 11.

Microsoft dubs their latest operating system as the “Windows that brings you closer to what you love.” But are they actually able to achieve that?

I know you have a lot more burning questions about this latest OS from Microsoft. So without further ado, let’s jump right into answering the five biggest questions you may have about Windows 11.

THE FIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WINDOWS 11

QUESTION #1 – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINDOWS 10 AND 11

Windows 11 gets a significant boost in performance, functionality, and style compared to Windows 10. Here’s a small rundown of the critical upgrades Microsoft made for its latest OS:

Windows gets a makeover: If you’ve used Apple before, you might see the similarities between the design of the macOS and the latest Windows model. Windows now also sports tightly rounded corners, and the taskbar icons are permanently centered. But at least the ever handy Start button is here to stay.
Streamlined Productivity Functions: There are many small but significant upgrades that Microsoft did for Windows 11. For one, your PC will now remember the last layout of your choice when docking. Each of your virtual desktops can also have a different background. Also, widgets are back like never before. And Windows 11 features a Snap Layout function that lets users choose from a variety of layout options at the click of a button.
New and Improved Teams: With hybrid work becoming the new normal around the world. Teams entered the spotlight. Because of this, Microsoft made sure to include reasonable upgrades to the application. For example, Teams is now integrated into the operating system, making it easier to communicate with family, friends, and colleagues.
Better Gaming Experience: Microsoft made sure to think beyond just business people and workers when designing the new Windows 11. Gamers will love the fact that playing games on Windows is made even better, with Xbox Game pass and Cloud gaming supported on the Xbox app in Windows 11.

Android Apps on Your PC: Aside from offering better compatibility with the Xbox, Microsoft has successfully integrated Android apps on your PC using Windows 11. But here’s the catch: We’re not yet sure if these Android apps would work optimally on PC.

QUESTION #2 – DO I NEED TO MAKE HARDWARE CHANGES TO SWITCH TO WINDOWS 11?

It depends. Here’s an essential checklist of what you need to have to run Windows 11 smoothly:

At least a 1GHZ dual-core processor
4 GB of RAM
At least 64 GB of storage
A graphics card compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with a WDDM 2.0 driver
720p display, at least 9” diagonal size, with 8 bits per color channel
TPM version 2.0
UEFI, Secure Boot capable firmware

If your PC or laptop covers or does more than what’s listed above, then you can safely upgrade to Windows 11, worry-free.

On the other hand, you might have to make some hardware upgrades or buy a new device altogether if your current one does not meet the minimum requirements.

QUESTION #3 – IS THE MICROSOFT OFFICE SUITE AVAILABLE ON WINDOWS 11

No. You have to pay for a Microsoft Office subscription first.

But if you have an existing subscription to Microsoft 365, then you’re all set. You just need to install the Office suite after upgrading to Windows 11.

Note that support for older versions of Office (2010 and below) has been discontinued since last year. So if you’re still using that, I suggest you make necessary changes to avoid making yourself vulnerable to security risks.

QUESTION #4 – HOW CAN I SWITCH FROM WINDOWS 10 TO 11?

If you’re looking to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11, you have nothing to worry about.

You just need to go to the Windows Update section of your Settings and click “Check for Updates.” Windows 11 will be there available in the upgrade section.

Click the “Download and Install” button, and that’s it.

QUESTION #5 – DO I REALLY NEED TO SWITCH TO WINDOWS 11?

No. If your computer is not compatible or can’t run Windows 11, you don’t have to upgrade.

On the other hand, if your PC is compatible with Windows 11 but you find the upgrades unnecessary for your current workflow, there’s nothing wrong with staying with Windows 10.

Even Microsoft said that Windows 10 is still the right choice for those who aren’t ready to transition to a new operating system. At the same time, the company will continue supporting Windows 10 until October 14, 2025.

This gives you about four years to think about upgrading to Windows 11 or switching operating systems altogether.

TECHNOLOGY THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Microsoft made it a point to make their latest OS worth it for old and new Windows users. And with these new updates, it is clear that the company has made an effort to find out its users’ pain points and address them.

But despite these new features, you have to understand one thing:

Technology is just a tool used to increase our everyday productivity and efficiency.

That means you don’t need to jump ship to Windows 11 if you’re not ready to do so outright. Technology is only as effective as how much you use it. So if you’re already a master of Windows 10 and it makes you 100% productive, then change is unnecessary.

Now, suppose you’re seriously thinking about making the switch to Windows 11. But you want to know more about its hardware compatibility and security updates. In that case, you need an IT service provider that’s willing to talk you through it.

If you need any help in fully understanding the pros and cons of switching (or not changing) to Windows 11, schedule a 15-minute, no-obligation conversation with CAER Technologies today.

Article used with permission from T he Technology Press