With cyberattacks always on the rise, it’s vital to stay protected. That’s why our Modern Workplace team have put together a handy knowledge hub delving into the latest challenges organisations face.
Secure the Future is designed to be simple to read, easy to consume and free for all our Partners to use.
We have split the page into three sections, with a video on each area. These are:
Be sure to check back in throughout the next month for fresh insights, documents and surprises!
Customer SecOps, Data Security, and AI Governance with Microsoft
Within SMBs, every chat, invoice, and shared file now lives online, sometimes accessed via home Wi-Fi from the kitchen table. Then there’s AI – the new playground for employees and hackers alike.
Meanwhile, cyber attacks are aimed at businesses of all sizes and rack up more than the ransom cost – there’s the disruption, downtime, repairs, and reputational damage too.
Cyber security isn’t just an IT checkbox anymore. It’s a business survival skill. That’s why your customers need to get serious about security operations (SecOps), data protection, and AI governance.
Here’s how you can help them switch from reactive defence to automated and proactive threat detection with Microsoft’s products.
Too many organisations are still firefighting in cyber security with siloed tools, manual monitoring, and reactive responses: react, patch, repeat.
And the fallout is costly.
Only 60% of ransomware victims recover any data after paying up, and 41% still had to rebuild their systems.1
Reactive security is like trying to bolt a door after thieves have broken in.
That’s why your customers need to strengthen their Security Operations (SecOps) and integrate security directly into business operations. Microsoft offers multiple ways of helping them do this: Microsoft 365 E5, the Microsoft Defender Suite add-on for Business Premium users, Microsoft Sentinel, and Microsoft Entra. Let’s dig into the options.
Too many organisations are still firefighting in cyber security with siloed tools, manual monitoring, and reactive responses: react, patch, repeat.
And the fallout is costly.
Only 60% of ransomware victims recover any data1 after paying up, and 41% still had to rebuild their systems.
Reactive security is like trying to bolt a door after thieves broke in.
That’s why your customers need to strengthen their Security Operations (SecOps) and integrate security directly into business operations. Microsoft offers multiple ways of helping them do this: Microsoft 365 E5, the Microsoft Defender Suite add-on for Business Premium users, Microsoft Sentinel, and Microsoft Entra. Let’s dig into the options.
When attacks evolve by the hour, you need a solid SecOps strategy. Here’s how to turn security from a cost to a competitive advantage with Microsoft.
WATCH THE VIDEO 
When attacks evolve by the hour, you need a solid SecOps strategy. Here’s how to turn security from a cost to a competitive advantage with Microsoft.
WATCH THE VIDEO
For less firefighting and more foresight, Microsoft has your customers covered.
With Microsoft 365 E5, your customers can ditch the tool sprawl and automate their security, powered by Microsoft Defender XDR. They get incident-level visibility while Microsoft automatically disrupts attacks across endpoints, hybrid identities, collaboration tools, and cloud services.
For customers with the fundamentals covered by Microsoft 365 Business Premium or E3, they can get the full power-up of Defender XDR as an add-on with the Microsoft Defender Suite.
If your customers want to double-down on identity management, they need Microsoft Entra. Entra is a suite of tools that helps businesses manage their multi-cloud identity infrastructure – verify identities, validate access, check permissions, and monitor for compromise.
And for enterprises with a full-blown SecOps centre, point them toward Microsoft Sentinel. It’s advanced, detail-orientated, and ready for agentic AI. This is Defender XDR and security information and event management (SIEM) rolled together for AI-first, end-to-end security.
For less firefighting and more foresight, Microsoft has your customers covered.
With Microsoft 365 E5, your customers can ditch the tool sprawl and automate their security, powered by Microsoft Defender XDR. They get incident-level visibility while Microsoft automatically disrupts attacks across endpoints, hybrid identities, collaboration tools, and cloud services.
For customers with the fundamentals covered by Microsoft 365 Business Premium or E3, they can get the full power-up of Defender XDR as an add-on with the Microsoft Defender Suite.
If your customers want to double-down on identity management, they need Microsoft Entra. Entra is a suite of tools that helps businesses manage their multi-cloud identity infrastructure – verify identities, validate access, check permissions, and monitor for compromise.
And for enterprises with a full-blown SecOps centre, point them toward Microsoft Sentinel. It’s advanced, detail-orientated, and ready for agentic AI. This is Defender XDR and security information and event management (SIEM) rolled together for AI-first, end-to-end security.
Your customers’ businesses are run on volumes of valuable data (think everything from payroll to product IP). It’s a goldmine for hackers.
Many big-name companies have fallen victim to major breaches this year with huge knock-on effects.2 But it’s not just global brands that are at risk. Human error is still the top security vulnerability.
Microsoft stated: “In the first half of 2025, identity-based attacks rose by 32%.3 This escalation may reflect adversaries’ increasing use of AI to craft highly convincing social engineering lures—posing new challenges for detection and response at scale.”
When employees are working from the kitchen table over basic Wi-Fi, using date-of-birth passwords, and targeted by sophisticated phishing scams (like 85% of UK businesses this year), the doors are wide open to attackers.4
Now there’s the added layer of AI powering automated spear-phishing campaigns and using sensitive business information put into public AI tools.
That’s why businesses need tech that takes a holistic approach to data protection.
Your customers’ businesses are run on volumes of valuable data (think everything from payroll to product IP). It’s a goldmine for hackers.
Many big-name companies have fallen victim to major breaches this year with huge knock-on effects.2 But it’s not just global brands that are at risk. Human error is still the top security vulnerability.
Microsoft stated: “In the first half of 2025, identity-based attacks rose by 32%.3 This escalation may reflect adversaries’ increasing use of AI to craft highly convincing social engineering lures—posing new challenges for detection and response at scale.”
When employees are working from the kitchen table over basic Wi-Fi, using date-of-birth passwords, and targeted by sophisticated phishing scams (like 85% of UK businesses this year), the doors are wide open to attackers.4
Now there’s the added layer of AI powering automated spear-phishing campaigns and using sensitive business information put into public AI tools.
That’s why businesses need tech that takes a holistic approach to data protection.
Every organization, no matter how large, must take proactive steps to keep people’s data secure. Cybercriminals don’t wait, so businesses can’t afford to wait either.
John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner, ICO5
Protect the crown jewels of your company: data. Watch the video for the practical building blocks of resilient data security using the latest Microsoft products.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Protect the crown jewels of your company: data. Watch the video for the practical building blocks of resilient data security using the latest Microsoft products.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Microsoft 365 E5 delivers an armoury of data protection and compliance tools:
Microsoft 365 E5 delivers an armoury of data protection and compliance tools:
AI tools are transforming how we work, and they’re rewriting the rulebook on risk.
New threats include:
Data leaks: sensitive data in AI prompts stored and reused. Sensitive data with incorrect permissions exposed internally – e.g. finances exposed during redundancies.
Shadow AI: employees using non-approved AI tools to process sensitive information – e.g. generating graphs from sensitive data; drafting documents for clients.
Manipulated or poisoned AI outputs: when models are corrupted to perform unintended or harmful actions – e.g. errors could misinform business decisions and provide inaccurate data to clients.
Before diving into AI, businesses need proper data permissions, classification, and security locked in. Otherwise, they’re letting employees drive before they’ve checked the brakes.
AI tools are transforming how we work, and they’re rewriting the rulebook on risk.
New threats include:
Data leaks: sensitive data in AI prompts stored and reused. Sensitive data with incorrect permissions exposed internally – e.g. finances exposed during redundancies.
Shadow AI: employees using non-approved AI tools to process sensitive information – e.g. generating graphs from sensitive data; drafting documents for clients.
Manipulated or poisoned AI outputs: when models are corrupted to perform unintended or harmful actions – e.g. errors could misinform business decisions and provide inaccurate data to clients.
Before diving into AI, businesses need proper data permissions, classification, and security locked in. Otherwise, they’re letting employees drive before they’ve checked the brakes.
AI unlocks speed, but it also introduces new risks. Discover how controls, pipelines, and secure MLOps keep innovation safe without slowing your teams down.
WATCH THE VIDEO
AI unlocks speed, but it also introduces new risks. Discover how controls, pipelines, and secure MLOps keep innovation safe without slowing your teams down.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Most AI tools aren’t built for business security. Microsoft Copilot is.
It plugs into the existing permissions and compliance set up in Microsoft 365 so it only surfaces the data that users are allowed to see. No more data leaks.
Microsoft 365 E5 delivers enterprise-level AI guardrails with:
For customers on Business Premium or E3, the E5 Security or Compliance Add-ons are an easy way to build up their defences while embracing AI.
Most AI tools aren’t built for business security. Microsoft Copilot is.
It plugs into the existing permissions and compliance set up in Microsoft 365 so it only surfaces the data that users are allowed to see. No more data leaks.
Microsoft 365 E5 delivers enterprise-level AI guardrails with:
For customers on Business Premium or E3, the E5 Security or Compliance Add-ons are an easy way to build up their defences while embracing AI.
For mid-size to enterprise businesses needing all-in-one, advanced, and fully automated security as well as robust compliance.
For small to medium businesses needing robust, fundamental security that gives them integral security features.
Gives Business Premium users advanced security that's fully automated with Defender XDR and detects shadow AI usage.
Gives Business Premium users data security, governance, and compliance management, including monitoring Copilot's use of sensitive information.
Cyber security is more than keeping business safe; it’s about being trusted. If a business can prove they keep their systems and data protected, they have a competitive advantage.
With Microsoft 365 security, your customers can shift from:
integrated protection automated detection confident governanceSo don’t let customers wait until they’ve had a breach to sure up their security foundations.
Resources
Learn how to level up your clients seamlessly in Microsoft security and compliance.
Let’s work together to convince your customers of their need for security before they suffer an attack.
Footnotes
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