This week, Microsoft introduced two new enhancements designed to enhance the security of Microsoft 365 priority accounts.
Priority account security is the first of the latest additions, primarily developed for accounts that are frequent targets for threats because of their access to classified information or essential resources. These accounts are highly noticeable and researchable, Microsoft says.
Priority accounts apply to the accounts of the most visible and threatened personnel, who need extra safeguards and enhanced security team focus. Having a close watch on these target accounts would help detect risks early and provide substantial threat intelligence signals to improve the security of an enterprise.
Priority account defence is now available in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (formerly known as Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection) in a public preview, enabling security teams to exploit the enhanced protection needed by these accounts.
Defender for Office 365 also provides device tags to protect priority accounts, helping administrators to set philtres for warnings, files, and inquiries. To customise priority account defence, administrators may head over to the Security & Enforcement Hub.
Over the coming months, Microsoft plans to extend priority account security in Defender for Office 365, align it with the quarantine experience, and tag all emails aimed at such an account. It is possible to track accounts on the priority list from the Exchange admin centre.
To see only malicious emails aimed at priority accounts would also be quick to philtre the view. Priority accounts will now be incorporated with Request Explorer; submissions will be tagged and filterable from every priority account, encouraging compliance teams to concentrate on these submissions over others first,’ notes the tech firm.
Although all Microsoft 365 customers have access to priority accounts, only Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 customers (including Office 365 E5, Microsoft 365 E5, or Microsoft 365 E5 Security) are able to take advantage of priority account defence.
Premium mail flow control, which is designed to guarantee a stable mail flow, is the second feature that Microsoft has launched, which the tech giant claims may be a vital necessity for business performance.
Admins will track mail flow for priority accounts with the new functionality enabled, pick a preferred threshold for failed or overdue communications, and be alerted when the threshold has been surpassed. In addition, for priority accounts, administrators can view a report of email problems.
Administrators can use the Exchange admin centre to customise premium mail flow monitoring. Accessible for Office 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E3, Office 365 E5, or Microsoft 365 E5, this feature includes more than 10,000 licences and at least 50 monthly active users of Trade Online.
