CIA Brief 20250517

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Microsoft 365 Copilot: Your time and project management advisor –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/microsoft-365-copilot-your-time-and-project-management-advisor/4413166

Copilot on Windows: “Hey, Copilot!” begins rolling out to Windows Insiders –

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/05/14/copilot-on-windows-hey-copilot-begins-rolling-out-to-windows-insiders/

See your day at a glance with the new Calendar app –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/see-your-day-at-a-glance-with-the-new-calendar-app/4412492

Defender for Endpoint successfully passes the AV-Comparatives 2025 Anti-Tampering Test –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftdefenderatpblog/defender-for-endpoint-successfully-passes-the-av-comparatives-2025-anti-tamperin/4414153

Print Documents and Files to OneNote for Smarter Saving, Searching, and Annotating –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365blog/print-documents-and-files-to-onenote-for-smarter-saving-searching-and-annotating/4410959

Improve communication with Microsoft Copilot and other Microsoft 365 tools –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/improve-communication-with-microsoft-copilot-and-other-microsoft-365-tools/4413165

Start, Fresh — Redesigning the Windows Start menu for you –

https://microsoft.design/articles/start-fresh-redesigning-windows-start-menu/

SharePoint in the Era of AI: Spring 2025 Updates –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/spblog/sharepoint-in-the-era-of-ai-spring-2025-updates/4411598

Risk-based Recommendation for SOC Optimization –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/MicrosoftSentinelBlog/risk-based-recommendation-for-soc-optimization/4413041

What’s New for Communicators at the Microsoft 365 Conference –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365blog/what%E2%80%99s-new-for-communicators-at-the-microsoft-365-conference/4411247

Fulton County Schools: Empowering Learners with Copilot Chat –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNOVAC605lE

Marbled Dust leverages zero-day in Output Messenger for regional espionage –

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/05/12/marbled-dust-leverages-zero-day-in-output-messenger-for-regional-espionage/

Getting Started with the New Purview eDiscovery (E3) –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-security-blog/getting-started-with-the-new-purview-ediscovery-e3/4412354

Choosing between Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting and Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftsecurityexperts/choosing-between-microsoft-defender-experts-for-hunting-and-microsoft-defender-e/4410208

The Power of a Unified SIEM+XDR IdentityInfo Schema –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftsentinelblog/the-power-of-a-unified-siemxdr-identityinfo-schema/4410824

Helping retailers and consumer goods organizations identify the most valuable agentic AI use cases –

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/blog/retail/2025/05/08/helping-retailers-and-consumer-goods-organizations-identify-the-most-valuable-agentic-ai-use-cases/

After hours

The AI Revolution Is Underhyped | Eric Schmidt | TED – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id4YRO7G0wE

Editorial

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Watch out for the next CIA Brief next week

Elevating SMB Security: How Privileged Identity Management (PIM) Provides Maximum Protection

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Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) often operate with limited IT resources, making them attractive targets for cyberattacks. One of the most critical areas to secure is privileged access – the permissions granted to users or accounts that allow them to perform administrative functions or access sensitive data. Compromise of these accounts can lead to devastating data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage.

Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management (PIM) is a service designed to mitigate these risks by managing, controlling, and monitoring access to important resources. For SMBs leveraging Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), PIM offers a powerful yet manageable solution to significantly enhance their security posture without requiring extensive infrastructure or specialized staff.

How PIM Improves Security for SMB Customers

PIM addresses key security challenges faced by SMBs by implementing the principle of “just-in-time” and “just-enough” access. Instead of granting standing administrative privileges to users indefinitely, PIM allows organizations to:

  • Minimize the attack surface: By reducing the number of accounts with permanent, highly privileged access, the potential entry points for attackers are significantly reduced.
  • Lessen the impact of a breach: If a regular user account is compromised, the damage is limited because that account doesn’t hold excessive permissions. Privileged access is only granted when explicitly needed and for a limited time.
  • Gain visibility into privileged activity: PIM provides detailed logging and auditing of privileged role activations and actions, making it easier to detect suspicious activity and investigate security incidents.
  • Enforce accountability: With PIM, you can track who activated a privileged role, when they activated it, and for what purpose (if justification is required), creating a clear audit trail.
  • Support compliance efforts: Many regulatory requirements mandate strict control and monitoring of privileged access. PIM helps SMBs meet these obligations.
  • Reduce human error: By requiring activation and justification for privileged tasks, PIM encourages a more deliberate approach to administrative actions, reducing the likelihood of accidental misconfigurations or data deletion.

Essentially, PIM transforms standing access into eligible access, requiring users to activate their elevated permissions only when necessary, for a defined period.

PIM is part of the features of Entra ID P2, which means it is not natively available with Microsoft 365 Business Premium but is available as part of the E5 Security Add-on to Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

Configuring PIM for Maximum Protection: A Step-by-Step Guide for SMBs

Configuring PIM effectively is crucial to maximizing its security benefits. Here’s a step-by-step guide tailored for SMBs:

Phase 1: Initial Setup and Role Discovery

  1. Identify and Inventory Privileged Roles:

    • Navigate to the Microsoft Entra admin center (entra.microsoft.com).
    • Go to Identity governance > Privileged Identity Management.
    • Select Microsoft Entra roles or Azure resources (depending on the resources you want to protect).
    • Review the list of available roles and identify which users are currently assigned to highly privileged roles (e.g., Global Administrator, Security Administrator, User Administrator). This step is critical to understand your current privilege landscape.
  2. Assign Eligible Roles:

    • For users who require privileged access for their duties, change their assignment type from “Active” (permanent) to “Eligible”.
    • Select the role you want to configure and go to Assignments.
    • Add assignments for users, selecting “Eligible” as the assignment type.
    • Set an expiration date for the eligible assignment. While eligible assignments can be permanent, setting an expiration (e.g., 1 year) and requiring periodic review is a best practice for maximum security.

Phase 2: Configuring Role Settings for Enhanced Security

For each privileged role you’ve identified, configure the following settings to enforce strong controls during activation:

  1. Access Role Settings:

    • In the PIM portal, select the relevant resource type (Microsoft Entra roles or Azure resources).
    • Select Roles, then choose the specific role you want to configure.
    • Select Settings > Edit.
  2. Activation Maximum Duration:

    • Set the Activation maximum duration to the shortest possible time required to complete typical administrative tasks. For most SMBs, 1-4 hours is often sufficient. Avoid setting this to the maximum 24 hours unless absolutely necessary.
  3. On activation, require multifactor authentication (MFA):

    • Enable this setting for all privileged roles. This is one of the most effective controls to prevent unauthorized activation even if a user’s password is compromised. Ensure all eligible users are enrolled in Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication.
  4. On activation, require justification:

    • Enable this setting. Requiring users to provide a business justification for activating a privileged role creates an audit trail and encourages users to think critically before elevating their permissions.
  5. Require approval to activate:

    • For highly sensitive roles (e.g., Global Administrator, Security Administrator), enable this setting.
    • Specify approvers (ideally, a small group of trusted administrators) who must approve activation requests before the user gains privileged access. This adds an extra layer of control and prevents a single compromised account from immediately gaining high-level access. Ensure your approvers understand their responsibility and the importance of timely responses.
  6. Notification Settings:

    • Configure notifications to alert administrators when privileged roles are activated. This provides near real-time awareness of privileged activity.

Phase 3: Implementing Access Reviews

Regularly reviewing who has eligible and active assignments is crucial to maintain a strong security posture.

  1. Create Access Reviews:

    • In the PIM portal, select the relevant resource type.
    • Under Manage, select Access reviews.
    • Click New to create a new access review.
  2. Configure Access Review Settings:

    • Name and Description: Give the review a clear name and description (e.g., “Quarterly Global Administrator Role Review”).
    • Start and End Dates: Define the duration of the review.
    • Frequency: Set the review to recur regularly (e.g., quarterly or semi-annually) to ensure ongoing oversight.
    • Roles to Review: Select the privileged roles you want to include in the review.
    • Reviewers: Assign appropriate reviewers. For SMBs, this might be a trusted IT administrator or a business owner who understands the need for specific roles. You can also configure users to review their own access, but this should be used with caution and ideally combined with another layer of review for critical roles.
    • Upon completion settings: Configure what happens after the review. You can choose to automatically remove access for users who were denied or not reviewed.

Phase 4: Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance

  1. Monitor Alerts and Notifications: Regularly review the PIM alerts and notifications in the Microsoft Entra admin center and via email.
  2. Audit Logs: Periodically review the PIM audit logs to understand who activated which roles and when.
  3. Refine Settings: As your business evolves, periodically review and refine your PIM role settings and access review configurations to ensure they remain appropriate for your security needs.

By implementing Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management and following these configuration steps, SMBs can significantly enhance their security by moving away from standing administrative privileges and adopting a just-in-time approach. This proactive measure helps protect against the misuse of elevated access, reduces the impact of potential security incidents, and strengthens the overall security posture in an increasingly complex threat landscape.

Managing BYOD Devices in an M365 Business Premium Environment

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Effectively managing Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) is crucial for organizations to balance flexibility with the security of company data. Microsoft 365 Business Premium provides a robust suite of tools, primarily through Microsoft Intune, to achieve this. The recommended approach focuses on Mobile Application Management (MAM) to protect corporate data at the application level without fully managing the user’s personal device, supplemented by Mobile Device Management (MDM) for certain scenarios and Conditional Access policies for granular control.

Here’s a comprehensive guide:

Recommended Approach: Prioritize App-Level Protection (MAM) for BYOD

For most BYOD scenarios, the least intrusive and generally recommended approach is to use Intune App Protection Policies (APP), also known as Mobile Application Management (MAM). This allows employees to use their personal devices to access company data within approved applications while ensuring that the data is protected.

Key Benefits of MAM for BYOD:

  • Data Protection: Corporate data is protected within managed apps (e.g., Outlook, Teams, OneDrive) regardless of the device’s management state.
  • User Privacy: Personal data and apps on the device remain separate and untouched by IT.
  • Flexibility: Users prefer this less intrusive approach on their personal devices.
  • Security: Prevents data leakage through copy/paste restrictions, mandating PINs for app access, and enabling remote wipe of corporate data from apps.

Core Components of the BYOD Strategy:

  1. Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) for Identity and Access Management:

    • Ensure all users have M365 Business Premium licenses assigned.
    • Utilize Entra ID groups to target policies effectively (e.g., “BYOD Users”).
    • Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all users.
  2. Intune App Protection Policies (APP/MAM):

    • Protect corporate data within specific applications on iOS, Android, and Windows devices.
  3. Intune Device Compliance Policies (Optional MDM for specific needs):

    • If users need to access resources that require full device management or if your organization has stricter compliance requirements, you can offer device enrollment (MDM). Clearly communicate the implications of device enrollment to users.
    • For BYOD, enrollment is typically voluntary.
  4. Conditional Access Policies:

    • Enforce access controls based on user identity, location, device health (if enrolled), and application.
    • Key for ensuring only approved apps and compliant configurations can access M365 services.
  5. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policies:

    • Further protect sensitive information by defining policies that prevent data from being inappropriately shared or moved.

Step-by-Step Configuration Guide:

Phase 1: Initial Setup and Prerequisites

  1. Ensure Licensing: Verify all users intended for BYOD access have Microsoft 365 Business Premium licenses assigned in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
  2. Configure MDM Authority (if not already set):
    • In the Microsoft Intune admin center (intune.microsoft.com), navigate to Tenant administration > Tenant status.
    • Ensure the MDM authority is set to Microsoft Intune. If not, you’ll need to set it (this is a one-time setup).
  3. Prepare User Groups:
    • In the Microsoft Entra admin center (entra.microsoft.com) or Microsoft 365 admin center, create user groups for policy assignments. For example, a group named “BYOD-Users” for users who will be using personal devices.

Phase 2: Configure Intune App Protection Policies (MAM)

These policies apply to applications, not the entire device, making them ideal for BYOD.

  1. Navigate to App Protection Policies:
    • In the Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Apps > App protection policies.
  2. Create a New Policy:
    • Click + Create policy and select the platform (iOS/iPadOS, Android, or Windows). It’s recommended to create separate policies for each platform for tailored settings.
  3. Basics:
    • Name: Give your policy a descriptive name (e.g., “BYOD iOS App Protection”).
    • Description: (Optional) Add a description.
    • Click Next.
  4. Apps:
    • Target policy to:
      • All public apps: Targets all Intune-aware public store apps.
      • Selected apps: Allows you to choose specific apps (recommended for control). Select key M365 apps like Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Edge.
      • You can also add custom line-of-business (LOB) apps if they are integrated with the Intune SDK or wrapped.
    • Click Next.
  5. Data Protection: This is a critical section for BYOD.

    • Send org data to other apps:
      • Policy managed apps: Recommended. This restricts data sharing (like copy/paste) to other apps also managed by an App Protection Policy.
      • All apps: Less secure, allows data transfer to any app.
      • No apps: Most restrictive.
    • Receive data from other apps:
      • Policy managed apps: Recommended.
    • Save copies of org data:
      • Allow: If you want users to be able to save corporate data to local storage or other locations.
      • Block: Recommended for BYOD to prevent corporate data from being saved to unmanaged personal storage. If blocked, ensure users can save to approved corporate locations like OneDrive or SharePoint.
    • Restrict cut, copy, and paste between other apps:
      • Policy managed apps with paste in: Recommended. Allows copy/paste within policy-managed apps and allows pasting into managed apps from unmanaged apps but not the other way around for sensitive data.
      • Blocked: Most restrictive.
    • Screen capture and Google Assistant (Android) / Siri (iOS):
      • Block: Recommended to prevent data leakage via screenshots or voice assistants. Note that recent Intune SDK updates might enable blocking screen capture by default under certain conditions.
    • Encrypt org data: Require.
    • Sync policy managed app data with native apps or add-ins: Block or Allow based on your security posture. Blocking prevents potential data leakage to unmanaged native contact or calendar apps.
    • Printing org data: Block unless there’s a strong business need.
    • Restrict web content transfer with other apps: Configure which browsers are allowed to open web links from managed apps. It’s best to require links to open in a managed browser like Microsoft Edge.
    • Org data notifications: Choose how much information is shown in notifications. Block org data is the most secure.
    • Click Next.
  6. Access Requirements:
    • PIN for access: Require. Set PIN requirements (e.g., type, length, simple PIN, fingerprint/face ID).
    • Work or school account credentials for access: Can be required instead of or in addition to a PIN after a certain period of inactivity.
    • Recheck the access requirements after (minutes of inactivity): Define a timeout.
    • Conditional Launch:
      • Offline grace period: Define how long apps can run offline before requiring re-authentication.
      • Max PIN attempts: Set the number of attempts before an app reset or corporate data wipe.
      • Min app version: Specify minimum versions for apps to ensure security updates.
      • Disabled account: Action to take if the user account is disabled.
      • Jailbroken or rooted devices: Block access or Wipe data. Recommended to block.
      • Min OS version: Set minimum OS requirements.
      • Device model(s) (Android only): Can restrict specific device models if needed.
      • SafetyNet device attestation (Android): Required. Helps ensure the device integrity.
      • Require device lock (iOS): Ensure the device itself has a passcode.
    • Click Next.
  7. Assignments:
    • Click + Add groups and select the “BYOD-Users” group (or other appropriate groups) you created earlier.
    • Click Next.
  8. Review + create:
    • Review your settings and click Create.

Repeat these steps for each platform (Android, iOS/iPadOS, Windows). For Windows, App Protection Policies primarily apply to Microsoft Edge and other enlightened apps.

Phase 3: Configure Conditional Access Policies

Conditional Access policies act as a gatekeeper, ensuring specific conditions are met before granting access to M365 resources.

  1. Navigate to Conditional Access:
    • In the Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Endpoint security > Conditional Access. This will redirect you to the Microsoft Entra admin center. Alternatively, go directly to entra.microsoft.com > Protection > Conditional Access.
  2. Create a New Policy:
    • Click + Create new policy.
  3. Name: Give your policy a descriptive name (e.g., “BYOD – Require Approved App and App Protection”).
  4. Assignments:
    • Users:
      • Include: Select your “BYOD-Users” group.
      • Exclude: (Optional) Exclude emergency access accounts or specific service accounts.
    • Target resources (Cloud apps or actions):
      • Select Cloud apps.
      • Include: Choose All cloud apps (most comprehensive, but be careful not to lock yourself out – exclude your admin account during testing or use the “What If” tool). Alternatively, select specific apps like Office 365 Exchange Online, Office 365 SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, etc.
    • Conditions:
      • Device platforms:
        • Configure: Yes.
        • Include: Android and iOS. (And Windows if you have Windows BYOD).
      • Client apps:
        • Configure: Yes.
        • Select: Mobile apps and desktop clients and Browser. (Consider if you need to differentiate policies for browser access vs. app access).
  5. Access controls:
    • Grant:
      • Select Grant access.
      • Require approved client app: This ensures users are using apps that can be managed by Intune (e.g., Outlook mobile instead of native mail apps).
      • Require app protection policy: This is crucial. It ensures that the App Protection Policies you configured are applied to the app before access is granted.
      • For multiple controls: Select Require all the selected controls.
      • (Optional but Recommended for stronger security) Require multi-factor authentication: If not already enforced globally, this adds another layer of security.
      • (Optional, for enrolled devices) Require device to be marked as compliant: If you are also implementing device compliance policies for enrolled BYOD devices.
  6. Enable policy:
    • Set to Report-only initially to test the impact.
    • Once satisfied, change to On.
  7. Click Create.

Common Conditional Access Policies for BYOD:

  • Require MFA for all users accessing cloud apps. (A foundational policy)
  • Require approved client app and app protection policy for mobile access to M365. (As detailed above)
  • Block access from unsupported/non-compliant device platforms.
  • Limit session controls for unmanaged devices (e.g., block downloads using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps integration, though this requires additional licensing/configuration).

Phase 4: (Optional) Configure Device Enrollment and Compliance Policies (MDM for BYOD)

If you decide to support or require device enrollment for certain BYOD users or scenarios:

  1. Configure Enrollment Restrictions:
    • In the Intune admin center, go to Devices > Enroll devices > Enrollment device platform restrictions.
    • Create restrictions to allow or block personally owned devices for specific platforms (iOS/iPadOS, Android, Windows, macOS). For BYOD, you’d typically allow personally owned devices for the platforms you support.
  2. Create Device Compliance Policies:
    • Go to Devices > Compliance policies.
    • Click + Create policy. Select the platform.
    • Name: e.g., “BYOD iOS Device Compliance”.
    • Settings: Configure requirements such as:

      • Minimum/Maximum OS version.
      • Device passcode/PIN.
      • Device encryption (usually enabled by default on modern devices).
      • Jailbroken/rooted device detection (mark as non-compliant).
      • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint risk level (if integrated).
    • Actions for noncompliance:
      • Mark device noncompliant: Immediately or after a grace period.
      • Send email to end user: Notify them of non-compliance and how to remediate.
    • Assignments: Assign to your “BYOD-Users” group or a group specific to enrolled BYOD devices.
  3. Communicate Enrollment Process to Users:
    • Users typically enroll via the Intune Company Portal app, which they can download from their respective app stores.
    • Provide clear instructions on how to enroll and the implications (what IT can and cannot see/do on their device).
    • Windows BYOD Enrollment: Users can go to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > Connect.
    • Android BYOD Enrollment: Typically uses Android Enterprise personally owned work profiles, which separates work and personal data at the OS level.
    • iOS/iPadOS BYOD Enrollment: Uses standard Apple MDM enrollment.

Phase 5: Configure Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (Optional but Recommended)

Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention can help prevent leakage of sensitive information.

  1. Navigate to Microsoft Purview:
  2. Data Loss Prevention:
    • Go to Data loss prevention > Policies.
    • Click + Create policy.
    • Use a template (e.g., for PII, financial data) or create a custom policy.
    • Name your policy.
    • Locations: Choose where the policy applies (e.g., Exchange email, SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts, Teams chat and channel messages, Devices). For “Devices,” this applies to Windows endpoints with Purview DLP enabled.
    • Policy settings:
      • Define conditions (e.g., content contains sensitive info types like credit card numbers, social security numbers).
      • Define actions (e.g., restrict access, block sharing, show policy tips to users, send alerts to admins).
    • User notifications and overrides: Configure how users are informed and if they can override the policy with justification.
    • Incident reports: Set up alerts and reporting.
    • Test it out first or Turn it on right away.
    • Assign the policy.

DLP for BYOD scenarios often relies heavily on protecting data within the M365 services and through App Protection Policies. Endpoint DLP for Windows devices provides more direct control on the device itself.

Phase 6: User Communication and Training

  • Clearly communicate your BYOD policy to users.
  • Explain what data is being managed/protected and what remains private.
  • Provide instructions on how to install managed apps (like Outlook, Teams) and access corporate resources.
  • If offering device enrollment, explain the benefits and implications.
  • Train users on best practices for data security on their personal devices.

Phase 7: Monitoring and Maintenance

  • Monitor App Protection Policy status: In Intune, go to Apps > Monitor > App protection status.
  • Monitor Device Compliance: In Intune, go to Devices > Monitor > Device compliance status.
  • Review Conditional Access policy reports: Check sign-in logs in Entra ID to see how policies are being applied.
  • Review DLP alerts and reports in Microsoft Purview.
  • Keep policies updated as M365 features evolve and your security requirements change.
  • Regularly review user access and group memberships.

Important Considerations for M365 Business Premium:

  • Simplified Admin Console vs. Full Intune Console: M365 Business Premium offers a simplified admin experience. For more advanced Intune configurations, you might need to access the full Microsoft Intune admin center (intune.microsoft.com).
  • Microsoft Defender for Business: Included with M365 Business Premium, it provides endpoint security for devices, including those enrolled in Intune. This enhances protection against malware and other threats.
  • Windows Information Protection (WIP) was deprecated: The modern approach for data protection on Windows is through Intune App Protection Policies (especially for Edge) and Microsoft Purview DLP.

By implementing this layered approach, focusing on App Protection Policies for broad BYOD adoption and supplementing with Conditional Access and optional device enrollment/compliance, organizations using M365 Business Premium can effectively secure corporate data while providing users with the flexibility of using their personal devices.

Updating and patching software with Intune

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Part 1: Vulnerability Remediation (Primarily via Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Integration)

Intune itself isn’t a vulnerability scanner. For this, you’ll leverage Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s (MDE) Threat & Vulnerability Management (TVM) capabilities. The magic happens when MDE is integrated with Intune.

  1. Onboard Devices to MDE:

    • Ensure your devices are onboarded to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. This can be done via an Intune policy (Endpoint security > Microsoft Defender for Endpoint > “Connect Windows devices…”).
  2. Enable MDE-Intune Connection:

    • In the Microsoft Defender portal (security.microsoft.com): Go to Settings > Endpoints > Advanced features.

    • Turn ON “Microsoft Intune connection.”

    • In the Microsoft Intune admin center (intune.microsoft.com): Go to Endpoint security > Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.

    • Ensure “Allow Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to enforce Endpoint Security Configurations” is ON.
  3. How Remediation Works:

    • Vulnerability Identification: MDE’s TVM continuously scans your enrolled devices for software vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

    • Security Recommendations: MDE provides prioritized security recommendations. For many software vulnerabilities, the recommendation will be to “Update software.”

    • Remediation Tasks in Intune:
      • For certain recommendations, MDE can create a “security task” in Intune.

      • You’ll see these tasks in Intune under Endpoint security > Vulnerability management > Recommendations (or Security tasks in older views).

      • You can then “Accept” the risk or “Request remediation.” If you request remediation, Intune might:

        • Guide you to update the application (if it’s a managed app).

        • Guide you to create/modify a configuration profile (e.g., for an OS setting).
    • “Automatic” Remediation through Patching (see Part 2): The most common way to “automatically” remediate software vulnerabilities is by keeping the software patched. If you have robust patching (as described below), new versions of software that fix vulnerabilities will be deployed, effectively remediating them.

    • Configuration Changes: For vulnerabilities related to misconfigurations (e.g., an insecure setting), MDE will recommend changing the setting. You can then create or modify an Intune configuration profile (e.g., Attack Surface Reduction rules, Security Baselines) to enforce the secure setting across devices.

Part 2: Regular Software Patching via Intune

Intune offers several ways to patch software:

  1. Windows Updates (OS Patching):

    • This is the most straightforward.

    • Go to Devices > Windows > Update rings for Windows 10 and later.

    • Create profiles to define:

      • Servicing channel: (e.g., General Availability Channel)

      • Quality update deferral period: How long to wait after Microsoft releases a monthly quality update.

      • Feature update deferral period: How long to wait for major Windows version upgrades.

      • Driver updates: Allow/block.

      • Microsoft product updates: (e.g., Office updates, if not managed separately).

      • User experience settings: Active hours, restart deadlines, notifications.
    • Tip: Use multiple rings (e.g., Pilot, Broad) to test updates before wide deployment.

    • Feature Updates: Use Devices > Windows > Feature updates for Windows 10 and later to control deployment of specific Windows versions (e.g., move everyone to 22H2).

    • Expedited Updates: For critical zero-day patches, use Devices > Windows > Quality updates for Windows 10 and later (under Windows Update (preview)) to deploy specific KBs quickly, overriding deferrals.
  2. Microsoft 365 Apps (formerly Office 365 ProPlus):

    • Go to Apps > All apps > Add. Select Windows 10 and later > Microsoft 365 Apps.

    • Configure the app suite. Key settings for patching:

      • Update Channel: (e.g., Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel). This determines update frequency.

      • Automatically remove other versions: Yes.

      • Use shared computer activation: If applicable.
    • Intune will then manage the deployment and ensure the apps stay on the selected update channel, receiving updates directly from the Office CDN.

    • You can also use Configuration Profiles (Devices > Configuration Profiles > Create Profile > Windows 10 and later > Settings catalog and search for “Office” or “Update”) for more granular control over M365 App updates (e.g., update deadlines).
  3. Third-Party Application Patching: This is often the most challenging area.

    • Win32 App Management (Supersedence):
      • This is the most common Intune-native method.

      • When a new version of a third-party app is released (e.g., Adobe Reader, Chrome, 7-Zip):

        1. Package the new version as a Win32 app (using the Microsoft Win32 Content Prep Tool).

        2. Upload it to Intune.

        3. In the app’s properties, go to Supersedence.

        4. Add the older version(s) of the app that this new version should replace.

        5. Choose “Uninstall previous version.”

        6. Assign the new app to the same groups as the old app (or your target groups).
      • When devices check in, Intune will see the supersedence rule, uninstall the old version, and install the new one.

      • This requires manual effort to package each new version but automates the deployment.
    • Microsoft Store Apps (New Experience with Winget integration):
      • Intune is increasingly integrating with winget (Windows Package Manager).

      • Go to Apps > Windows > Add. Select Microsoft Store app (new).

      • You can search the Store or Winget repository. If an app is available via Winget and you deploy it, Intune can help keep it updated if the app publisher supports winget upgrade properly and you deploy the “latest” version. This is still evolving.
    • Enterprise App Catalog (Preview):
      • Apps > Windows > Windows catalog app (Win32) (Preview)
      • This provides a curated list of common enterprise apps that Microsoft packages and makes available. The idea is that Microsoft will also handle updating these apps in the catalog, simplifying your patching for these specific titles. This is a very promising feature.
    • Third-Party Patch Management Solutions:
      • Many organizations use dedicated third-party patching tools that integrate with Intune (e.g., Patch My PC, ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus, Ivanti Security Controls).

      • These tools typically:

        • Monitor vendor feeds for new patches.

        • Automatically package them as Win32 apps (or their own format).

        • Publish them to Intune (or their own distribution system controlled by Intune).

        • Handle supersedence.
      • This significantly reduces the manual effort for third-party patching.
    • PowerShell Scripts (Proactive Remediations or Win32 Apps):
      • For apps not easily packaged or without good supersedence options, you can use:

        • Proactive Remediations: (Requires appropriate licensing – typically E3 + MDE P1/P2 or E5)

          • A detection script checks if a vulnerable version is present or if a patch is needed.

          • A remediation script runs if the detection script indicates an issue (e.g., downloads and installs the update).
        • Win32 App with Scripts: Package a script as a Win32 app. The “install” command could be your patching script, and the detection method checks if the patch was successful.

Key Considerations & Best Practices:

  • Testing: Always test patches in a pilot group before broad deployment.

  • Phased Rollouts: Use Intune’s assignment filters and group staggering for gradual rollouts.

  • User Communication: Inform users about upcoming updates and potential reboots, especially if deadlines are enforced.

  • Monitoring: Regularly check Intune’s reporting for update compliance (e.g., Reports > Windows updates, app installation status).

  • Licensing: Some features (like Proactive Remediations or Defender for Endpoint) require specific Microsoft 365 licenses (e.g., E3, E5, or add-ons).

By combining MDE for vulnerability identification and Intune for deploying OS, Microsoft app, and third-party app updates, you can create a fairly robust system for managing vulnerabilities and patching. For extensive third-party app patching, a dedicated third-party tool integrated with Intune is often the most efficient solution.

How Windows VBS Helps Prevent Token Theft

dragon

VBS creates an isolated virtual environment to host critical security processes, making them inaccessible to malware running in the normal operating system. The key feature of VBS relevant to token theft is Credential Guard.

  1. Credential Guard:

    • It uses VBS to isolate and protect the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) process.

    • LSASS stores sensitive credential information like NTLM password hashes and Kerberos Ticket Granting Tickets (TGTs).

    • Attackers often try to dump LSASS memory (e.g., using Mimikatz) to extract these credentials, which can then be used in pass-the-hash or pass-the-ticket attacks to impersonate users and gain access to resources, including M365 services (especially in hybrid environments).

    • With Credential Guard enabled, LSASS runs in the VBS isolated environment. The normal OS LSASS process only communicates with it via a secure Remote Procedure Call (RPC) interface. Even if an attacker gains kernel-level privileges in the normal OS, they cannot directly access the credential material stored within the VBS-protected LSASS.

    • This makes it much harder to steal the credentials that would be used to obtain M365 tokens in the first place or to abuse on-premises credentials that might be synchronized to Azure AD.
  2. Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) / Memory Integrity:

    • While not directly preventing token theft, HVCI is another VBS feature that enhances overall system security. It ensures that only signed and verified code can run in the Windows kernel.

    • This makes it harder for malware to compromise the kernel, which could then be used to bypass other security measures, including potentially VBS itself or to inject code into processes holding tokens.

Important Considerations for M365 Tokens: M365 primarily uses OAuth 2.0 tokens (access tokens, refresh tokens) which are typically stored by applications (Outlook, Teams, browser) rather than directly in LSASS in the same way as NTLM hashes or Kerberos TGTs.

  • Credential Guard primarily protects against theft of Windows logon credentials (NTLM/Kerberos) that could be used to authenticate and then obtain M365 tokens.
  • It does not directly protect M365 access/refresh tokens stored in browser caches or application data if the user’s session is already compromised at the user-mode level (e.g., malware running as the user).

Appropriate Configuration for Windows Devices (using M365 Business Premium tools):

M365 Business Premium includes Microsoft Intune for device management, which is the recommended way to configure these settings.

  1. Hardware & Firmware Requirements:

    • 64-bit CPU with virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) and SLAT.

    • TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module).

    • UEFI firmware with Secure Boot enabled.

    • BIOS/UEFI virtualization support enabled.
  2. Enable VBS, Credential Guard, and HVCI via Intune:

    • Using Endpoint Security Profiles (Recommended):

      1. Go to the Microsoft Intune admin center.

      2. Navigate to Endpoint security > Account protection.

      3. Click Create Policy.

      4. Platform: Windows 10 and later. Profile: Account protection. Click Create.

      5. Name the policy (e.g., “Enable Credential Guard”).

      6. Under Configuration settings:

        • Block Windows Hello for Business: Typically Not configured or Disabled unless you have specific reasons to block it.

        • Enable Credential Guard: Set to Enable with UEFI lock. This prevents it from being disabled remotely without physical presence for UEFI changes. (Choose “Enable without UEFI lock” if you need more flexibility during initial rollout/testing, but “with UEFI lock” is more secure).

        • Turn on Security Guard: (This likely refers to Microsoft Defender Security Guard, which is related to Secure Boot and VBS launch). Set to Enabled.
      7. Assign the policy to your target device groups.

      8. To enable HVCI (Memory Integrity):

        • Navigate to Endpoint security > Attack surface reduction.

        • Click Create Policy.

        • Platform: Windows 10 and later. Profile: Attack Surface Reduction Rules (or look for specific HVCI profiles if available, sometimes it’s under Device Configuration > Endpoint Protection).

        • Alternatively, and often more straightforward for HVCI:

          • Go to Devices > Configuration profiles.

          • Click Create profile.

          • Platform: Windows 10 and later. Profile type: Settings catalog.

          • Search for “Hypervisor Enforced Code Integrity” or “Memory Integrity”.

          • Add the setting (e.g., VirtualizationBasedSecurity > HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity) and set it to Enabled.
    • Secure Boot: This is typically enabled in the device UEFI/BIOS. Intune can report on Secure Boot status but doesn’t directly enable it from a cold start. Devices must be provisioned with it enabled.

  3. Verify Deployment:

    • On a client device, you can check msinfo32.exe. Look for “Virtualization-based security” status and “Credential Guard” / “Memory Integrity” listed as running.

    • In Task Manager > Performance > CPU, you should see “Virtualization: Enabled”.

Complementary M365 Business Premium Security Measures:

VBS is one layer. For comprehensive token theft protection with M365:

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enforce MFA for all users via Conditional Access. This is the single most effective measure against credential/token compromise.

  • Conditional Access Policies:
    • Require compliant devices (managed by Intune, with VBS enabled).

    • Block legacy authentication.

    • Restrict access from untrusted locations or risky sign-ins.

    • Implement session controls (e.g., sign-in frequency).
  • Microsoft Defender for Business (included in M365 BP): Provides endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities to detect and block malicious activities, including attempts to steal tokens or abuse legitimate processes.

  • Identity Protection (Azure AD P1 features are included in M365 BP): Detects risky sign-ins and compromised user accounts, allowing for automated remediation.

  • Application Guard: Use Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge/Office to isolate untrusted websites and documents, preventing malware from accessing user session tokens in the browser or system.

  • Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure users do not have local admin rights unless absolutely necessary.

  • User Education: Train users to recognize phishing attempts and social engineering.

Conclusion:

Yes, VBS, particularly Credential Guard, is a valuable tool provided by Windows that, when configured (ideally via Intune with M365 Business Premium), significantly hardens devices against the theft of Windows credentials that could be used to obtain M365 tokens. However, it’s most effective as part of a broader defense-in-depth strategy that includes MFA, Conditional Access, Defender for Business, and other security best practices to protect M365 application-level tokens and user sessio

CIA Brief 20250510

image

How Microsoft is taking down AI hackers who create harmful images of celebrities and others –

https://news.microsoft.com/source/features/ai/how-microsoft-is-taking-down-ai-hackers-who-create-harmful-images-of-celebrities-and-others/

Transitioning to Microsoft Planner and retiring Microsoft Project for the web –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/plannerblog/transitioning-to-microsoft-planner-and-retiring-microsoft-project-for-the-web/4410149

Streamline your business documents and agreements with intelligent insights –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/spblog/streamline-your-business-documents-and-agreements-with-intelligent-insights/4411649

Copilot Chat helps keep your day moving –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdO-C4uci5o

Empowering multi-agent apps with the open Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol –

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-cloud/blog/2025/05/07/empowering-multi-agent-apps-with-the-open-agent2agent-a2a-protocol/

Highlighting the importance of securing your business during National Small Business –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365blog/highlighting-the-importance-of-securing-your-business-during-national-small-busi/4410430

Microsoft adopts Google’s standard for linking up AI agents –

https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/07/microsoft-adopts-googles-standard-for-linking-up-ai-agents/

Reimagine your business processes with agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hYXeQVxLVU

OneDrive: Personalized Intelligence. Seamless Collaboration. Always On –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/onedriveblog/onedrive-personalized-intelligence-seamless-collaboration-always-on/4411621

Highlighting the importance of securing your business during National Small Business Week –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365blog/highlighting-the-importance-of-securing-your-business-during-national-small-busi/4410430

Simple, Smart, and Secure: The next step in sharing files in Microsoft 365 –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/onedriveblog/simple-smart-and-secure-the-next-step-in-sharing-files-in-microsoft-365/4411655

Introducing a new generation of Windows experiences –

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/05/06/introducing-a-new-generation-of-windows-experiences/

Expanding the Surface for Business Copilot+ PC portfolio –

https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2025/05/06/expanding-the-surface-for-business-copilot-pc-portfolio/

Microsoft 365 Business Premium –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njXOcmncBcg

Introducing all-new Surface Copilot+ PCs: The Surface Pro, 12-inch and Surface Laptop, 13-inch –

https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2025/05/06/introducing-all-new-surface-copilot-pcs-the-surface-pro-12-inch-and-surface-laptop-13-inch/

Enhance your customer retention strategy with Microsoft 365 Copilot –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PtVRLIfGa4

Empowering everyone with agents in Copilot Chat –

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/blog/2025/04/empowering-everyone-with-agents-in-copilot-chat/

After hours

F1 Drivers RACE Life-Size LEGO Cars! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXY40oiNhEA

Editorial

If you found this valuable, the I’d appreciate a ‘like’ or perhaps a donation at https://ko-fi.com/ciaops. This helps me know that people enjoy what I have created and provides resources to allow me to create more content. If you have any feedback or suggestions around this, I’m all ears. You can also find me via email director@ciaops.com and on X (Twitter) at https://www.twitter.com/directorcia.

If you want to be part of a dedicated Microsoft Cloud community with information and interactions daily, then consider becoming a CIAOPS Patron – www.ciaopspatron.com.

Watch out for the next CIA Brief next week

How Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps fortifies Microsoft 365

What is Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps?

At its core, MDCA is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB). It sits between your users and cloud applications (like Microsoft 365) to provide:

  1. Visibility: Discover and identify cloud services and apps being used, including Shadow IT. For M365, it gives deep insights into activities within Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Teams, etc.

  2. Data Security: Identify and control sensitive information (DLP capabilities) within M365, preventing data leakage.

  3. Threat Protection: Detect anomalous behavior, malware, and other threats targeting your M365 data and users.

  4. Compliance: Assess if your cloud app usage, including M365 configurations, aligns with compliance requirements.

How MDCA Improves Microsoft 365 Security:

  1. Enhanced Visibility & Activity Monitoring:

    • MDCA logs detailed activities within M365 (file shares, downloads, logins, admin changes, mail rule creations, etc.). This is far more granular than standard M365 audit logs alone and is presented in a way that’s easier to query and investigate.

    • You can see who is accessing what, from where, and what they’re doing with the data.
  2. Advanced Threat Detection & Anomaly Detection:

    • MDCA uses User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to learn normal user patterns. It can then flag suspicious activities like:

      • Impossible travel: Logins from geographically distant locations in a short time.

      • Mass downloads/deletions: A user suddenly downloading or deleting an unusual number of files.

      • Suspicious inbox rules: Creation of forwarding rules that might exfiltrate email.

      • Ransomware activity: Rapid encryption of files.

      • Compromised account activity: Unusual administrative actions.
  3. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Information Protection:

    • Integration with Microsoft Purview Information Protection: MDCA can read sensitivity labels applied by Purview.

    • Content Inspection: It can scan files in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for sensitive data (credit card numbers, PII, custom keywords, etc.) even if they aren’t labeled.

    • Policies: You can create policies to automatically:

      • Apply sensitivity labels.

      • Restrict sharing (e.g., remove external sharing links for files containing PII).

      • Quarantine files.

      • Notify admins or users.
  4. OAuth App Governance (Third-Party App Control):

    • Many users grant third-party apps access to their M365 data (e.g., “Login with Microsoft,” calendar sync apps). Some of these apps can be risky.

    • MDCA discovers these OAuth apps, assesses their permission levels and community trust, and allows you to:

      • Approve/Ban apps: Sanction safe apps and ban risky ones organization-wide.

      • Revoke app access: For specific users or for an entire app.

      • Get alerted on new, risky apps being authorized.
  5. Conditional Access App Control (Session Control):

    • This is a powerful feature used in conjunction with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access.

    • When a user session to M365 apps (like SharePoint, Exchange Online) is routed through MDCA (as a reverse proxy), you can apply real-time controls:

      • Block downloads/uploads: Prevent users on unmanaged devices from downloading sensitive files.

      • Monitor sessions: Log all activities without blocking.

      • Block copy/paste: Prevent data exfiltration.

      • Apply labels on download: Ensure files downloaded to unmanaged devices are labeled and protected.

      • Block specific activities: e.g., prevent printing from an unmanaged device.
  6. Security Configuration Assessment:

    • While more directly handled by Microsoft Defender for Cloud (for Azure resources) or Microsoft Secure Score, MDCA contributes by identifying misconfigurations or risky behaviors within the M365 app context that could indicate broader security posture weaknesses.

Configuration Examples to Provide Protection:

Here’s how you might configure MDCA (steps are generalized as the UI can evolve, but concepts remain):

Prerequisite: Connect Microsoft 365 to Defender for Cloud Apps.

  • Go to the Microsoft Defender XDR portal (security.microsoft.com) -> Settings -> Cloud Apps -> Connected apps.

  • Click “+Connect an app” and select Microsoft 365. Follow the wizard to authorize the connection.

Example 1: Alert on Suspicious Inbox Forwarding Rules

  • Goal: Detect potential email exfiltration by compromised accounts.

  • Configuration:
    1. In the Microsoft Defender XDR portal, go to Cloud Apps -> Policies -> Policy management.

    2. Click Create policy and select Activity policy.

    3. Name: “Suspicious Inbox Forwarding Rule Creation”

    4. Severity: High

    5. Category: Threat Detection

    6. Triggers (Activities matching all of the following):
      • Activity type: Create inbox rule (or similar, depending on the exact activity name for Exchange Online).

      • App: Microsoft Exchange Online
      • Rule details/parameters: (You might need to use advanced filters here) Look for rule actions like Forward to, Redirect to where the recipient domain is Not in your organization’s approved domains.
    7. Actions:
      • Send alert: Email security admins, create an incident in Microsoft Sentinel.

      • (Optional Governance Action): Suspend user in Microsoft Entra ID (use with extreme caution and after thorough testing).
    8. Save the policy.

Example 2: Block Download of “Highly Confidential” Files to Unmanaged Devices

  • Goal: Prevent sensitive data from being downloaded to personal or untrusted devices.

  • Prerequisites:
    • Microsoft Entra ID P1/P2 for Conditional Access.

    • Sensitivity labels (“Highly Confidential”) configured in Microsoft Purview Information Protection.

    • Unmanaged devices identified (e.g., via Intune compliance or Hybrid Azure AD Join status).
  • Configuration:
    • Step A: Create a Conditional Access Policy in Entra ID:
      1. Go to portal.azure.com -> Microsoft Entra ID -> Security -> Conditional Access.

      2. Create a new policy.

      3. Name: “MDCA Session Control for SharePoint Unmanaged Devices”

      4. Users: All users (or a pilot group).

      5. Target resources (Cloud apps or actions): Select SharePoint Online.

      6. Conditions:
        • Device platforms: Any device.

        • Locations: Any location.

        • Client apps: Browser, Mobile apps and desktop clients.

        • Filter for devices: Exclude devices Marked as compliant (or Hybrid Azure AD Joined).
      7. Access controls -> Session: Select Use Conditional Access App Control and choose Block downloads (Preview) or Use custom policy... if you want more granular MDCA control.

      8. Enable policy.
    • Step B: (If “Use custom policy…” was chosen above) Create a Session Policy in MDCA:
      1. In the Microsoft Defender XDR portal, go to Cloud Apps -> Policies -> Policy management.

      2. Click Create policy and select Session policy.

      3. Name: “Block Highly Confidential Downloads to Unmanaged”

      4. Session control type: Control file download (with DLP).

      5. Triggers (Activities matching all of the following):
        • App: Microsoft SharePoint Online
        • Device Tag: Does not equal Intune Compliant (or your identifier for managed devices).

        • Sensitivity label (from Microsoft Purview Information Protection): Equals Highly Confidential.

        • Activity type: File download.
      6. Actions:
        • Select Block.

        • Customize block message for the user.

        • Send alert.
      7. Save the policy.

Example 3: Detect and Alert on Mass Downloads from OneDrive

  • Goal: Identify potential data theft or compromised accounts.

  • Configuration:
    1. In the Microsoft Defender XDR portal, go to Cloud Apps -> Policies -> Policy management.

    2. Many anomaly detection policies are built-in. Look for “Mass Download” or similar. If it exists, review its settings and enable it.

    3. If creating new, select Create policy -> Anomaly detection policy.

    4. Name: “Mass Download from OneDrive”

    5. Scope: You can scope it to specific users/groups, or all users.

    6. Conditions: MDCA’s UEBA engine will handle most of this. You’ll primarily enable the detection type for “Mass Download” and ensure it’s active for Microsoft OneDrive for Business.

    7. Risk factors/thresholds: Adjust sensitivity if needed (e.g., number of downloads, timeframe).

    8. Actions:
      • Send alert: Email security admins.

      • Create an alert in Microsoft Defender XDR.
    9. Save the policy.

Example 4: Govern Risky OAuth Apps

  • Goal: Prevent risky third-party apps from accessing M365 data.

  • Configuration:
    1. In the Microsoft Defender XDR portal, go to Cloud Apps -> OAuth apps.

    2. Review the list of apps. Filter by permissions (e.g., Mail.ReadWrite.All, Files.ReadWrite.All), community trust level, or last used.

    3. For a suspicious or overly permissive app:

      • Click on the app.

      • You can choose to Ban app. This prevents new users from authorizing it and revokes existing authorizations.
    4. Create a Policy for new OAuth apps:
      • Go to Cloud Apps -> Policies -> Policy management.

      • Click Create policy and select OAuth app policy.

      • Name: “Alert on New High-Permission OAuth Apps”

      • Severity: Medium/High

      • Triggers:
        • Permission level: High
        • Community use: Rare or Uncommon
        • (Optional) Specific permissions: e.g., Mail.Read.All
      • Actions:
        • Send alert.
        • (Optional Governance Action): Revoke app.
      • Save the policy.

Key Considerations:

  • Licensing: MDCA is typically part of Microsoft 365 E5, EMS E5, or available as a standalone license.

  • Alert Fatigue: Start with a few high-priority policies and tune them. Don’t enable everything at once.

  • User Impact: Be mindful of policies that might block legitimate user activity. Communicate changes and have a process for exceptions if needed.

  • Integration: MDCA works best when integrated with other Microsoft Defender XDR components and Microsoft Sentinel for a holistic security view and response capability.

By leveraging these capabilities and configurations, Defender for Cloud Apps significantly strengthens the security posture of your Microsoft 365 environment, providing deep visibility, data protection, and threat detection beyond the native capabilities of M365 itself.

Security Requirements for Microsoft Partners and Their Customers

bp1

1. Introduction: The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program serves as a framework to empower organizations through various benefits and incentives.1 Within this program, security stands as a fundamental pillar, critical for safeguarding the integrity of both the partner’s operational environment and the environments of their customers.1 This report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the specific security requirements that Microsoft partners must adhere to, drawing upon recent updates and guidelines. Furthermore, it will address the user’s inquiry regarding the necessity of achieving a Secure Score of 70 for both the partner and their customers.

The increasing sophistication of cyber threats necessitates a strong emphasis on security within the partner ecosystem. Microsoft’s partner network plays a vital role in delivering cloud services, making the security posture of each partner a crucial factor in maintaining the trust and security of the broader ecosystem. A vulnerability in a partner’s infrastructure could potentially expose numerous customers to risks. Therefore, Microsoft is proactively establishing security standards to mitigate these potential threats and ensure a secure environment for all stakeholders. The introduction of new benefits packages alongside these security requirements indicates a strategic alignment by Microsoft, where partners who demonstrate robust security practices are more likely to access enhanced resources and opportunities within the program. This interconnected approach incentivizes partners to prioritize security as a core aspect of their participation in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program.

2. Mandatory Security Requirements for Microsoft Partners: Microsoft mandates several fundamental security obligations for partners participating in its programs. These requirements are designed to protect both the partners themselves and their customers from a range of cyber threats.

A primary mandatory security requirement is the enforcement of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all user accounts associated with a partner’s tenant.3 This obligation extends to partners involved in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program, as well as Advisors and Control Panel Vendors.3 Partners must ensure that MFA is active whenever users sign in to Microsoft commercial cloud services, conduct transactions within the CSP program through Partner Center, or interact with relevant APIs.4 Microsoft provides its own MFA solution through Microsoft Entra security defaults, which is available at no additional cost.3 It is important to note that non-Microsoft MFA solutions are not taken into account when calculating the Partner Center security score.5 Failure to comply with these MFA requirements can result in the partner losing access to their customer tenants.4 The strong emphasis on MFA as a non-negotiable requirement underscores its critical role in preventing unauthorized access to sensitive environments. Passwords alone are often insufficient in today’s threat landscape, and MFA adds a crucial layer of defense by requiring users to provide multiple forms of verification, thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of account compromise. Microsoft’s firm stance on MFA reflects the widespread prevalence of credential theft in cyberattacks.

Another key mandatory requirement is the adoption of the Secure Application Model for partners who integrate with Partner Center APIs.3 This framework is essential for all app and user authentication models used in such integrations.3 By mandating this model, Microsoft aims to enhance the security of partner infrastructure and safeguard customer data from potential security risks.4 This shift towards the Secure Application Model for API integrations signifies a move towards more secure and less privileged access methods, ultimately reducing the potential attack surface. Traditional API access methods might involve storing credentials, which can introduce vulnerabilities. The Secure Application Model likely leverages modern authentication protocols like OAuth 2.0 and the principle of least privilege, ensuring that applications only possess the necessary permissions to perform their intended functions.

Beyond these core requirements, Microsoft also advises partners to embrace the principles of Zero Trust security.4 Furthermore, the removal of inactive Delegated Admin Privileges (DAP) is strongly recommended, as DAP is in the process of being deprecated and replaced by the more secure Granular Delegated Admin Privileges (GDAP).4 The recommendation to transition to GDAP and eliminate inactive DAP highlights Microsoft’s commitment to bolstering security through finer-grained access controls. DAP provides broad administrative rights to partner tenants over customer tenants, meaning that if a partner account with DAP is compromised, an attacker could potentially gain extensive control over the customer’s Microsoft 365 environment. GDAP, on the other hand, allows for the assignment of more specific roles with limited permissions, thereby mitigating this significant risk.

3. Understanding the Partner Center Security Score: To help partners assess and improve their security posture, Microsoft provides the Partner Center security score.5 This metric is designed to give partners a clear understanding of their tenant’s security level.5 It is accessible to direct-bill partners and indirect providers participating in the CSP, Value Added Reseller, or Advisor programs.5 The Partner Center security score ranges from 0 to 100 and reflects the tenant’s security based on adherence to specific security requirements established by Microsoft.5

The calculation of the Partner Center security score is based on the security scores assigned to individual security requirements.5 Each security requirement has a maximum possible score, ranging from 0 to 20 points, determined by its relative importance.5 Currently, a security requirement is considered either fully met, in which case it earns the maximum possible score, or not met, resulting in a score of 0 for that specific requirement.5 The overall Partner Center security score is calculated using the following formula: (Sum of individual security requirement scores) / (sum of individual security requirement max scores) * 100.5 This formula provides a weighted average of the partner’s compliance with the mandatory security measures.

There are several specific security requirements that contribute to the Partner Center security score, each with a defined maximum score 5:

  • Enable MFA: This requirement focuses on ensuring that multifactor authentication is enabled for all administrative roles within the partner’s tenant. Achieving this earns a maximum of 20 points. To be considered complete, every administrative user must be covered by MFA through security defaults, Conditional Access, or per-user MFA, and each admin user needs to have set up additional verification factors.5
  • Response to alerts is 24 hours or less on average: This requirement encourages partners to promptly address security alerts. Partners must triage and respond to alerts within 24 hours of their appearance in Partner Center, with an ideal goal of responding within one hour. Meeting this requirement contributes 10 points to the overall score. The average response time is calculated based on the activity of the last 30 days.5
  • Provide a security contact: This requirement emphasizes the importance of having a designated point of contact for security-related issues. Partners need to provide an email address, phone number, and the name of an individual or group responsible for responding to security incidents. Compliance with this requirement results in 20 points.5
  • All Azure subscriptions have a spending budget: This requirement applies specifically to partners operating under the new commerce experience. By setting up a spending budget for all their customers’ Azure subscriptions, partners can earn 10 points. Partners who are still on the traditional experience do not receive any points for this particular requirement.5
  • Users with administrative roles in the customer tenants must use MFA: This requirement extends the MFA mandate to the administrative roles within the partner’s customer tenants. Ensuring that MFA is enabled for these roles earns 20 points.5

It is important to reiterate that non-Microsoft MFA solutions are not supported for the “Enable MFA” requirement within the Partner Center security score framework and are therefore not factored into the score calculation.5 Partners can monitor and manage their security settings and view their current Partner Center security score through the Security requirements dashboard available in Partner Center.5 Furthermore, the partner security score API can be utilized to programmatically retrieve the score and gain insights into the security posture of their customers.6 The Partner Center security score is specifically tailored to the Microsoft ecosystem and the partner’s role within it. The requirements are designed to address common vulnerabilities and ensure partners are adhering to Microsoft’s security best practices for managing their own and their customers’ cloud environments. The weighting of different security requirements, such as the high scores assigned to MFA for both partner and customer administrators, clearly indicates Microsoft’s priorities in securing the partner channel by preventing unauthorized access with elevated privileges. The inclusion of the Azure spending budget requirement for new commerce partners suggests a connection between security and financial management, potentially aimed at preventing resource abuse or unauthorized consumption through proactive oversight.

To provide a clear overview of the Partner Center security score components, the following table summarizes the specific requirements and their corresponding maximum scores:

Security Requirement Maximum Score Description
Enable MFA 20 points Requires multifactor authentication (MFA) to be enabled for administrative roles within the partner’s tenant.
Response to alerts is 24 hours or less on average 10 points Requires partners to triage and respond to security alerts appearing in Partner Center within 24 hours, with a goal of responding within one hour.
Provide a security contact 20 points Requires partners to provide an email address, phone number, and name of an individual or group responsible for responding to security incidents.
All Azure subscriptions have a spending budget 10 points Applies to partners on the new commerce experience and requires them to set up a spending budget for all their customers’ Azure subscriptions. Partners on the traditional experience do not receive points for this requirement.
Users with administrative roles in the customer tenants must use MFA 20 points Requires MFA to be enabled for all users holding administrative roles within the partner’s customer tenants.

4. The Solutions Partner for Security Designation and Partner Capability Score: The Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offers various designations to recognize partners with specific expertise. One such designation is the Solutions Partner for Security, which distinguishes partners who possess the necessary skills to protect customers from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks across diverse environments, including remote, hybrid, and cloud infrastructures.2 To achieve this designation, partners are required to meet certain qualification criteria based on their partner capability score for security.8

The partner capability score is a composite score derived from a partner’s performance, skilling, and customer success, using data already recorded within Partner Center.8 To attain the Solutions Partner for Security designation, a partner must achieve a minimum score of 70 points, with at least one point in each of the following four key metrics 8:

  • Performance – Net customer adds
  • Skilling – Intermediate certifications
  • Customer success – Usage growth
  • Customer success – Deployments

Microsoft offers two distinct pathways for partners to pursue this designation: the Enterprise path and the Small and Medium Business (SMB) path, each with its own specific criteria.8 Microsoft evaluates partners on both paths and ultimately selects the highest score achieved from either path at the solution area level to determine qualification.8 This flexibility allows partners to leverage their strengths and focus on the path that best aligns with their business strategy and customer base.

The partner capability score for security is comprised of four metrics organized into three categories 8:

  • Performance (Maximum 20 points): This category assesses a partner’s ability to expand their customer base by leveraging Microsoft Security products and services. The primary metric is Net customer adds for both Microsoft 365 and Azure Security workloads. The calculation methods and eligibility criteria for net customer adds differ between the Enterprise and SMB tracks, taking into account factors like Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR) and the number of paid licenses for specific Microsoft 365 workloads.8
  • Skilling (Maximum points vary based on track): This category measures the security-related skills acquired by a partner organization through the number of certified individuals. The key metric is Intermediate certifications. Both the Enterprise and SMB tracks have mandatory prerequisites, requiring individuals to complete the Azure Security Engineer Associate and Microsoft Security Operations Analyst certifications. Additional points are awarded for completing advanced certifications such as Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect expert, Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator, or Microsoft Information Protection Administrator. The specific requirements and point allocations for these certifications vary between the Enterprise and SMB tracks.8
  • Customer Success: This category evaluates a partner’s effectiveness in driving the adoption and growth of Microsoft security solutions among their customers. It consists of two metrics:
  • Deployments (Maximum 20 points): This metric awards points based on the growth in the number of customer deployments of eligible Azure and Microsoft 365 security workloads. Similar to the Performance category, the calculation methods and eligible workloads differ between the Enterprise and SMB tracks.8
  • Usage growth (Maximum 20 points): This metric focuses on the growth in the usage of security workloads by a partner’s customers, measured by Security Azure consumed revenue (ACR) and the growth in the number of Microsoft 365 protected users. Again, the thresholds and calculation methods vary between the Enterprise and SMB tracks.8

The partner capability score for security is one of six solution areas within the broader Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program.9 Achieving the Solutions Partner for Security designation comes with various benefits, including access to go-to-market services, technical advisory hours, technical support incidents, and exclusive product benefits tailored for security.2 The requirement of a minimum partner capability score of 70 points is specifically for attaining the Solutions Partner for Security designation and is not a general mandatory security requirement for all partners. The multi-faceted nature of the partner capability score, encompassing performance, skilling, and customer success, underscores Microsoft’s emphasis on a holistic approach to security expertise. To achieve this designation, partners must demonstrate not only that their staff possess the necessary security skills but also that they are actively acquiring new security customers and driving the adoption and usage of Microsoft security solutions among their existing customers. The existence of separate Enterprise and SMB tracks acknowledges the diverse business models within the partner ecosystem and provides achievable paths for different types of partners to demonstrate their security capabilities.

To further clarify the metrics for achieving the Solutions Partner for Security designation, the following table provides a summary of the requirements for both the Enterprise and SMB tracks:

Category Metric Enterprise Track Details SMB Track Details
Performance Net customer adds Each net new customer contributes two points, up to a maximum of 20 points from ten customers. Each net new customer contributes four points, up to a maximum of 20 points from five customers.
Skilling Intermediate certifications
Step 1 (Required): At least two people must complete the Azure Security Engineer Associate certification (0 points).
Step 2 (Required): At least two people must complete the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst certification (0 points).
Step 3: Each certified individual completing one of the advanced certifications adds 6.67 points.

Step 1 (Required): At least one person must complete the Azure Security Engineer Associate certification (4 points).
Step 2 (Required): At least one person must complete the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst certification (4 points).
Step 3: Each certified individual completing one of the advanced certifications adds 8 points.
Customer Success Deployments Each net new customer contributes 3.3 points, up to a maximum of 20 points from six deployments. Each net new customer contributes 3.3 points, up to a maximum of 20 points from six deployments.
Customer Success Usage growth Every Security Azure consumed revenue (ACR) growth of USD 1,250 earns one point (maximum 20 points). Every Microsoft 365 protected users growth of 125 earns one point (maximum 20 points). Every Security Azure consumed revenue (ACR) growth of USD 750 earns one point (maximum 20 points). Every Microsoft 365 protected users growth of 50 earns one point (maximum 20 points).

5. Security Considerations for Customer Tenants: Ensuring the security of customer tenants is a critical aspect of the Microsoft partner program. While partners are primarily responsible for their own security, they also play a crucial role in safeguarding the environments of their customers.

One specific requirement that directly links partner security to customer security is the mandate for MFA for administrative roles within customer tenants.5 This requirement carries a significant weight of 20 points in the Partner Center security score calculation for the partner.5 This high weighting underscores the importance Microsoft places on securing privileged access within customer environments. Furthermore, the Partner Center provides partners with insights into customer MFA adoption statistics, allowing them to monitor and encourage the enablement of MFA across their customer base.5 This visibility empowers partners to identify potential security gaps and proactively engage with their customers to promote this essential security measure.

Microsoft emphasizes that partners have a vital role in protecting customer trust by implementing all necessary security measures.4 The partner security score API also enables partners to gain insights into their customers’ overall security posture.7 While the provided information highlights the importance of customer MFA and offers tools for partners to monitor it, there is no explicit mention of a specific security score requirement for customer tenants that partners must meet.6 However, the strong emphasis on MFA for customer administrators and the availability of customer security insights within the Partner Center framework indicate that Microsoft expects partners to have a clear understanding of their customers’ security practices and to take proactive steps to improve them. Although partners are not directly penalized based on a customer’s overall Microsoft Secure Score, their own Partner Center security score is directly affected by the enablement of MFA for administrative roles within their customer tenants. This creates a strong incentive for partners to actively promote and facilitate the adoption of MFA among their customers’ administrators, reflecting a shared responsibility for security within the Microsoft ecosystem.

6. Microsoft Secure Score vs. Partner Center Security Score: It is important to distinguish between the Microsoft Secure Score, which is a broad measure of an organization’s overall security posture, and the Partner Center security score, which is specifically designed for Microsoft partners.

The Microsoft Secure Score is a measurement of an organization’s security health across Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, and other Microsoft services.11 A higher score indicates that more of the recommended security actions have been implemented.11 This score helps organizations to understand their current security state, identify areas for improvement, and compare their posture against industry benchmarks.11 Points are awarded for configuring recommended security features, performing security-related tasks, or mitigating risks through non-Microsoft solutions.11 Security defaults within Microsoft Entra ID contribute to the Microsoft Secure Score.11 While a target of 80% or higher is generally considered a good Microsoft Secure Score, this can vary depending on the organization’s size and industry.12 The Microsoft Secure Score can be accessed through the Microsoft Defender portal.11

Conversely, the Partner Center security score is specific to Microsoft partners participating in the CSP, Value Added Reseller, or Advisor programs.5 Its primary focus is on the security posture of the partner’s tenant and, to a certain extent, their customers’ tenants, particularly concerning MFA for administrative roles, within the context of the partner program.5 This score is calculated based on specific mandatory security requirements established by Microsoft for its partners.5 The Partner Center security score ranges from 0 to 100 5 and can be monitored and managed through the Security requirements dashboard in Partner Center.5 The partner security score API provides a quantifiable measure of a partner’s security performance and also offers insights into the security posture of their customers.6 The Microsoft Secure Score serves as a comprehensive security assessment tool for any organization using Microsoft products, whereas the Partner Center security score is a specific set of requirements and a scoring mechanism tailored by Microsoft for its partners within the partner program framework. While achieving a high Microsoft Secure Score is generally indicative of strong security practices, maintaining a high Partner Center security score is crucial for partners to ensure compliance with program requirements and potentially access certain benefits or maintain their partner status.

7. Addressing the Secure Score of 70 Requirement: The user specifically asked whether a Secure Score of 70 would be required for both the partner and their customers based on the provided blog post. The analysis of the research snippets reveals important distinctions regarding the use of the number 70 in relation to security within the Microsoft partner program.

The research indicates that a score of 70 is relevant in the context of the Solutions Partner for Security designation. To attain this specific designation, a partner needs to achieve a minimum partner capability score of 70 for the security solution area.8 It is crucial to understand that this partner capability score is based on a combination of performance metrics (net customer adds), skilling (intermediate certifications), and customer success metrics (usage growth and deployments), and it is distinct from the Partner Center security score.8

The provided snippets do not explicitly state a requirement for partners to maintain a Partner Center security score of exactly 70. The Partner Center security score is designed to measure a partner’s adherence to specific mandatory security requirements set by Microsoft. The general principle is to aim for the highest possible score by ensuring that all these mandatory requirements are fully met.5 There is no indication that a score of 70 is a specific threshold that partners must reach for this particular metric.

Similarly, the research snippets do not specify a mandatory Microsoft Secure Score of 70 for customer tenants that partners are obligated to ensure. While Microsoft encourages partners to promote security best practices among their customers, such as the implementation of MFA for administrative roles, there is no mention of a specific Microsoft Secure Score target for customers within the defined partner program requirements.6 The user’s query might stem from a general understanding that a security score around 70-80 is often considered a reasonable benchmark for overall security posture. However, it is essential to differentiate between the various scoring mechanisms within the Microsoft ecosystem and the specific context in which they are used. The Partner Center security score is about meeting specific mandated requirements for partners, while the partner capability score of 70 is related to achieving a particular Solutions Partner designation. Therefore, partners should primarily focus on meeting all the mandatory security requirements that contribute to the Partner Center security score to ensure compliance with the partner program, rather than focusing on an arbitrary score of 70 for this metric or for their customers’ overall Microsoft Secure Score.

8. Recommendations for Microsoft Partners: To effectively navigate the security requirements of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and enhance the security posture of both their own organizations and their customers, partners should consider the following recommendations:

  • Prioritize Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Ensure that MFA is enforced for all user accounts, both administrative and standard, within the partner tenant. This can be achieved using Microsoft Entra security defaults or other compatible MFA methods. Additionally, actively encourage and assist customers in enabling MFA for all their users, with a particular focus on administrative roles. Leverage the customer MFA statistics available in Partner Center to identify any gaps in adoption.3
  • Adopt the Secure Application Model: If your organization integrates with Partner Center APIs, it is crucial to ensure that all applications adhere to the Secure Application Model framework for authentication and authorization. This will help protect both your infrastructure and your customers’ data.3
  • Maintain Responsiveness to Security Alerts: Establish clear and efficient processes for monitoring and responding to security alerts that appear within Partner Center. Aim for a response time within 24 hours, with an ideal target of one hour, to maximize your Partner Center security score and mitigate potential risks.5
  • Provide and Maintain a Security Contact: Ensure that the designated security contact information (including name, email address, and phone number) within Partner Center is accurate and kept up-to-date. This ensures that Microsoft can effectively communicate with your organization in the event of any security-related issues.5
  • Set Azure Spending Budgets for Customers (New Commerce): For partners who are operating under the new commerce experience, it is important to configure spending budgets for all customer Azure subscriptions. This action contributes to your Partner Center security score and can also help in managing and monitoring resource consumption.5
  • Aim for the Solutions Partner for Security Designation: If your organization has security as a core area of expertise, consider working towards achieving the Solutions Partner for Security designation. This involves focusing on improving your performance metrics (net customer adds), skilling levels (relevant certifications), and customer success in deploying and driving the usage of security-related workloads.8
  • Regularly Review the Security Requirements Dashboard: Make it a practice to regularly utilize the Security requirements dashboard within Partner Center to monitor your current security score and identify any areas where improvements can be made to meet the mandatory requirements.5
  • Leverage the Partner Security Score API: Explore the potential of using the partner security score API to gain deeper insights into both your organization’s and your customers’ security posture. This proactive approach can help in identifying and addressing potential risks before they escalate.6
  • Transition to Granular Delegated Admin Privileges (GDAP): If your organization is still using Delegated Admin Privileges (DAP), plan and execute a migration to Granular Delegated Admin Privileges (GDAP). GDAP offers enhanced security by providing more granular and least-privileged access to customer tenants, reducing the potential impact of compromised partner accounts.4

These recommendations highlight the importance of a multi-layered approach to security, encompassing technical implementations like MFA and secure application models, operational procedures for alert management, and strategic goals such as achieving the Solutions Partner designation. Microsoft provides partners with both the requirements and the necessary tools, such as the Partner Center dashboard and API, to effectively manage and continuously improve their security posture, demonstrating a strong commitment to security within the partner program.

9. Conclusion: In summary, Microsoft partners are required to adhere to several mandatory security measures to ensure the safety and integrity of their own operations and the environments of their customers. These include the critical step of enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on their partner tenants and adopting the Secure Application Model when integrating with Partner Center APIs. The Partner Center security score serves as a key indicator of a partner’s compliance with these specific security requirements.

Achieving a partner capability score of at least 70 is a specific requirement for attaining the Solutions Partner for Security designation, which recognizes expertise in this critical area. This score is based on a holistic evaluation of a partner’s performance, skilling, and success in delivering security solutions. While promoting the adoption of MFA for administrative roles within customer tenants is a crucial responsibility for partners and directly impacts their Partner Center security score, the research does not indicate an explicit requirement for a specific Microsoft Secure Score target for customers.

Therefore, based on the analysis of the provided research snippets, a Partner Center security score of 70 is not explicitly mandated as a general requirement. Furthermore, a Microsoft Secure Score of 70 is not a defined requirement for customers within the context of the partner program requirements discussed. Instead, partners should prioritize meeting all the mandatory security requirements outlined by Microsoft to achieve the highest possible Partner Center security score. Simultaneously, they should actively work to improve the security posture of their customer tenants by promoting and facilitating the adoption of security best practices, particularly the implementation of Multi-Factor Authentication.

Works cited
  1. New benefits packages for the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/americas-partner-one/News/new-benefits-packages-for-the-microsoft-ai-cloud-partner-program
  2. Counter cyber threats as a Solutions Partner for Security, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://partner.microsoft.com/de-de/blog/article/counter-cyber-threats-as-a-solutions-partner-for-security
  3. Partner security requirements FAQ – Partner Center | Microsoft Learn, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/security/partner-security-requirements-faq
  4. Partner security requirements – Partner Center | Microsoft Learn, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/security/partner-security-requirements
  5. Security requirements dashboard for Partner Center – Learn Microsoft, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/security/security-requirements
  6. What is the Security workspace? – Partner Center | Microsoft Learn, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/security/overview
  7. Use the partner security score API in Microsoft Graph (preview), accessed on May 9, 2025, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/partner-security-score-api-overview?view=graph-rest-beta
  8. Solutions Partner for Security – Partner Center | Microsoft Learn, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/membership/solutions-partner-security
  9. Solutions Partner program Partner Capability Score – Partner Center | Microsoft Learn, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/membership/partner-capability-score
  10. Specialization – Microsoft Partner Network, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/partnership/specialization
  11. Microsoft Secure Score – Microsoft Defender XDR, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-xdr/microsoft-secure-score
  12. Microsoft Secure Score – A Complete Overview – AdminDroid Blog, accessed on May 9, 2025, https://blog.admindroid.com/boost-up-your-security-posture-with-microsoft-secure-score/