Top Features of Microsoft 365 Business Basic for Strengthening Cybersecurity in 2025
Businesses often wonder if their Microsoft 365 operations offer security to their data. They need to have Microsoft 365 operations that are safe from malware, unauthorized access, and cyber-attacks.
For this purpose, you may rely on Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan, which has cybersecurity features. It includes malware protection and compliance with preset policies like blocking certain file-type attachments.
However, you need to follow the guidelines and comply with its security features. We will understand the top features to protect your Microsoft 365 for Business.
Does Microsoft 365 Provide Security?
Microsoft 365 has become a highly secure platform, including various robust security capabilities. Let us understand what they offer:
Identity & Access Management:
It helps protect Microsoft user identities and devices. The security features provide access to critical business data or resources based on risk levels.
Threat Protection:
Protects users and devices against advanced threats. Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan will include this feature. It will help businesses recover quickly when attacked. The Microsoft 365 threat protection solutions include Microsoft Defender, Defender for Endpoint, and Microsoft Cloud App Security.
Information Protection:
It helps ensure that only authorized people see emails and vital documents.
Security and Risk Management:
This gives IT staff control and visibility to data and information security tools.
Each security vector is protected by robust security features deployed based on every Microsoft 365 license type. Most apply to Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, and Premium plans.
Microsoft 365 Security Features to Strengthen Cybersecurity
Let us understand the top security features that are also included in the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication:
MFA or multi-factor authentication include 2FA, a 2-step verification method. It provides an added protection layer during the login process into a device, website, or application.
This process requires people or users to use a code or authentication app on their phone to sign into Microsoft 365. This makes it a critical first step in protecting your Microsoft 365 and business data.
For example, you can use a password combination of a passcode and biometrics (retinal or fingerprint scan). It will confirm your identity and authority, preventing hackers who know your password from taking over.
You can get 2 MFA options when you choose Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan. The first one is built-in 2FA, which allows IT admins to use 2FA to activate users at different levels.
They get options for a second verification method like biometrics, passcode, and others. Another option includes Azure MFA, which is a security add-on. Companies can add it to their Microsoft 365 at an additional cost to give them more control.
- Protect Admin Controls:
Microsoft 365 Administrator accounts or admins have extra elevated privileges. It makes admins more susceptible to unauthorized access attempts and cyberattacks.
This method becomes significant for setting up the right number of admin accounts for your business and separating and managing them well.
You need to adhere to the information security principle of least privilege included in the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan. It means granting users and app access only to the info, data, and operations businesses require to complete their jobs.
- Comply With Preset Security Policies:
Your Microsoft 365 subscription includes preset security policies. They use recommended settings for antimalware, antispam, and anti-phishing protection. Businesses need to stick to these policies and comply with their security protection provisions.
Sometimes, you may need to tweak the security provisions to align with your business and security demands. It has become important to ensure that the policies are on and working.
- Use Strong Password Policies:
A business’s password policies govern its users, IT staff, and network admins. They can rely on the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan to get these security policies. It can enhance their device, network, website, and data security.
These policies include using strong password characteristics like length and the allowed or disallowed characters. Microsoft 365 and Azure AD (cloud-only accounts) have predefined password policies that IT or network admins cannot change.
These include password length, complexity, expiry duration, and characters. The policies advise users or admins to avoid using characters like names, dates of birth, and more personal details. It will prevent reusing passwords for stronger password security.
- Use MDM (Mobile Device Management):
You need to understand that every device at your Business remains a possible attack venue. However, you can choose Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan to avoid any attack on your network or data.
It helps you configure your devices properly, even those personally owned devices (BYOD) used for work. You can protect your business by safeguarding these endpoints.
Microsoft 365 offers Mobile device management (MDM), which is a software (toolset) and methodology. It can monitor and manage mobile devices accessing enterprise data (sensitive).
The common MDM components include:
- Device inventory
- Identity and access management
- Endpoint security
- Encryption
- Password enforcement
- App whitelisting/blacklisting
- Remote wipe
- Tracking, and more.
- Defender for Microsoft 365:
Microsoft 365 Defender is a cloud-based cybersecurity service. It provides integrated protection against sophisticated attacks and malware.Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan has this defender.
It is designed for email and other Microsoft 365 protection needs as a unified pre- and post-breach cybersecurity defense suite. The Defender for Office 365 suite is connected to Microsoft’s database to analyze endpoints.
It evaluates texts, emails, files, or links for any malware potential. The Microsoft 365 Defender offers various services, including end-to-end encryption, threat investigation, reports, and threat protection policies.
It provides these services in three security services, including:
- Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 (P1)
- Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 (P2)
- Exchange Online Protection (EOP)
- Encrypted Email:
Businesses can get multiple encryption options for email security through the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan. These options include:
- Information rights management (IRM)
- Microsoft Purview Message Encryption
- Secure or Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME)
Email encryption encodes information by transforming the email text into unreadable ciphertext. It allows only authorized recipients to decode and see/read/consume it.
Email encryption works in two ways:
- As a customer, control encryption
- In the service, encryption through TLS (used by default)
Encryption in Microsoft 365 is used in the service by default because it comes as a preset email security provision. This means that you do not have to configure anything.
Nobody (interceptor) other than the intended recipient can open and read the email’s information when encrypted. For example, the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan uses TLS (Transport Layer Security) to encrypt the connection or session between two servers.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP):
We can understand DLP as the practice, technologies, and processes involved in protecting data loss in Office 365. Enterprises use and store sensitive information or data.
These data include employee, financial, and health records, customers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and others. So, these types of information need protection to reduce cyberattack risk.
This safety method prevents users from unauthorized access and inappropriate data sharing. Therefore, businesses must protect three types of data under DLP. It includes data in use, data in motion, and data at rest.
Companies can rely on the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan to do this. This plan has three types of data loss prevention capabilities network DLP, endpoint DLP, and cloud DLP.
Conclusion
Cloud Galaxy have experienced members who understand the importance of cybersecurity. We provide Microsoft 365 plans that include top features that will strengthen security in 2025.
Our team members know that a strong DLP policy. It will help automate the process of identifying, monitoring, and protecting sensitive data or devices across different business areas.
We know that there is an Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) offer in Microsoft 365 Defender. It helps businesses monitor, detect and respond to advanced cybersecurity threats. So, rely on our Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan to get the best cybersecurity features.