Ready to accelerate your Zero Trust journey? Discover what’s next
For admins | 1-minute read Zero Trust isn’t just a security buzzword—it’s the new baseline for protecting your organization in a world where threats are always evolving. But what does it really take to move from strategy to action? Find out by reading our recent blog, Accelerate your Zero Trust journey: Using the Microsoft Zero Trust workshop for impact on the M365 Accelerator site. In it, we break down some of the real-world challenges IT admins face and show how this hands-on workshop can help you build a clear roadmap forward. For example, learn how you can use the workshop to: Assess and improve your security posture by evaluating your organization’s current security maturity across six critical Zero Trust pillars (Identity, Devices, Data, Network, Infrastructure, Security Operations), identify gaps, and prioritize actions for improvement. Drive cross-team alignment and executive buy-in by bringing together stakeholders from security, infrastructure, networking, and compliance for communication, consensus building, and creating a data-driven roadmap that resonates with leadership. Turn security strategy into actionable results with practical steps for leveraging the Zero Trust Workshop to transform security from a reactive task into a proactive, strategic advantage for your organization. Next steps Ready to move beyond theory and see how Microsoft’s approach can help you secure identities, apps, and data? Then Accelerate your Zero Trust journey is your next must-read. Get the full story and workshop details here.Bring AI out of the shadows with agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
For IT admins and Microsoft 365 admins 7-minute read Overview Shadow AI is almost certainly happening across your organization—whether you can see it or not. Employees are using tools like ChatGPT and Notion AI to get work done, even without organizational knowledge or approval. This creates real risks like data leakage, compliance violations, and a lack of visibility into how employees are using artificial intelligence. Fortunately, IT admins are in a unique position to fix the problem at its core. Today's article is intended to be a practical playbook for helping IT admins lead the charge toward responsible AI use in their organizations by empowering secure, compliant, and easy-to-manage agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. What is shadow AI? Like shadow IT, the term ‘shadow AI’ exists for a reason: it refers to unsanctioned, often hidden, use of AI tools. In the shadows, artificial intelligence can be hard to detect and even harder to govern. Tools can be browser-based, embedded in SaaS apps, or used on personal devices. Controls that mitigate shadow IT—like app blocking or firewall rules—don’t necessarily translate to AI use. Both shadow IT and shadow AI involve technical and behavioral elements, however unauthorized use of AI presents deeper behavioral challenges beyond unauthorized tools. These challenges center around how users make decisions and potentially bypass governance in ways that are harder to detect and control. While employees may not want to go rogue or bypass IT—and they generally don’t want to put the organization at risk—they do want to get their work done efficiently. They turn to public AI tools when they can’t find the capabilities they need inside the tools they have permission to use. Agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat give you a way to lead AI use into the light and meet your users’ needs with modern AI business tools. By building and deploying task-specific, data-grounded chat experiences that live inside Microsoft 365, users get fast, relevant answers they’re looking for without having to step into the shadows and leave the secure environment you manage. These agents are part of the broader Microsoft 365 Copilot ecosystem and are designed to automate and execute business processes directly within Copilot Chat. Should you ignore or even allow shadow AI? When employees use public AI tools without oversight, they create risks that are harder to detect, harder to govern, and harder to reverse. For IT admins, the stakes are high for operational, security, and technical risks: Loss of visibility and control: You can’t protect what you can’t see. Shadow AI obscures oversight. It’s harder to track usage or enforce policies for tools used outside your environment. No centralized monitoring = no control. Without a unified view, you can’t troubleshoot issues, optimize usage, or step in when something goes wrong. Shadow data silos emerge. Generative AI content created outside your tenant isn’t retained or governed, which complicates lifecycle management, legal holds, and compliance requests. Security and compliance risks Enterprise-grade protections are lacking. Most public AI tools don’t support conditional access, audit logs, or data loss prevention (DLP) policies, leaving you with blind spots and increased risk of data leaks. Sensitive data exposure. Employees may unknowingly input proprietary or regulated data into public models, risking violations of GDPR, HIPAA, or internal policies. Compliance gaps. If tools aren’t tracked or documented, they increase the burden of proving compliance and can become major liabilities during audits or regulatory reviews. IT and governance challenges IT is out of the loop. Adoption of unauthorized AI tools sidelines IT, preventing teams from recommending secure, supported alternatives or aligning tools with organizational standards. When users go rogue with AI tools, they aren't using recommended secure, supported options that align with your environment and policies. Tool sprawl = more support tickets. Unapproved tools often lack integration with existing systems, creating support burdens and increasing the risk of misconfigurations. Bottom line: Allowing or ignoring shadow AI will make it much harder to manage later. That’s why Copilot Chat agents, combined with strong governance and user education, are such a powerful response: they give you a way to meet end user demand without losing control. What IT admins are up against When it comes to eradicating rogue AI, admins have their work cut out for them. Here’s a summary table of how activating Copilot Chat agents at your organization can help stem the tide: Unsanctioned AI use contributes to: How to stem the problem: Loss of visibility and control Employees use unsanctioned AI tools. Reframe shadow AI as a signal Offer sanctioned tools that meet user needs and bring AI usage into the light. Data governance gaps Unapproved tools bypass DLP and compliance policies. Keep data in your tenant Copilot agents respect Microsoft 365 compliance, identity, and data boundaries. Inconsistent AI use across teams Different tools create fragmented workflows. Centralize AI access Deploy agents across Teams and Microsoft 365 to unify usage. Security and compliance risks Shadow tools may not meet regulatory standards. Use enterprise-grade protection Copilot agents are authenticated with Azure AD and governed by Microsoft Purview. Lack of deployment clarity Admins may not know where to start. Follow a clear blueprint This blog outlines steps for setup, governance, and scaling. Missed innovation opportunities IT is seen as a blocker, not a partner. Support safe innovation Let business units build AI chat agents with IT guardrails in place. Copilot Chat agents remove the roadblocks to getting value from AI Microsoft's chat agents aren’t just another AI tool—they’re designed to work the way IT works. Secure by design: Agents run inside your Microsoft 365 tenant and authenticate through Azure AD. Compliant by default: They respect DLP and audit policies and retention through Microsoft Purview. Customizable and governable: You can define access, data sources, and usage policies. Easy to deploy: Agents live inside Teams and Microsoft apps, so users don’t need to install anything new. Copilot Chat agents strengthen governance While Copilot for Microsoft 365 helps users work more efficiently inside apps like Word, Excel, and Teams, Copilot's AI agents go a step further. They give IT the ability to create task-specific, role-based, and data-grounded AI experiences that directly replace the kinds of tools employees might otherwise seek out on their own. Key deployment benefits for IT admins Benefit Impact Visibility Know who’s using AI, how, and with what data. Control Define and enforce usage policies. Compliance Align AI use with regulatory standards. Efficiency Reduce support tickets with self-service agents. Innovation Empower business units without losing oversight. Take the next step Like shadow IT, you may not get rid of shadow AI completely or overnight. But you can meet it head-on with tools that work for your users and comply with your policies. Start by deploying a few AI Chat agents in high-impact areas. Use the resources in this article to guide your rollout. With Copilot Chat agents, you’re not just solving a technical problem. You’re leading your organization toward safer, smarter AI adoption. Tools that make it easier When it comes to Microsoft 365 deployments, you’re never alone. FastTrack for Microsoft 365 offers a full set of resources to help you learn about, build, manage, and instruct end users on Copilot Chat agents: Credentialed access, sign in required: Microsoft 365 advanced deployment guides and assistance Microsoft 365 Copilot onboarding hub Microsoft 365 Copilot: Quickstart, Copilot Chat licensing Open access, no sign-in required: Get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot extensibility Microsoft 365 Copilot ADG: Streamlining your Copilot journey (video) Copilot Chat Success Kit – Microsoft Adoption Microsoft Copilot AI setup and usage guides AI in business: Artificial intelligence tools & solutions (blog) Request assistance from FastTrack Deployment blueprint: Get started today Remember: You don’t need to roll out everything at once. Start small, build momentum, and scale responsibly. Here’s a blueprint that will get you to the finish line: Copilot Chat agent deployment checklist Step 1: Prepare your environment ☐ Set up Copilot Studio and review licensing. ☐ Create Power Platform environments that reflect your data boundaries and governance needs. ☐ Identify early declarative agent use cases (e.g., HR FAQs, IT help desk). Note: Only declarative agents are currently supported in Copilot Chat. Agents that access tenant data (e.g., SharePoint, Graph) require pay-as-you-go billing. Step 2: Define governance policies ☐ Use role-based access control (RBAC) to manage who can create, publish, and use agents. ☐ Apply naming conventions, approval workflows, and publishing guidelines. ☐ Set up guardrails for data access, agent behavior, and knowledge sources. ☐ Assign maker permissions via Microsoft Entra groups or Copilot Studio user licenses. Step 3: Deploy and monitor ☐ Use the Microsoft admin center and Power Platform admin center to manage billing and access. ☐ Monitor usage with audit logs, analytics, and the Copilot Control System. ☐ Identify which teams are still using unauthorized AI tools and guide them toward approved Copilot agents. Step 4: Support and scale ☐ Offer training, templates, and office hours to support agent creators and users. ☐ Establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) to share best practices and governance. ☐ Highlight successful use cases to drive adoption and build momentum. ☐ Encourage feedback loops to refine agent behavior and expand scenarios. Shadow AI prevention checklist What else should you do to discourage shadow AI? Here's a handy checklist of actions to take: Data protection ☐ Apply Microsoft Purview DLP policies to monitor and restrict sensitive data. ☐ Use sensitivity labels and encryption to protect data at rest and in transit. ☐ Set up conditional access policies to limit AI tool usage by role, device, or location. Acceptable use ☐ Publish clear guidance on approved AI tools and data usage. ☐ Include AI-specific clauses in acceptable use and security policies. ☐ Reinforce policies through onboarding, training, and regular reminders. Monitoring and detection ☐ Use Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (MCAS) to detect unsanctioned AI usage. ☐ Analyze browser traffic and app usage patterns for high-risk behavior. ☐ Set up alerts for uploads to known AI endpoints (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude). Education and empowerment ☐ Run awareness campaigns about shadow AI risks and approved alternatives. ☐ Offer training on how to use Copilot and Copilot Chat agents effectively. ☐ Create a feedback loop for users to request new AI capabilities. Internal partnerships ☐ Collaborate with HR, legal, and other teams to understand AI needs. ☐ Support business units in building Copilot Chat agents with IT oversight. ☐ Use shadow AI behavior as a signal for unmet needs and prioritize accordingly. Governance alignment ☐ Align Copilot deployment with your organization’s responsible AI principles. ☐ Document how Copilot Chat agents support ethical and regulatory standards. ☐ Use audit logs and analytics to support transparency and accountability.Deploy Microsoft Defender XDR today and start protecting your entire digital estate
The average organization now hosts 351 exploitable attack pathways, says Microsoft’s 2024 State of Multicloud Security Risk Report 1 , so it’s no wonder leaders across sectors are calling for enhanced protection of high-value assets within applications, email, endpoints, identity, and more. But deploying a comprehensive security solution like Microsoft Defender XDR can be a big lift, especially in organizations using legacy systems or a mix of third-party tools. Complex integrations and configurations combined with common issues like limited staffing resources can further delay or even prevent full product implementation. Fortunately, FastTrack for Microsoft 365 is ready to help streamline your security product deployment and today we’ll explain how. In this blog, you’ll learn: Why Microsoft Defender platform adds value beyond security. How to deploy Microsoft Defender efficiently and securely using Microsoft admin center advanced deployment guides. Answers to FAQs. Microsoft Defender: The industry leading 2 , XDR solution with added value Microsoft Defender protects your entire organization with a unified security platform that consolidates multiple security functions (e.g., endpoint, identity, cloud security) under a single tool. This comprehensive coverage creates overlapping security, which strengthens overall security and helps reduce workloads for security and IT teams. And while in some cases, transitioning security systems can create vulnerabilities in the short term, FastTrack engineers at Microsoft have solved for this by providing incremental security coverage as you wind down third-party point solutions. We’ll describe this in more detail later on but first let’s go over the Microsoft Defender platform. The Microsoft Defender platform: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Helps prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats with next-gen antivirus, endpoint detection response (EDR), automated investigation, and prioritized remediation capabilities. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint setup guide Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Protects email and collaboration tools like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams against advanced threats, i.e., phishing, business email compromise, and malware attacks. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 setup guide Microsoft Defender for Identity Protects on-premises Active Directory from targeted attacks with signals that identify, detect, and investigate compromised identities and malicious insider actions. Microsoft Defender for Identity setup guide Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps A Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) that uses rich visibility, control over data travel, and sophisticated analytics to identify and combat cyber threats across cloud services. Gain visibility into Shadow IT, discover cloud apps in use, control and protect data within apps, and detect and respond to threats across all potential threat vectors. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps setup guide Microsoft Defender XDR, powered by AI, integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 products and security tools Seamless integration provides for stronger, more consistent, automated security across the entire software ecosystem. For example: Microsoft Defender is embedded with Microsoft Sentinel Microsoft Sentinel is a new FastTrack offering. It’s a very powerful cloud-native, AI-powered security information and event management (SIEM) solution that helps teams address top cyberthreats, including ransomware attacks, by: Enriching data with machine learning: Sentinel employs machine learning to enrich data with Microsoft's threat intelligence, the secret ingredient that fuels capabilities, including threat hunting, detecting, investigating, and responding to threats across an ecosystem. Reducing “alert fatigue”: Sentinel filters through billions of signals, correlates them into alerts and incidents, and even prioritizes incidents. This allows for more efficient and cost-effective remediation strategies and reduced alert fatigue for SOC teams. Microsoft Defender integrates with Azure’s Microsoft Defender for Cloud Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) that secures full-stack workloads, end to end, across Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Azure Cloud Services with constant cyberthreat monitoring at the code level. How to deploy Microsoft Defender security products efficiently and securely Because each organization’s deployment scenario will be as unique as the organization itself, Microsoft engineers designed Defender to be highly customizable and able to accommodate a variety of different scenarios. However, no one should let complexities surrounding custom configurations delay deployment. FastTrack for Microsoft 365 is here to help With a variety of self-serve resources, detailed documentation, automated, step-by-step deployment guides, and even one-on-one assistance (with an eligible license), FastTrack can help you reduce complexity and get your Microsoft Defender products up-and-running quickly. Here’s how to start: 1. Visit the Microsoft 365 Setup site Regardless of license status or credentials, start your journey at the Microsoft 365 Setup site for open, self-service access to detailed setup guides, on-demand videos, and helpful blogs to plan secure and efficient Microsoft Defender deployment workloads. 2. Sign in to the Microsoft admin center Once your organization owns a license and you’re ready to deploy, sign in to the Microsoft admin center and access Microsoft Defender advanced deployment and setup guides. 3. Deploy using Microsoft Defender advance deployment guides Start with zero trust Microsoft Defender for Endpoint setup guide Microsoft Defender for Office 365 setup guide Microsoft Defender for Identity setup guide Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps setup guide These streamlined, automated guides combine detailed documentation with stateful personalization, so you know you’re following the right instructions for your organization’s scenario. The step-by-step instructions also lead you through the correct order of operations so you can be confident you’re setting up each Microsoft Defender solution correctly, from beginning to end. Microsoft Defender setup guides: What to expect once you get there Each Microsoft Defender setup guide follows a similar pattern. They begin with an Overview, describing foundational prerequisites and Requirements, then have you identify your organization’s particular Scenario and goals, before walking you through your recommended Deployment and Configuration steps based on your scenario and Microsoft’s best practices. Let’s walk through the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint guide as an example: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint setup guide Arrive at Overview (see above) to learn more about the Defender setup guide and watch a short video. Follow the subway navigation and review Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s minimum setup requirements to make sure you’re ready for a secure setup experience before you begin. At Scenario, identify your organization’s current security situation and your goals, for example: Do you already have an endpoint security solution in place? Would you like to see how Defender for Endpoint works before rolling it out? Do you want help designing configurations? At Deployment, find Microsoft’s recommended next steps based on your Scenario. These steps include: Preparation: Key points to consider as you prepare for migration. Setup: Guidance on which specific steps you should carry out next. Onboarding to your tenant: Advice on how to onboard while protecting other platforms in your environment. 5. Lastly, Configuration is where you’ll configure various settings and learn more about: Attack surface reduction Mobile threat defense Next-generation protection Auto remediation and investigation Microsoft Secure Score Endpoint detection and response Threat and vulnerability management Frequently asked questions Transitioning to or implementing a new security suite can be tricky. However, Microsoft Defender setup guides have been designed to eliminate as much risk and friction as possible from the deployment process. They also do a great job of anticipating and addressing questions admins frequently ask. Here are a few frequently asked questions and answers: How do I securely migrate to Microsoft Defender for Office 365? Read this Learn article to understand securely migrating from a third-party protection service or device to Microsoft Defender for Office 365. How should I deal with urgent security incident response issues? Get a better understanding of the complex threats affecting your organization. Subscribers to Defender Experts for Hunting can engage with their own security incident response teams to address urgent security incident response issues. Where can I go to learn how to fix onboarding issues myself? Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Microsoft Defender for Identity Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps 4. Does Microsoft offer training for Microsoft Defender? Yes! To get started with Microsoft Defender training, browse the list of learning paths, and filter by product, role, level, and subject. Need additional assistance? Whether you have a few questions or want assistance with deployment of your entire Microsoft Defender suite, FastTrack Engineers and Partners are ready to help. Eligible customers can request direct, remote assistance from FastTrack for Microsoft 365. [1] Microsoft’s 2024 State of Multicloud Security Report [2] Microsoft Defender was named an XDR leader in The Forrester Wave: XDR platforms, Q2 2024, receiving top scores in 15 of 22 criteria, including Endpoint Detection, Threat Hunting, and Innovation.3 internal obstacles to overcome for comprehensive security
Organizations today face relentless security challenges, fending off an average of 59 data security incidents each year. 1 At an average cost of $15 million, 2 successful exploits can be devasting. To address these risks, organizations need a comprehensive defense, including committed leadership and cutting-edge tools. At Microsoft, safeguarding data, technology, and secure AI adoption is a year-round priority. In fact, Charlie Bell, executive vice president of Microsoft Security, recently underscored Microsoft’s “unique responsibility in safeguarding the future for our customers and community.” As part of meeting this responsibility, Microsoft’s advanced security solutions include Microsoft Defender XDR, a platform designed to provide holistic security against today’s complex threats. While solutions like Microsoft Defender XDR are invaluable, getting them deployed can sometimes be challenging. Organizations may face internal hurdles—conflicting priorities, resource limitations, even resistance to change—that can slow or stall implementation of essential security tools. In this article, we’ll explore three common hurdles and discuss how, by deploying Microsoft security products, you can help ensure a more secure future at your organization. 3 common internal obstacles to achieving comprehensive security 1. Reluctance to replace individual, legacy solutions In the past, organizations commonly implemented individual security tools for different, siloed areas of the organization. Today, we know this fragmented approach weakens data security. In fact, according to Microsoft’s 2024 State of Multicloud Security Risk Report, organizations using multiple individual point solutions experience 2.8 times as many data security incidents as those using fewer, integrated tools. Here's a table comparing the performance of individual point solutions vs. Microsoft Defender XDR, the industry-leading unified security platform. 3 Is sunk cost fallacy to blame? “Security is an area significantly impacted by behavioral economics." 4 Sunk cost fallacy can lead cybersecurity professionals to resist replacing existing systems, even when evidence suggests it's necessary. According to Forbes: “The biggest risk in viewing cybersecurity as a sunk cost is inaction. In other words, thinking that you are safe because you haven’t yet suffered a major breach. Remember this maxim: Everyone is vulnerable." 5 To move past sunk-cost fallacy, Forbes says decision-makers need to understand that “the implementation of robust security measures can deliver substantial value beyond just mitigating risks.” By examining ROI and a products’ impact on improving security, reducing complexity, and streamlining operations “...businesses can start recognizing cybersecurity as a driver of competitive advantage, innovation and operational efficiency,” instead of as simply a cost center 6 [Emphasis added]. As an example of the potential for ROI, a 2022 Forrester TEI study found that a composite company achieved an ROI of 242% over three years and a net present value (NPV) of $17 million from switching to Microsoft Defender. It's easy to overestimate the value of individual or legacy security solutions but the clear security advantages and proven ROI of Microsoft Defender XDR demonstrate that replacing legacy systems can be well worth the effort. 2. Concerns about ensuring secure integration If not managed carefully, integrations involving newly opened communication, authentication, or data transfer channels can introduce vulnerabilities that become attack vectors. Microsoft’s 2024 State of Multicloud Security Risk Report notes that “...misconfigured APIs were one of the leading causes of cloud data breaches in 2023.” As a unified security platform, Microsoft Defender XDR mitigates such risks through a multilayered approach, through a multilayered approach, offering centralized management (including identity access), comprehensive visibility, and stronger security controls to help prevent human error. This approach “help[s] security teams proactively detect and monitor misconfigurations so they can remediate as needed." 7 Consistent, automated security with Microsoft Defender XDR Microsoft Defender XDR integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security tools, Microsoft 365 products, and AI, delivering consistent, automated security across the entire stack. For example: Microsoft Defender XDR is embedded with Microsoft Sentinel, a cloud-native, AI-powered SIEM solution that aids Microsoft Defender XDR in addressing top cyberthreats like ransomware through: Improved visibility across domains: By ingesting data from an organization's infrastructure, devices, users, applications, and cloud environments, Microsoft Sentinel gives security teams a broad view of security threats. Enriched data with machine learning: Sentinel employs machine learning to enrich data with Microsoft threat intelligence, powering threat hunting, detection, investigation, and response across an ecosystem. Reduced alert fatigue: Filtering billions of signals, correlating them into alerts, and prioritizing incidents helps SOC teams handle alerts more efficiently, minimizing fatigue and enabling focused remediation. Microsoft Defender integrates with Azure’s Microsoft Defender for Cloud, a cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) that secures workloads across Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Azure Cloud Services with constant cyberthreat monitoring at the code level. This capability allows: Broad attack investigation: Security teams can investigate threats across cloud resources, devices, and identities. Workload-specific protections: Dedicated protections extend to servers, containers, storage, databases, and more. Actionable security recommendations: Defender for Cloud provides insights to improve overall security posture and prevent breaches. 3. Resource, staff, and time constraints Resource constraints, staff shortages, and time limitations are intensifying today’s already challenging cybersecurity landscape and can, understandably, impede deployments of new security products. For example: Resource constraints: Many organizations face limited budgets for security tools, technology, and personnel, leading them to continue with patchwork solutions or delay implementing critical security measures, potentially leaving gaps in security. Staff shortages: As cyber threats become more sophisticated, global demand for skilled IT and security professionals continues to grow while supply hasn’t been able to keep up. 8 When insufficient staff results in missed security tasks, reduced monitoring, and slower incident responses, organizations can be left vulnerable to risk. Limited time: Time constraints are a problem as old as time itself, but for IT teams with already heavy workloads, one more thing to do is more than stressful, it can leave systems vulnerable and increase windows of opportunity for bad actors. FastTrack resources to help you get Microsoft Defender up and running For Microsoft 365 customers experiencing any of the issues mentioned above, FastTrack for Microsoft 365 is here to help with accessible resources, automated, prescriptive setup guides, and even one-on-one assistance. Here’s how to start: 1. Visit the Microsoft 365 Setup site Review openly accessible setup resources at the Microsoft 365 Setup site. Both business and IT leaders will find value in perusing detailed Microsoft Defender setup guides, on-demand videos, and helpful blogs to plan for safe, efficient Microsoft Defender deployment workloads. 2. Sign in to the Microsoft Admin Center (MAC) and start deploying Microsoft Defender using FastTrack’s automated setup guides When you deploy Microsoft Defender XDR from the MAC using advanced deployment guides, you’re taking the most accurate, efficient, and secure deployment path possible. These automated guides combine detailed documentation with step-by-step instructions tailored specifically for your environment to give you streamlined guidance from beginning to end. Start by setting up Microsoft Defender Zero Trust security model for your organization. 3. Request assistance from FastTrack for Microsoft 365 Customers with eligible licenses can request remote, one-on-one assistance from FastTrack before, during, or even post-deployment of Microsoft Defender. Take the next step to implement unified protection Security is too crucial—and the cost of breaches are too high—to let any impediments, real or potential, delay or dissuade you from fully implementing your security investments. When you deploy Microsoft Defender, you’re protecting your organization with a unified security platform that combines multiple security functions—including endpoint, identity, and cloud security—under a single tool. Start protecting your entire digital estate today: Keep your organization, data, and users safe by implementing the comprehensive power of Microsoft Defender, the industry-leading XDR solution that reduces costs and overhead while helping you keep your organization secure across all domains from costly cybercrime. To learn more about improving your security posture with Microsoft Defender, check out our recent webinar: Supercharging your SOC: Unlock the power of endpoint security in Microsoft Defender XDR. Footnotes 1 Microsoft’s 2024 State of Multicloud Security Risk Report 2 Microsoft’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook Insight Report, 2022 3 Microsoft Defender was named an XDR leader in The Forrester Wave: XDR platforms, Q2 2024 4 3 Ways Behavioral Economics Obstructs Cybersecurity 5 Closing the cybersecurity skills gap 6 Cybersecurity As a Strategic Investment (forbes.com) 7 2024-State-of-Multicloud-Security-Risk-Report.pdf (microsoft.com) 8 Closing the cybersecurity skills gap (microsoft.com)New Year, new Microsoft 365 Core advanced deployment guides for Exchange, SharePoint, and Teams!
New Years’ Resolutions: Work out 3-5 days a week. Spend more time with family. Deploy Microsoft 365 services to make my company more efficient and secure. We can’t help you with the first two, but we can help you deploy Microsoft 365 services to improve your company’s efficiency and security with the new Core onboarding advanced deployment guides. Did you know that thousands of customers use the Core onboarding advanced deployment guides each month? The Microsoft 365 admin center features Core advanced deployment guides that simplify moving from on-premises IT to the cloud. IT pros can use our core onboarding guides to speed deployment and configure Azure Active Directory, DNS, networking, identity management, and more with advanced deployment guides from Microsoft. Core onboarding involves service provisioning and tenant and identity integration. The Core onboarding advanced deployment guides for onboarding services include: Microsoft Exchange Microsoft SharePoint Microsoft Teams Here’s how IT pros can access the Core advanced deployment guides by clicking the purple hammer link in the below tile: & assistance section of the Microsoft 365 admin center. Once there, Core advanced deployment guides are found in the Identity and authentication section. Completing the deployment steps outlined in the Core advanced deployment guides creates a strong foundation upon which additional Microsoft 365 cloud services can be deployed successfully and with confidence. Helpful resources Learn about all deployment guides and setup wizards: Microsoft 365 Deployment Guides and Setup Wizards Microsoft 365 Teams deployment guide Microsoft 365 SharePoint deployment guide Microsoft 365 Exchange deployment guide Microsoft 365 Azure deployment guide Access advanced deployment guides without signing in: Go to https://setup.microsoft.com Getting started with advanced deployment guides within the Microsoft 365 admin center: Go to https://admin.microsoft.com/ and log in Once logged in, go to the Home page and look for the Training, guides, & assistance card Select Advanced deployment guides & assistance
FastTrack now assists with more threat protection capabilities
Announcing FastTrack remote guidance for Microsoft Cloud App Security and Microsoft 365 Defender solutions for endpoints, identities, cloud apps, email, and docs Microsoft FastTrack is committed to helping you realize the value of your Microsoft 365 security solutions by providing remote deployment guidance. FastTrack for Microsoft 365 provides remote deployment guidance at no additional cost for customers with 150 or more licenses of eligible plans. In addition to the baseline security assistance we already offer, FastTrack has expanded the benefit in threat protection to now include Microsoft Defender for Identity and Microsoft Cloud App Security, and guidance to leverage Microsoft 365 Defender. FastTrack will provide remote deployment guidance to help eligible customers configure and deploy these Microsoft security products: Microsoft Cloud App Security discovers and controls Shadow IT, helps ensure secure access to your apps and resources, protects your sensitive information, and detects threats in the cloud for you to take action on, surfacing valuable insights and recommendations to help improve your cloud security posture. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (formerly Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection) delivers preventative protection, post-breach detection, automated investigation, and response for your endpoints. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (formerly Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection) helps protect all of Office 365 against advanced threats like business email compromise and credential phishing, and automatically investigates and remediates attacks. Microsoft Defender for Identity (formerly Azure Advanced Threat Protection) helps secure on-premises identities across your organization by leveraging Active Directory signals to identify, detect, and investigate advanced threats, compromised identities, and malicious insider actions directed at your organization. In addition, Microsoft FastTrack will show you how to leverage the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Defender (formerly Microsoft Threat Protection), which protects against attacks with automated cross-domain security. You can use your security data to prevent and detect threats, heal affected assets, and proactively hunt across your Microsoft 365 data. FastTrack for Microsoft 365 provides remote guidance for customers with 150 or more licenses, at no additional cost with your eligible Microsoft 365 subscription. This is an ongoing benefit throughout the duration of your eligible subscription, delivered by Microsoft and approved FastTrack Ready Partners. If you want to learn more, review eligibility and the service description here. If you’re ready to get started, request assistance at microsoft.com/FastTrack (sign in required). When you request assistance from FastTrack, you’ll select which product you want guidance on, and Microsoft 365 Defender assistance will also be included with that product. Here is a screen shot of the Request for Assistance page on the FastTrack site: Interested in deploying Azure services to improve your security posture? FastTrack for Azure is a technical enablement program that works directly with customers and partners to help you build Azure solutions quickly and confidently. FastTrack for Azure brings together best practices and tools from engineering and real customer experiences, including business continuity and disaster recovery, security and management, and many more to guide customers from design, configuration, and development to production of Azure solutions. Learn more and check your eligibility at azure.microsoft.com/programs/azure-fasttrack/. We’d love to hear from you on our Tech Community channel. Give us feedback in comments or tell us what we should write about in the future.
