1. Stolen passwords and weak sign-in controls

A compromised mailbox can be used to read sensitive email, reset passwords, impersonate staff, change payment details or send convincing phishing emails from a real account. MFA helps, but it needs to be configured and monitored properly.

2. Too many admin accounts

Old Global Admin accounts, unused supplier access and over-privileged users are common in M365 small business environments. Attackers love them because one forgotten account can unlock a lot of damage.

3. Email spoofing and domain impersonation

If SPF, DKIM and DMARC are not properly configured and monitored, criminals may be able to impersonate your domain or send convincing lookalike emails to customers, staff and suppliers.

4. Default Microsoft 365 security settings

Microsoft 365 has powerful controls, but many are not fully tuned for your organisation. Risky sign-ins, mailbox forwarding, guest access, legacy authentication, sharing settings and alerting all need proper review.

5. Phishing reaching staff inboxes

Staff should not be expected to spot every attack on their own. Better email security, domain protection and awareness training reduce the pressure on people and make successful compromise less likely.

6. No separate Microsoft 365 backup

Retention is useful, but it is not the same as a dedicated backup and recovery plan. If data is deleted, changed, encrypted or lost through compromise, you need a reliable way back.

Core Microsoft 365 security settings to review

• Turn on MFA for all users, with stronger controls for admins
• Remove old users, shared accounts and unnecessary Global Admin access
• Review Conditional Access, risky sign-ins and legacy authentication
• Check mailbox forwarding, inbox rules and suspicious sign-in activity
• Review SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams sharing settings
• Protect your domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC

Practical protection to add around Microsoft 365

• Email security to reduce phishing, malicious links and unsafe attachments
• DMARC monitoring to protect your domain and improve email trust
• Microsoft 365 posture monitoring to spot risky settings and drift
• Identity threat detection to highlight account compromise and unusual behaviour
• Microsoft 365 backup for Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams
• Plain-English reporting so leaders know what has changed and why

Reduce the chance of compromise

• Email security to catch more phishing and malicious emails before they land
• Sendmarc for DMARC monitoring, domain protection and email authentication visibility
• Octiga to review Microsoft 365 security settings and highlight configuration risks
• Conditional Access, stronger login controls and tighter admin practices
• Security awareness training that helps people spot suspicious activity without blame
• Review Microsoft 365 identity settings, permissions and configuration drift

See when something is off

• Octiga and Huntress ISPM to find risky Microsoft 365 identity settings and drift
• Huntress ITDR to monitor account misuse, suspicious logins and identity threats
• Huntress EDR for 24/7 managed threat detection and response on endpoints
• Visibility that goes beyond a basic alert sitting unread in a portal

Make sure there is a way back

• Microsoft 365 backup to recover mail, files and data when needed
• Server and endpoint backup where operations depend on it
• Recovery support that helps you get working again, not just diagnose the issue

Stop more threats reaching staff

Avanan helps reduce phishing, malware, spam, malicious links and unsafe attachments before they land in the inbox.

Protect your domain and settings

Sendmarc helps with DMARC, SPF and DKIM so criminals find it harder to spoof your domain. Octiga and Huntress Managed ISPM help identify risky Microsoft 365 security settings and configuration drift.

Detect compromise and recover

Huntress ITDR helps detect suspicious account activity, while Microsoft 365 backup from Axcient, ConnectWise or Redstor gives you a recovery route if email or cloud data is deleted, altered or compromised.

Review your current setup

We look at Microsoft 365 accounts, access, admin roles, email exposure, backup and identity settings to highlight gaps that could lead to compromise, downtime or data loss.

Prioritise what matters

Not everything needs fixing at once. We focus on the changes that reduce the most risk first, whether that is identity protection, phishing defence, backup or tightening access.

Put layered protection in place

We combine prevention, detection and recovery so your organisation is better protected, easier to manage and not reliant on one control working perfectly.

Avanan email security

Helps stop phishing, malicious attachments, unsafe links and fake sender attacks before they reach the inbox. Useful when staff are being targeted through Microsoft 365 and Outlook.

Sendmarc DMARC protection

Helps protect your domain from spoofing by improving SPF, DKIM and DMARC visibility, reporting and enforcement. Useful for organisations that want better email trust.

Octiga Microsoft 365 security

Helps review Microsoft 365 security settings, spot risky configuration, highlight policy drift and make Microsoft 365 easier to secure and document.

Huntress ITDR

Helps detect suspicious Microsoft 365 activity, account compromise, malicious inbox rules and identity-based attacks.

Huntress Managed ISPM

Helps find risky Microsoft 365 identity settings, misconfigurations, MFA gaps, over-privileged accounts and configuration drift.

Microsoft 365 backup options

Redstor, Axcient x360Cloud and ConnectWise Cloud Backup help organisations recover from deletion, compromise, data loss and recovery gaps.

For schools and MATs

• Microsoft 365 backup for Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams
• Support for backup evidence and recovery confidence
• Help aligning backup with DfE, RPA and business continuity expectations
• Clearer restore routes when staff need data back quickly

For small businesses

For an M365 small business setup, the priority is simple: protect the accounts, protect the email, protect the data and make sure recovery is possible.

• Microsoft 365 backup for business-critical email and files
• Support for cyber insurance questions around backup and recovery
• Protection against deletion, compromise and retention gaps
• A practical recovery plan that does not rely on guesswork

How this works in practice

• We focus on security, identity, backup and risk reduction
• Your IT provider continues to handle day-to-day support
• We add monitoring, protection and guidance around Microsoft 365 and access
• We work collaboratively rather than stepping on toes

Why organisations prefer this approach

• No need to change IT provider just to improve security
• Clearer visibility of risks without adding internal workload
• Specialist cyber security layered on top of existing support
• A more joined-up approach to prevention, detection and recovery

Derbyshire

Microsoft 365 security Derbyshire support for businesses, schools and local organisations that need practical help with accounts, email, backup and recovery.

Chesterfield and Sheffield

Local support for organisations that rely on Microsoft 365 and want stronger protection around phishing, identity, cloud files and account compromise.

Worksop, South Yorkshire and North Notts

Straightforward Microsoft 365 security and backup support for organisations that want fewer blind spots and a clearer recovery plan.

Good fit

• Microsoft 365-heavy businesses without in-house cyber capability
• Schools needing clearer backup and recovery evidence
• Firms concerned about phishing, account compromise or user access
• Organisations working towards Cyber Essentials or cyber insurance readiness

Also a good fit

• Remote or hybrid teams
• Businesses using Teams, SharePoint and cloud file sharing every day
• Schools and MATs using Microsoft 365 for staff collaboration
• Teams that want practical improvement, not endless dashboards

Common trigger points

• A suspicious login or mailbox issue has already happened
• Insurance or compliance questions have exposed weak spots
• The organisation has grown, but access controls and backup have not kept pace
• Someone has asked whether Microsoft 365 data is properly backed up