As a Microsoft 365 admin, your daily decisions have a significant impact on your organization’s digital security. Knowing the difference between a secure system and a potential breach often depends on your awareness and actions. With cyber threats on the rise, it’s important to understand common vulnerabilities.
This article describes the ten biggest mistakes that Microsoft 365 administrators make, detailing the consequences and giving tips on how to avoid them. Addressing these missteps can improve your organization’s security posture and maintain a strong Microsoft 365 setup. Whether you’re experienced or new to the platform, this guide will help you manage a secure cloud environment. Let’s take a look at these ten common mistakes and how to avoid them.
10 Mistakes Every Microsoft 365 Admin Should Avoid
As a Microsoft 365 admin, avoiding common pitfalls can be the difference between a secure environment and a major security breach. This listicle outlines the top ten mistakes that admins often make and tips on how to avoid them.
1. Using RBAC Wisely
Using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is important to maintain security in Microsoft 365. By defining roles based on the principle of least privilege, admins can ensure that users only have the access they need.
For example, instead of assigning global admin rights to each user, consider assigning specific roles that correspond to project functions. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and potential security breaches.
2. Enter the Protection ID
Entra Identity Protection is a powerful tool to protect your organization’s sensitive accounts. It categorizes users based on their level of risk, enabling customized security policies.
Applying user login risk policies and user risk policies can significantly reduce vulnerabilities. Consider blocking access rather than allowing password changes for sensitive accounts, as this can complicate things.
3. Authentication Method Error
Authentication methods are important for security in Microsoft 365. Admins don’t just rely on passwords; instead, they should implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and encourage the use of authentication apps or security keys.
Correctly configuring authentication policies can prevent unauthorized access and ensure that users are authenticated through a secure channel. Provide users with options that are easy to use and understand.
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4. Create a Break Glass Admin Account
Having a recovery or broken page admin account is essential. This account should be set up with a strong password but without multi-factor authentication to ensure access during emergency situations.
When creating this account, use a public domain instead of your company domain for added security. Document your account details securely, as this account can be a lifesaver if you’re locked out of your main admin account.
5. File Sharing Nightmares
If not properly managed, file sharing settings in SharePoint and OneDrive can pose significant security risks. Admins should configure sharing settings to limit external sharing and ensure only authorized users can access sensitive files.
SharePoint can allow anonymous sharing by default; modifying these settings to align with your organization’s security policies is critical. Consider implementing guest access procedures that require admin approval.
6. Global Admin No No
Too many global admins can cause security risks. Microsoft recommends keeping the number of global admins limited—ideally, no more than five and no less than two.
Review your admin roles regularly and make sure only those who need global access have them. Instead of giving global admin rights, try assigning roles that better match their responsibilities.
7. Ignoring User Education
Even the best security measures can be undermined by user error. Regular training sessions for users on security best practices, phishing awareness, and the importance of strong passwords can improve your organization’s security posture.
Encourage users to report suspicious activity and provide resources to understand the tools they are using. An informed user base is a critical line of defense against security threats.
8. Ignoring Compliance and Auditing
Compliance with industry regulations is important for any organization. Admins should regularly monitor user access and permissions to ensure compliance with policies and regulations.
Using Microsoft 365 compliance tools can help you track changes and maintain records of user activity. Regular audits can identify potential problems before they become significant problems.
9. Facing Conditional Access Policies
Conditional Access is a powerful feature that allows admins to create policies based on user location, device status, and risk level. Implementing these policies can significantly improve an organization’s security by controlling access to sensitive resources.
Review and update conditional access policies regularly to adapt to changing security needs and user behavior. This proactive approach can prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
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10. Failure to Use Security Considerations
Microsoft 365 offers powerful security insights that can help admins monitor user activity and identify potential threats. Regularly checking these insights can provide useful information about unusual logins or risky behavior.
Set alerts for suspicious activity and use insights to strengthen your security measures. Proactive monitoring can help solve problems before they lead to larger security breaches.
Pin Down Default Guest Account
Effectively managing guest accounts is essential to maintaining security in Microsoft 365. To do this, navigate to the external collaboration settings in the Microsoft Teams admin center.
Here, you can specify permission levels for guest users. Options include granting equal access to members, providing limited access to properties, or restricting it to only certain objects.
Choosing the most restrictive option is important to minimize security risks associated with guest access.
Using Entra ID Security Defaults
Security standards at Entra ID are important for organizations, especially those that are just starting out. Enabling security defaults can reduce the risk of phishing attacks.
This feature automatically enforces conditional access policies for all users, including admins, to ensure your organization is better protected from threats. However, if you already have special conditional access settings, be careful, as security defaults can be overridden.
Modern Authentication Nightmares
Many organizations still rely on classic authentication methods, which can open up security vulnerabilities. Modern authentication, on the other hand, supports features like multi-factor authentication (MFA) that increase security.
Admins should disable classic authentication if possible. If legacy clients must be supported, consider implementing customized conditional access policies to restrict access based on specific conditions.
Access Review (Absolutely Required)
Access reviews are important to ensure that users only have access to the resources they need. This feature allows admins to periodically review and adjust the permissions assigned to users, groups, and admin roles.
You can prevent unauthorized access over time by using access review, ensuring that only relevant personnel have the necessary permissions. This is critical to maintaining compliance and security best practices.
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Question
Why is it important to set guest account standards?
Properly configuring guest account defaults helps reduce security risks by limiting external user access and permissions.
What should I do if I already have special conditional access settings?
Enabling security defaults can be dangerous, as it can overwrite existing conditional access policies. Review the settings before making changes.
How often should I do an access review?
Conducting an access review at least annually is recommended, but more frequent reviews can help maintain tighter security controls.
