Dive Brief:
- Microsoft announced additions to its line of enterprise security features at the Ignite Conference Monday. Features include workload management reduction through the Azure Security Center and an anti-phishing solution for Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection.
- The company is also extending its conditional access capabilities that grant access based on user account activity, location and "trustworthiness of the device." Conditional access can be used with the Microsoft Cloud App Security, Azure Information Protection for classified files and Microsoft ecosystem partners including RSA, Duo or Trusona.
- In response to continued employee use of SaaS apps and mobile devices, Microsoft announced new layers of data protection and oversight with its Information Protection solutions. The technology will integrate data with Cloud App Security so it can be tracked no matter where it is stored or shared.
Dive Insight:
Microsoft's push for more security protocols follows major cyberattacks and data breaches. Accessing company networks is often too easy for savvy hackers.
Hackers exploited vendor trust with the CCleaner attack last week to gain access to major tech companies, including Microsoft. The evolving sophistication and creativity of hackers is forcing organizations to integrate more built-in security services and tools, and companies like Microsoft are capitalizing on that need.
Most of the new security features are cloud-based. The company unveiled confidential computing for Azure prior to Monday's announcements, which allows simultaneous data encryption and processing in the cloud.
Microsoft unveiled its all-in-one approach to enterprise software with the announcement of Microsoft 365 in July. Microsoft 365 bundled Office 365 and Windows 10, an key integration for the company as it pushes to become a one stop shop for software and associated services.
