Why Microsoft Data Protection is Essential for SME Businesses

Businesses are now handling more data than ever before. Without the proper protections, this data can be exploited by bad actors, from both inside and outside of your organisation. Cyber criminals can use compromised data for their own personal gain: holding it to ransom, selling it on to other parties or using it to commit acts of fraud.

While 43% of all data breaches involve small or medium businesses (SMEs), many of these organisations are still not taking the adequate steps to protect themselves. For SMBs, the effects of a breach are particularly severe, primarily due to the significant expense of losing data. In fact, 83% of SMEs are not prepared to recover financially from a cyber attack. However, the costs of a data breach are not only financial. SMBs could face compliance and regulatory issues resulting in legal repercussions, as well as significant reputational damage.

So, how can SMBs avoid these negative consequences? Microsoft 365 Business Premium is equipped with a range of Microsoft data protection functions that help SMBs defend their valuable information from malicious actors.

Microsoft 365 Business Premium Data Protection

With these Microsoft data protection solutions, users will be able to manage data in a more granular way than ever before, to ensure that you prevent accidental and malicious data breaches across your estate.

Defend against cyber threats

With Microsoft Defender for Office 365, you can detect and prevent threats in your Office 365 environment in real time. This solution helps you to protect your data against prevalent threats, including viruses, spam, suspicious links, unsafe attachments and phishing attacks.

Data labelling

With Azure Information Protection, you can configure policies to classify, label and automatically protect data based on its sensitivity. You can also encrypt sensitive emails and prevent the forwarding or copying of confidential information. This allows you to retain full visibility of your data and control exactly how it’s used.

Enterprise-grade endpoint security

Microsoft Defender for Business is a new endpoint protection solution that manages threats across Windows, iOS, macOS and Android operating systems, as well as all devices. With next-generation antivirus and endpoint detection and response capabilities, your business can establish a comprehensive defence against even the most sophisticated ransomware attacks. This Microsoft data protection solution helps you get one step closer to Zero-Day threat protection.

Mobile device management

Microsoft Intune allows you to apply granular security policies to protect business data across company-owned and personal employee devices. You can also remotely remove data from lost or stolen devices to keep it away from the prying eyes of unauthorised users.

Mobile application management

Microsoft Intune’s Mobile Application Management capabilities enables you to protect data within applications from laterally moving on smart devices under your management. This ensures that your application data is secure and managed at all times.

Completing the Microsoft security suite

To fully protect your business, you need to create a multi-layered cyber security strategy, of which Microsoft data protection is just one small part. To discover how to implement a comprehensive security fabric which allows you to do more with less, download our eBook, Introducing the Microsoft Security Suite.