Microsoft 365 stands at the core of business productivity for organizations of all sizes. However, the same powerful platform that transforms collaboration and efficiency is also a prime target for cyber threats. Unfortunately, many businesses remain unaware of a key built-in feature that takes the mystery out of their Microsoft 365 security status: the Microsoft Secure Score.
Your Secure Score provides a clear assessment of your current security posture and highlights vulnerabilities, particularly against significant risks like business email compromise (BEC). This real-time evaluation empowers IT professionals to protect sensitive data while fortifying critical systems.
Let’s take a closer look at what the Microsoft Secure Score is, why it’s essential for defending against threats like phishing and beyond, and how improving it can strengthen your overall security posture.
What Is the Microsoft Secure Score?
The Secure Score is a feature within Microsoft 365 that acts as a comprehensive security evaluation tool. It provides a quantified measure (0–100%) of your current security configuration, comparing it against all available security recommendations within the platform. Simply put, the higher your score, the better aligned your defenses are to Microsoft’s best practices.
How Does Microsoft Calculate a Secure Score?
Microsoft calculates your score based on configured security controls and the degree to which you’ve implemented available recommendations. The Secure Score evaluates key areas such as:
- Identity Protection: Safeguards for managing user access, including multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Device Security: Ensures all devices accessing business data meet compliance standards.
- App and Data Management: Secures sensitive data within Microsoft 365 apps, like Teams and SharePoint.
- Threat Protection: Strengthens defenses against malware, phishing, and other attack vectors.
Where Can You Find Your Secure Score?
Access your Secure Score by visiting the Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance Center. The dashboard visually breaks down your organization’s performance and recommendations, helping you prioritize areas for improvement.
Pro Tip: Aim for regular check-ins on the Secure Score dashboard to monitor progress and stay proactive.
Why Secure Score Matters for Email Security
Email remains ground zero for cyber threats, with risks such as phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise (BEC) becoming increasingly sophisticated. Microsoft Secure Score helps identify areas where your defenses may be inadequate against these threats.
The Costs of Ignoring Email Security
According to FBI reports, BEC attacks accounted for $2.7 billion in losses globally in 2022 alone. These attacks often involve phishing schemes to steal credentials or trick organizations into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts. A weak or incomplete email security setup leaves businesses vulnerable to catastrophic financial and reputational losses.
Your Secure Score helps to mitigate these threats by highlighting:
- Missing MFA configurations.
- Outdated email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Gaps in anti-phishing solutions.
By implementing recommendations directly tied to your score, businesses can proactively defend against these threats while relieving stress for IT teams.
What’s a “Good” Secure Score? And What If Yours Is Low?
Understanding your Microsoft Secure Score isn’t as simple as looking at a single number—context matters. The baseline factors used to calculate your score evolve as your Microsoft environment becomes more sophisticated. For example, a company using Microsoft Business Standard might have a score of 35. But when they upgrade to Business Premium and enable more advanced tools like Microsoft Defender, their score could temporarily drop—even though their security has technically improved.
Why? Because higher-tier tools come with greater security expectations. As Microsoft introduces new benchmarks tied to those advanced features, the Secure Score adjusts to reflect new opportunities for improvement. In other words, a score of 35 for a Business Standard customer does not mean the same thing as a 35 for someone using Business Premium.
Turning a Low Score Into an Opportunity
Feel like your score is lower than expected? No need to panic! A low Secure Score is essentially a to-do list for strengthening your security.
Take, for example, an EpiOn client who initially had a Secure Score of just 42%. After switching to managed IT services, enabling stronger identity controls like MFA, and implementing advanced email filtering, this client reached an 85% score.
Practical Steps to Improve Your Secure Score
Improving your Microsoft Secure Score doesn’t require drastic overhauls. Here are five practical actions you can take to see immediate improvements while laying the foundation for long-term security success.
1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA is one of the simplest yet most effective measures to secure your accounts. According to Microsoft, enabling MFA can prevent up to 99% of account compromise attacks.
- Encourage company-wide rollout for all user accounts.
- Prioritize admin accounts as a starting point.
2. Limit Administrative Privileges
Not every user needs full administrative access. Review and restrict these privileges as part of a broader least privilege policy to reduce the risk of internal misuse and credential compromise.
3. Monitor Sign-In Risk Levels
Utilize Microsoft 365’s identity protection features to flag unusual login behavior. For example, sign-ins from unfamiliar locations or devices should trigger an automated security check.
4. Review Conditional Access Policies
Conditional Access ensures that only trusted devices and compliant users can access business-critical data. Define rules that grant access based on location, device risk, or role.
5. Regularly Update Security Configurations
- Conduct quarterly audits of your configurations to ensure they reflect updated security standards.
- Act on Secure Score recommendations promptly to avoid falling behind.
For additional guidance, Microsoft provides a detailed Secure Score help article.
Why IT Professionals Should Prioritize Secure Score
The Microsoft Secure Score offers both a benchmarking tool and an actionable roadmap for ensuring your systems are ready to face modern cybersecurity threats. IT professionals armed with this knowledge can position their teams ahead of potential risks while optimizing resource allocation.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs), in particular, benefit from integrating Secure Score items into their audits. It’s not just about raising a number; it’s about strengthening your business’s security posture.
Do You Know Your Secure Score?
Understanding and improving your Secure Score could be the easiest step you take to protect your Microsoft 365 environment. With attacks at an all-time high, there’s no better time to take stock of where your security stands.
Start by checking your dashboard or schedule a complimentary evaluation with EpiOn's security experts. We’ll walk you through the results and map out steps for taking your security posture from reactive to proactive.
