What is Microsoft 365 Advanced Threat Protection: Can It Dramatically Increase Your Security?

Do you have an advanced threat protection system to protect your confidential information? Learn about Microsoft 365 Windows Defender and its features of scanning threatening content from emails.

Every organisation needs a protective firewall to block cyber-attacks. Without a firewall, hackers can access the central database and steal information for exploitation. Data breaches are bad for an organisation’s reputation. The recovery is expensive and time-consuming.

Unfortunately, cyber breaches are increasing each year. Therefore, finding an effective and reliable threat protective system is one of the biggest concerns for business organisations.

Microsoft 365 Advanced Threat Protection is an integrated threat protection service that blocks all types of attacks across the cyber kill chain. Microsoft ATP service also boosts productivity, simplifies administration, and reduces costs by providing built-in protection against advanced threats.

What Is Microsoft 365 Advanced Threat Protection?

Microsoft 365 Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is a cloud-based cyberattack protection service. It detects and blocks malicious files from entering an organisation’s database. When ATP detects malware in a file, it locks it to prevent people from accessing and spreading the malware. Then it enacts an action according to the ATP policy selected by your security team.

Due to ATP’s automated features, your organisation’s database is always safe from dangerous attachments and malicious links in real-time.

Understanding Different Types of ATPs & Microsoft 365 Licenses

To use the Microsoft Defender ATP, you must have at least one of the below-mentioned Microsoft 365 Licenses.

Office 365 E3

Office 365 E3 offers users the latest Office application across most devices. It also provides a broader range of integrated and advanced compliance features for full IT power. In this licence, you also get Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online, and Yammer Enterprise access rights.

Office 365 E5

Office 365 E5 is a new suite that provides new features across three categories of investments, which are:

• Voice
  A voice add-on based on geo and channel availability for Cloud PBX, PSTN Conferencing, Skype Meeting Broadcast, and PSTN Calling.
• Analytics
  Team Analytics and MyAnalytics come with Power BI and Individual enhancements. This allows organisations to make confident decisions using up-to-the-minute analytics.
• Security
  This licence applies to Office 365 Advanced Security Management and Advanced Threat Protection. It detects safe attachments, URLs, and access control and compliance with Advance Compliance.

Windows 10 Enterprise E3

This Microsoft license comes with more advanced important features for large and mid-size organisations. It provides advanced protection against security threats, operating systems, deployment systems, and updates. Customers using this license can use the latest security and feature updates on an ongoing basis.

Windows 10 Enterprise E5

Windows 10 Enterprise E5 offers similar services to Windows 10 Enterprise E3. However, it includes Windows Defender ATP that can detect, investigate, and respond to advanced cyberattacks.

Key Features of Microsoft 365 ATP

Microsoft ATP’s essential features allows organisations to secure communication systems. Its key elements make it perfect for businesses that rely on email as a form of communication. Those key features are:

Safe Attachments

The ATP safe attachment features check all attachments from emails that land in your shared business mailbox. It scans the attachments for malicious and spam content, and you can launch the ATP service in every Office 365 environment. It examines the file in a virtual environment, so it doesn’t affect the real-time database.

Safe Links

Nowadays, hackers send links in emails that can install bugs in your computer if you click on them. Therefore, Windows Defender ATP time-of-click verification of website addresses in emails and Office 365 documents. When you receive an email with a URL link, if the link contains malicious or harmful content, it will open a warning page instead of exposing your user ID.

Spoof Intelligence

It is impossible to block all spoofing if you use a third party to send emails for lead generation, product updates, and sales information. Windows Defender ATP ensures that the emails that are supposedly coming from your organisation come from the right source. It has built-in spoof protection that separates malicious emails from normal ones.

Can ATP Dramatically Increase Your Security?

Windows Defender ATP is a fantastic service for protection against cyber threats. It instantly scans and alerts if the system has received an email with a threatening attachment or link. It also locks you out of that email and resolves the issue based on your selected policy. Therefore, you don’t accidentally click on the malicious link and endanger your database.

Conclusion

Deploying Advanced Threat Protection policies in your organisation will strengthen its security system. It is a cloud-based service that provides integrated protection across all Microsoft programs. You can combine ATP policies with Microsoft 365 essential features and automate workflow without worrying about cyberattacks.

Want to implement ATP policies for your organisation? Our Microsoft 365 specialists can assist you in integrating a new security system.

Bas Majeed

I am an experienced Information Technology Support Technician with a demonstrated history of working in the IT and technology services industry. Skilled in Technical Support, Lunix, Active Directory, Cisco VPN, and Cisco Security. Strong information technology professional with a Adv. Diploma focused in Network security from TAFE NSW, South Western Sydney Institute.