Microsoft’s latest update brings enterprise-level security features to Microsoft 365 Business Premium through the optional E5 Security add-on. This update is significant for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that need powerful cybersecurity tools without transitioning to a fully enterprise plan.
With cyberattacks growing in complexity and frequency, especially targeting SMBs, Microsoft aims to make its best-in-class threat protection and identity security more accessible. The E5 Security add-on bridges this gap by introducing a comprehensive suite of tools tailored for modern security demands.
Key Features of the Microsoft 365 E5 Security Add-On
- Microsoft Entra ID Plan 2: This enables risk-based conditional access and identity protection powered by machine learning. It continuously analyses sign-in behaviours and flags risky activities like impossible travel or password spray attacks.
- Microsoft Defender for Identity: Formerly Azure ATP, this tool monitors on-premises Active Directory signals to detect known attack techniques, such as pass-the-hash or brute force attempts, providing insights into compromised identities and lateral movement within networks.
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2: Offers endpoint detection and response (EDR), threat and vulnerability management, and advanced hunting capabilities, making it easier to track, investigate, and respond to endpoint threats across your organisation.
- Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2: This provides sophisticated email security, including Safe Links and Safe Attachments, real-time detection of zero-day exploits, and user education tools like attack simulation training.
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps: Also known as Microsoft’s Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), this tool helps organisations discover and control shadow IT, protect sensitive information across cloud apps, and enforce data governance policies.
Benefits of E5 Security for Your Business
Together, these features deliver a cohesive, end-to-end security framework across identities, devices, apps, and email. The suite ensures SMBs can proactively detect, investigate, and remediate advanced attacks, meeting many cybersecurity insurance requirements and compliance standards in the process.
Ready to Enhance Your Cybersecurity?
Don’t miss the opportunity to fortify your business’s defences with Microsoft 365 E5 Security. To learn more about these features and how they can benefit your business, join our upcoming webinar on the 19th June.
