Cooperation is a crucial ingredient to the success of any business in today’s tech-oriented world. Working with Microsoft partners to manage your business’ IT needs is essential in cutting costs and improving your efficiency and productivity. Nonetheless, all these gains come at the expense of increased ransomware and cybersecurity attacks, many of which are easily preventable with the right partner in place.
Minor deficiencies in your Microsoft partner’s privacy and security routines may turn out to be your company’s cybersecurity weakness. According to the Cloud Security Alliance Understanding Data Security Risk Survey Report, 31% of organizations lack tools to identify their riskiest data sources. Therefore, this article will dive into the security risks of having multiple partners managing your business’s IT infrastructure, especially when a single partner does not have a complete view of your IT environment.
Potential Risks of Working with Multiple Microsoft Partners
A typical scenario for businesses today is having one Microsoft Partner that is responsible for your Office 365, another for Dynamics 365 Business Central, and another for your Azure Cloud. Sounds like a good idea. Have a partner focused on each area…but disaster strikes because they are ONLY looking at one part independently of your ENTIRE IT environment.
Here are the risks you put yourself up for when you work with multiple Microsoft partners that DO NOT have a complete view of your environment:
- Cybersecurity Risk
The Microsoft partner managing your business’ IT infrastructure must access your systems, data, and environments to discharge their services. Their experts oversee setting up access, being your eyes and ears, and ensuring everything is working as expected. Unfortunately, those same partners aren’t interested in what the other one is doing. This can lead to disconnects and security settings being missed or incorrectly setup. Even as high risk as a user with global admin access but no multi-factor authentication.
Cybercriminal’s use compromised or low security accounts with global admin access as entry points to get hold of your valuable data and assets. Thus, working with one partner to manage your IT goes a long way in reducing these entry points to cyberattacks as they are looking at every user and every place that they would access systems to ensure the right security protocols are enabled.
- Privilege Misuse
One of the multiple Microsoft partners you may be working with to manage your IT infrastructure may have given administrative access to a user for one purpose, but that does not mean the user should have global admin access to every part of your organization. Creating proper privilege access is essential in limiting compromised accounts from accessing areas that should not be accessed.
For instance, a global admin account may be misused to access another part of your organization. Perhaps the user that needed Office 365 admin, also now has access to financials or accounting data, or your Azure Cloud environment. That compromised account could quickly turn on servers in the cloud, running up costs to your business. In the event of a compromised account due to security not being enabled, the responsibility for costs incurred fall on the business, not the Microsoft partner.
- Operation Risk
Cybercriminals are always trying to find ways to disrupt your business operations so that they can ask for a ransom and force you to make quick but insecure fixes. They do this by targeting the Microsoft partner’s security lapses to get access to your internal and valuable systems and services. The chances of finding one partner who has dropped their guard while working with multiple partners is considerably high compared to when working with a single trusted provider that puts a focus on security, and constant improvements.
Here’s a perfect example of why you need to work with one dedicated Microsoft Cloud Partner
Recently, we received a frantic phone call from a VP of IT where we identified them as being High Risk for compromise. Many users had full Global Admin access without MFA and/or Advanced Threat Protection setup. We took control of their Microsoft Tenant to lock down and secure their network, stopping any malicious attackers.
Prior to our help, hackers had gained access to one of their users and turned-on consumptions services without the customer knowing because they did not have the visibility in place to detect intruders. Hackers began mining cryptocurrency at the customer’s expense.
The customer was expecting an Azure consumption invoice of $700/month. Instead, they received an invoice for $18,000! Without our services to detect and protect users, these hackers would have continued unnoticed.
Please note that Microsoft does not take responsibility for a customer’s gross negligence. Costs and damages associated with a compromised account within your organization are your direct responsibility.
Why Should You Work With a Single Microsoft Cloud Partner?
We all know the saying “Too many cooks in the kitchen” and the same applies to your business IT environment. Having too many Microsoft Partners working on different parts of your IT – from Office 365, to Azure Cloud, to Dynamics 365 – creates the risk of miscommunication, misconfiguration, and security issues.
Working with one Microsoft Partner that specializes in taking a holistic view of your entire IT environment and considering how all parts and users will function together results in a secure, efficient, effective, and simplified operating experience.
Benefits of Working with 360 Visibility as your Tier 1 Microsoft Gold Cloud Partner:
- Users have only enough permissions what they need, with the correct security protocols enabled
- Trusted advisory to setup Office 365, Azure Cloud, Dynamics 365 and other Microsoft services
- Premier support and services
- Security administration to improve your security posture
- All billing consolidated in a single bill
Managing your cloud services, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and security administration and management is no mean task. It would be ideal if you worked with a Tier 1 Microsoft Gold Cloud Partner to help you gain access to the scalability and power of the cloud and get real-time support. Here are the benefits you gain by working with a single Microsoft partner.
- 24/7 Tech Support
Working with a single Microsoft partner allows you to gain access to the tech support your business needs at any time. This allows your business systems to run smoothly and effectively, whether the matter is a minor fix or requires an in-depth look. Having an established and reliable partner at your disposal enables you to save time, cut operational costs, and maximize your profits. Thus, any tech issue your business experiences will be attended to efficiently and promptly.
- Easy Access to the Cloud
A single Microsoft partner enables you to gain easy access to the cloud using different suites of online services and apps. And working with a single partner enables you to build a healthy relationship. They, in turn, learn your business needs and guide you on the best Microsoft products, technology, or devices your business needs for success.
- Value for your Money
Microsoft partners are coached to skillfully assess your business technology needs and propose solutions whose benefits are tangible. Thus, a single Microsoft partner guides you on what you need to purchase, what you should know, and the best product or technology to buy that will meet your expectations. In addition, your partner advises you on new licensing and deployment models to help you save and get value for money.
The Bottom Line
The security of your IT infrastructure is of utmost importance, as it may make or break your business’ reputation and chance at prospects . That’s why hiring a single Microsoft partner that understands not only your business technology needs, but your organization and industry as a whole is important. The Microsoft 365 Security Administration Service ensures that cybercriminals don’t catch you off-guard by securing your company’s IT infrastructure to prevent any disruption.