As companies continue to change, adopt new technologies and become more interrelated, they need to look at cyber attacks as events that should be planned for, rather than simply reacted to. 

Irrespective of where data is stored, the basic principles of information security remain the same:

• Confidentiality
• Integrity
• Availability

Most attacks target confidentiality and availability, which is why businesses have become used to protecting against data theft or denial-of-service attacks.  However, they’re missing a big threat - data integrity.

What exactly is data integrity?  

Data integrity is the assurance that information can be accessed and modified only by authorized users. Hackers can gain unauthorized access to modify data for monetary  gain, brand sabotage or simply to render data worthless. If the data these systems rely on is compromised, the systems themselves will ultimately break down.

Preventing these attacks from being successful should be at the top of every leader’s priority list.

Some questions to think about:

1. What data do you have that needs to be protected? 

2. How do you collect data, and where is your most sensitive data stored?
 
3. What are the potential risks if your data were to be exposed?

4. What authentication factors are in place to protect your data?

5. Which employees and third parties have access to sensitive data?

6. What security measures do you have in place, and how often are they updated? 

These questions are just a start to get you thinking about your data and how it can be secured.  The good news is that prevention is possible. And .... if you have Microsoft 365, you have a more robust security solution than you may have realized. To get the advantages of the built-in security features of Microsoft 365, its important to know how to leverage them for your business. 

To help, we created an overview of our 7 favorite security products built into Microsoft 365. Check it out:

Take a look, then ask your team how they are using these products. If they aren't using them, or they aren't sure the capabilities of each are being fully leveraged, send us a note and we will help you keep your data protected.