Cloud security vulnerabilities are costing businesses time and money. Last year alone, data breaches affected 65% of UK mid-sized firms, and the average cost per data breach rose from $3.86 million to $4.24 million, according to IBM data. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to know where to begin with improving your Azure security or know the true depths of potential threats across your whole environment.

In this article, we’ll walk you through Microsoft Secure Score. Microsoft Secure Score is a (cloud) security benchmarking measurement that gives vital insights on your whole environment and a point by point analysis of next steps. With it, you can improve your security posture and reduce cyber risks and communicate updates to key stakeholders easily.

Read on to find out more about what a Secure Score is, how it’s used, and how Atech builds upon it as a leading Microsoft cloud security solution provider.

Microsoft cloud security basics: what is  Secure Score?

Microsoft Secure Score is available via Microsoft 365 Defender and is a measurement of IT security across your organisation’s identities, apps and devices. This means it assesses everything from your Microsoft cloud app security to Azure and Office 365 security in one go.

Secure Score summarises your entire security posture at a glance by generating an overall percentage score that is broken down across 50 different areas of your business The closer your score is to 100%, the more of your risk is offset from breaches, and the more equipped your cloud environment is for today’s threats.

Your Secure Score report also shows a historical record of your score, industry comparisons and advice on ways to improve your score. As a result, you gain detailed insights on outstanding security issues as well as a comprehensive security overview.

How to improve your Microsoft cloud security with your Secure Score

Your first Secure Score provides a baseline measurement of your IT security. You can build upon this initial score by creating a strategy using the recommendations listed in the ‘Improvement Actions’ tab.

The list is automatically sorted by impact, with the most beneficial recommendations on the top. However, if you notice that certain areas of your cybersecurity are lacking, you can apply filters to find targeted remedies.

For example, you can filter for advice on Microsoft cloud app security specifically and protect your cloud environment from threats via your software or SaaS platforms. Likewise, you can apply different filters to find recommendations for Office 365 applications like email or Azure security for your landing zone.

Using other filters, you can view recommendations by status and communicate security progress updates with senior stakeholders easily. Moreover, you can share recommendations with third parties like Atech to perform your behalf or view how your firm compares to other firms in your industry.

It’s important to remember that the Secure Score on its own isn’t a guarantee against data branches or hacks. It’s best to work with a Microsoft cloud security solution provider who can perform the assessment and uncover additional vulnerabilities beyond the scope of the Secure Score as well as support you in implementing any changes that are required.

How does Atech use the Microsoft Secure Score?

As a Microsoft cloud security solution provider, we built upon the Secure Score assessment and generate a comprehensive report across 50+ key security areas.

Performing the Secure Score assessment is always our first step with clients as it provides an incredibly insightful report on cybersecurity risks and opportunities. Furthermore, it helps shape our security roadmap and ongoing efforts to protect your organisation’s data in line with your strategic objectives.

Like the Secure Score summary, our report tracks the history and changes of your Secure Score over time. We also offer recommendations to improve your score based on Microsoft cloud security best practices.

By working with Atech, you access expert advice on Microsoft cloud security topics like endpoint security, email security and conditional access policies. We also offer services like simulated phishing attacks to stress test your cloud environment and establish a zero-trust network using automated tools for enhanced network autonomy.

Gain direct insight into your Office 365 and Azure security with a Microsoft Secure Score

Cyber security can seem intimidating at first. Constantly updating software patches and identity permissions can create a cycle of admin that’s difficult to maintain. Business leaders need a digestible overview of key security areas and steps to mitigate vulnerabilities effectively — even if they aren’t cybersecurity specialists.

Microsoft Secure Score gives the insight you need to understand your network vulnerability at a glance. With easy-to-read recommendations and a detailed historical performance breakdown, you can see how your security evolves over time and against market competitors, helping you to save time and stress from managing your data.

By working with a managed services partner, you can receive guidance on optimising your Microsoft cloud security in line with official best practices and leading standards. Use Microsoft 365 Defender to gain an operationalised security roadmap and collaborate with a leading solutions provider to access leading cloud security advice.

Want to know how you compare to industry peers?

Atech is a nine-time Gold Microsoft partner and leading UK Microsoft cloud security solutions provider. Our latest certification in Security from Microsoft highlights our expertise in cyber security and feeds directly into our cloud-first approach for mid-market firms.

With over 10,000 servers migrated to or refactored in Azure, we’re a highly practised cloud security partner. Our security assessment is a comprehensive analysis of your environment and delivers an improvement action plan —your customised roadmap to a hardened security posture.

Get in touch to learn more about our services and access expert Microsoft cloud security support.