Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is a robust security solution designed to protect your email, files, and collaboration tools within the Office 365 environment. It provides advanced threat protection, keeping your organization safe from phishing, malware, and sophisticated cyber-attacks.
Why is Email Security Critical in Today’s Digital World?
Emails are the frontline of most cyber-attacks, making them a critical vulnerability. Phishing emails, ransomware attachments, and malicious links can wreak havoc on businesses. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 ensures your organization remains secure by proactively identifying and mitigating these threats.
Key Features of Microsoft Defender for Office 365
- Advanced Threat Protection
Microsoft Defender uses machine learning and AI to detect and prevent advanced threats targeting your organization. - Real-Time Threat Intelligence
Leveraging data from billions of signals across Microsoft’s vast ecosystem, Defender provides up-to-date threat intelligence to combat the latest cyber risks. - Phishing and Malware Detection
The solution effectively blocks phishing attempts and malware-laden emails, safeguarding your sensitive data. - Zero-Day Threat Protection
Defender identifies and neutralizes zero-day exploits, ensuring your organization stays ahead of unknown threats. - URL and Attachment Scanning
All links and attachments in incoming emails are scanned in real-time to identify and block malicious content.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 vs. Plan 2
Plan 1 Features
- Protects against phishing, malware, and spam.
- Provides safe links and safe attachment scanning.
- Offers basic threat reporting and tracking.
Plan 2 Features
- Includes everything in Plan 1.
- Adds automated investigation and response capabilities.
- Offers attack simulation training for users.
- Provides advanced threat hunting and investigation tools.
Which Microsoft defender for office 365 Plan is Right for You?
Organizations with basic email security needs can opt for Plan 1. Larger enterprises requiring advanced threat hunting and automated responses should choose Plan 2.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Pricing
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is available as an add-on or as part of certain Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Pricing varies based on licensing:
- Plan 1: Approx. $2 per user/month.
- Plan 2: Approx. $5 per user/month.
For accurate pricing, refer to Microsoft’s pricing page.
How to Configure Threat Policies in the Security Center
Step 1: Access the Security Center
- Navigate to the Microsoft Security Center.
- Sign in with an administrator account.
Step 2: Configure Anti-Phishing Policy
- In the Security center, Expand the Email & Collaboration.
- Go to Policies and Rules > Threat Policies > Anti-Phishing.
- Select Create Policy and define policy settings such as user impersonation protection.
- Add all the Users and Groups and Domains, (Recommended Groups or all Microsoft 365 Verified domains).
- Enable all the check boxes mentioned in the below Screenshot and set the Phishing Threshold standard. ( You can change the threshold to Aggressive, if your organization getting lots of phishing emails.) Also We recommend adding users in key roles. Internally, these might be your CEO, CFO, and other senior leaders in the Impersonation Protection.
- Define the actions for phishing emails and Enable the Impersonation safety tips Check boxes.
- Review the Policy and Click on the Submit.
Step 3: Configure Anti-Malware Policy
- Go to Anti-Malware under Threat Policies.
- Select Create Policy and define policy settings such as common attachments filter.
- Add all the Users and Groups and Domains, (Recommended Groups or all Microsoft 365 Verified domains). (Similar to Anti-phishing Policy above)
- In the Protection settings, leave the defaults as they are, or add additional attachment types if necessary. Enable Zero-Hour Purge (ZHP). Additionally, you can set up Admin Notifications for internal and external undelivered emails.
- Review the Policy and Click on the Submit.
Step 4: Enable Anti-Spam Policies
- Go to the Anti-Spam section in Threat Policies.
- Select + Create Policy to add a new inbound anti-spam policy.
- Configure the following settings:
- Recipients: Specify users, domains, or groups to protect (Recommended Groups or all Microsoft 365 Verified domains).
- Bulk email threshold, and spam properties: (Leave the default value) or change according to your preference.
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- Action: Set the action for spam emails.
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- Allow & Block list: You can allow know senders and domains as well as block the domains and Senders. Additionally, you can whitelist and block the domains later. Check out the article on Managing Exchange Online Tenant Allow and Block Lists
- Review the policy and save the policy by clicking on Submit.
Step-4: Create an Outbound Spam Policy
An outbound spam policy helps prevent compromised accounts from sending large volumes of spam emails. Follow these steps to set up a policy that limits outbound emails to 1000 per day:
- Go to Threat Policies > Anti-Spam.
- Select Outbound spam filter policy and click Create policy.
- Provide a name, such as “Outbound Limit 1000 Emails”.
- Recipients: Specify users, domains, or groups to protect (Recommended Groups or all Microsoft 365 Verified domains).
- Under the Protection Settings, Set external message limit 1000, Internal limit 1000, and Set daily message limit 2000. (This is just examples you can increase and decrease the Limit as per your organization’s need.
- Additionally, you can define the notification and action if the user reaches the limit.
- Review the policy and Create the policy.
Step 5: Set Up Safe Links Policy
- Go to Safe Links under Threat Policies.
- Add all the Users and Groups and Domains, (Recommended Groups or all Microsoft 365 Verified domains).
- Enable the safe Links protection all the apps like (Outlook, Teams, and Office Apps)
- Set the Default Notification or You can customized the Notification.
- Review the policy and Click on the Submit.
Step 5: Configure Safe Attachments
- Go to Safe Attachments under Threat Policies.
- Enable Safe Attachments to scan email attachments for malware before delivery.
- Select the Safe attachment and click on Create.
- Add all the Users and Groups and Domains, (Recommended Groups or all Microsoft 365 Verified domains).
- In the Settings, Set the Dynamic Delivery with this option email will be delivered immediately without attachment. reattach files after scan complete.
- Review the policy and Create the policy.
Benefits of Using Microsoft Defender for Office 365
- Comprehensive Email Security
From spam filtering to advanced threat detection, Microsoft Defender offers end-to-end email protection. - Enhanced Productivity Through Automation
By automating incident response, Defender frees up your IT team to focus on strategic initiatives. - Seamless Integration with Office 365
Being a native solution, Defender integrates seamlessly with Office 365, ensuring minimal disruption during deployment. - Proactive Threat Mitigation
Defender not only identifies threats but also takes proactive measures to neutralize them, reducing potential damage.
FAQs
- What is Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
A robust security solution that protects email, files, and collaboration tools from cyber threats. - How does Microsoft Defender protect against phishing?
It scans emails, detects suspicious links or attachments, and blocks phishing attempts in real-time. - What’s the difference between Plan 1 and Plan 2?
Plan 1 provides basic email protection, while Plan 2 includes advanced features like attack simulation and automated investigation. - Is Microsoft Defender expensive?
No, it offers cost-effective protection compared to deploying multiple security solutions. - Can Defender handle zero-day threats?
Absolutely! Defender uses AI and machine learning to identify and neutralize zero-day exploits. - Can Defender be used with third-party email platforms?
Yes, Microsoft Defender can be integrated with non-Microsoft platforms for enhanced security.
