Article
Email Security Best Practices for MSPs Supporting Microsoft 365 Clients
Managed Service Providers play an important role in helping clients maintain secure cloud environments.
Email continues to be a primary attack vector, making email security an important consideration when designing service offerings.
This article outlines common best practices used by MSPs supporting Microsoft 365 clients.
Implement layered email protection
Many MSPs implement layered protection strategies to improve detection coverage.
This may include:
- Baseline protection provided by Microsoft 365
- Additional phishing detection capabilities
- Monitoring for suspicious login activity
- Threat visibility tools
Layered approaches can improve overall detection effectiveness.
Monitor for account compromise indicators
Compromised accounts can be used to send phishing emails internally or externally.
Monitoring for indicators such as unusual login locations or abnormal sending patterns can help identify potential risks.
Identity protection controls are often implemented alongside email security improvements.
Educate end users on phishing awareness
User awareness remains an important defence layer.
Training may include:
- Recognising suspicious messages
- Identifying impersonation attempts
- Reporting suspicious emails
- Understanding common phishing tactics
User awareness helps reduce successful attacks.
Implement consistent security policies
MSPs often define standard security configurations across tenants.
Examples include:
- Authentication controls
- Domain protection settings
- Email authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Access restrictions
Consistency helps maintain predictable security posture.
Provide visibility into threats
Improved visibility helps MSPs respond more quickly to incidents.
Reporting capabilities may include:
- Threat detection summaries
- Suspicious email indicators
- Policy insights
- Security posture overview
Visibility supports informed decision making.
Conclusion
Email remains a key attack vector affecting Microsoft 365 environments.
MSPs often implement layered protection strategies combined with user awareness and consistent policy configuration to reduce risk exposure.