Microsoft 365 is the app suite of choice for businesses, governmental agencies and institutions all over the world. It comes in two versions: Business Standard and Business Premium. The cost difference is $10 to $15 per month per user, which can be significant for larger organizations. Here’s why we think it’s a good investment: SECURITY.

The Premium version has four security features that the Standard version does not:

• Microsoft Defender for Business provides advanced threat protection, helping to safeguard against malware and phishing attacks.
• Intune for Device Management allows organizations to manage and secure devices, ensuring that only compliant devices can access company resources.
• Azure AD Premium with Conditional Access offers granular access controls based on user identity and device compliance, enhancing security for sensitive data.
• Advanced Compliance Tools include data loss prevention and message encryption, which help protect sensitive information and ensure compliance with regulations.

Premium is recommended for businesses or organizations with up to 300 users that require enhanced security and device management for:

• Protecting sensitive data against threats like ransomware and phishing
• Managing devices, especially for remote work
• Compliance with regulations

Microsoft 365 Business Premium incorporates some principles of Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) such as identity verification to control access to applications and resources and continuous verification to verify user identities and device compliance before granting access.

If you have Microsoft 365 Business Premium deployed in your organization, you can always scale up to a full ZTNA program. You and the people in your organization will already be familiar with its principles, and that should ease the migration.

If you’re thinking about moving more of your technology to the cloud or if you want to strengthen your security with measures such as access control and device management, you should talk to us about moving up to Microsoft 365 Business Premium. We can configure it to meet the needs of your organization. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to set up a conference.