Microsoft 365 gives secure access from virtually any device and supports hybrid working. Teams can share, edit and communicate without being tied to an office. The flexibility brings risk too: if your staff can sign in from anywhere, so can someone holding their password.
Convenience comes at a cost
A single compromised account can lead to data breaches, ransomware and reputational damage.
The solution: Conditional Access
Setting up Conditional Access policies is one of the most useful things a business can do to protect its accounts and data. Conditional Access lets you set rules based on who is signing in, from where, on what device and at what risk level. Think of it as a gate that only opens under the right conditions.
Conditional Access is included by default in many Microsoft 365 licences, which you may already be paying for.
Best practices for Conditional Access
Location-based restrictions
Limit access to trusted IP ranges, such as office networks or UK-based addresses. This reduces exposure to foreign attacks and suspicious logins. Even if a user gives their credentials to a phishing site, this one policy should give you enough time to reset the user’s credentials before any data is compromised.
Require MFA for every user
MFA is non-negotiable. Prefer modern methods like FIDO2 security keys or the Microsoft Authenticator app over SMS, which is vulnerable to SIM swapping. Paired with location-based restrictions, this makes a stolen password far less useful.
Block legacy authentication
Disable older protocols that bypass MFA, such as POP and IMAP.
Monitor and adjust
Conditional Access is not set-and-forget. Review sign-in logs regularly and adapt policies as threats evolve.
Our team sets up and manages Conditional Access alongside the rest of your network security. For more information, call us on 01642 661888.