Microsoft 365 is now central to how many organisations work. It holds email, files, identities, collaboration data and access to other services. If it is poorly configured, the risk is not limited to email compromise.
A Microsoft 365 security review checks whether the tenant is configured in a way that matches the organisation’s risk, size and working practices. It is not just a Secure Score check. Secure Score can be useful, but it does not explain every risk or every business decision.
Be Secure Cyber provides practical Microsoft 365 security reviews for small and mid-sized organisations, outsourced-IT environments and leadership teams that need a clear view of what should be improved.
Why review Microsoft 365 security
Many Microsoft 365 tenants grow over time. Settings are changed to solve immediate problems, users come and go, external sharing is enabled, administrators are added and security defaults may not keep pace with the organisation.
A review is useful when:
- the organisation has grown or changed
- a client or tender asks about security controls
- Cyber Essentials Plus readiness is being considered
- there has been concern about email compromise or account security
- Microsoft Secure Score looks unclear or incomplete
- Microsoft 365 is managed externally but the business wants independent assurance
- leadership wants to know what needs to be fixed first
The purpose is to provide a clear, evidence-based view of current configuration and practical next steps.
What the review covers
The exact scope depends on the tenant and licensing, but a review can include:
- Entra ID identity configuration
- MFA and authentication methods
- Conditional Access policies
- administrator roles and privileged access
- break-glass account arrangements
- user lifecycle and stale accounts
- Exchange Online and mailbox protection
- SharePoint and OneDrive sharing
- Teams collaboration settings
- device access and Intune considerations
- Defender and Microsoft security settings where licensed
- audit logging and alerting
- external users and guest access
- policy alignment and ownership
The review focuses on how the settings are actually configured, not just whether a product is present.
Common findings
Common issues include:
- MFA not applied consistently
- excessive administrator permissions
- no clear break-glass account plan
- Conditional Access policies that are missing, duplicated or too broad
- weak controls around external sharing
- stale users or guest accounts
- legacy authentication or insecure access paths
- mailbox forwarding or email rules that are not monitored
- limited audit visibility
- unclear ownership between the business and its IT provider
These issues do not always require complex fixes. The important point is to understand the risk and decide what should be addressed first.
Secure Score is not a full review
Microsoft Secure Score can be a useful signal, but it is not a complete security assessment.
It may recommend controls that are not appropriate for your licensing, risk profile or operational needs. It may also miss context that matters, such as how administrators work, what the business has accepted, how external sharing is used or what is managed internally or externally.
A proper review looks at the configuration, the organisation and the decisions behind the settings.
Link to Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus
Microsoft 365 settings can affect Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus readiness.
Identity, MFA, administrator access, device access, cloud services and email security can all influence whether the organisation can answer assurance questions accurately and withstand technical verification.
For organisations preparing for Cyber Essentials Plus , a Microsoft 365 review can help identify issues before assessment.
What you receive
The output depends on the agreed scope, but usually includes:
- a summary of key risks
- evidence-backed findings
- prioritised recommendations
- practical remediation guidance
- a view of quick wins and larger changes
- leadership-friendly explanation of the issues
- optional support with remediation planning
The report is intended to help decisions. It should be clear enough for leadership, but specific enough for internal IT or an external provider to act on.
Where the findings need ongoing governance, they can feed into vCISO support .
Working with internal or external IT providers
Many organisations rely on internal IT, outsourced support or a mix of both to manage Microsoft 365. A review does not need to replace those arrangements.
It can help the business understand whether current settings are appropriate, what questions to ask and which changes should be prioritised. Where needed, findings can be discussed with the relevant provider so remediation is practical.
Frequently asked questions
Is this just a Secure Score report?
No. Secure Score may be used as one input, but the review looks at configuration, risk, ownership and practical next steps.
Do you need administrator access?
The access model depends on the scope. Where possible, we use the minimum access needed to collect evidence and review settings. In some cases, the organisation or its IT provider may export evidence for review instead.
Can this help with Cyber Essentials Plus?
Yes. Microsoft 365 configuration can affect readiness for Cyber Essentials Plus, especially around identity, MFA, administrator access, devices and cloud services.
Can you help remediate the findings?
Yes. Some clients only need the review and report. Others ask for support planning or implementing improvements. Remediation support can be scoped separately.
Is this suitable for smaller organisations?
Yes. Smaller organisations often depend heavily on Microsoft 365 and may have limited internal security capacity. The review can be scaled to the organisation’s size and risk.
Speak to us about a Microsoft 365 security review
If you want an independent view of your Microsoft 365 security configuration, contact Be Secure Cyber to discuss the scope and the outcome you need.