Microsoft Secure score for SMBs: In an ever-changing digital world, small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly targeted by cyberattacks. Yet, they rarely have the resources to implement robust security. That’s where Microsoft Secure Score comes in, a powerful but often underutilized tool that enables MSPs to guide their SMB customers toward a proactive, built-in-the-design security posture.
What is the Secure Score?
The Microsoft Secure Score is a security metric built into Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft 365. It assesses the security configuration of an Azure or Microsoft 365 environment in real time, identifies vulnerabilities, and offers actionable recommendations to remediate them.
For SMBs, it’s a simple yet strategic dashboard that turns security into a measurable and scalable process.
Secure by Design: A Lever for MSPs
The concept of “Secure by Design” is about building security into the early stages of cloud architecture. For MSPs, this means:
- Configure Azure according to best practices at deployment.
- Use the Secure Score as a compass to prioritize security actions.
- Educate SMB customers on the importance of each recommendation.
By integrating the Secure Score into their service offering, MSPs can demonstrate immediate value: visibility, compliance, and reduced risk.
How to interpret the Secure Score?
A high score does not mean “zero risk”, but indicates that good practices are in place. The Secure Score is based on:
- Enabled security controls (MFA, encryption, etc.)
- Vulnerabilities detected (privileged accounts, open ports, etc.)
- Recommendations not implemented
Each recommended action is weighted according to its impact on overall security. This allows MSPs to prioritize efforts based on the SMB’s available resources.
Best practices for SMEs
1. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users.
2. Restrict administrative rights to what is strictly necessary.
3. Monitor resources exposed to the Internet.
4. Set up security alerts through Microsoft Defender.
5. Regularly review the Secure Score and adjust policies.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The Secure Score is not just an indicator: it is a strategic tool for MSPs who want to support SMBs towards sustainable cloud security. By integrating it into a “Secure by Design” approach, you turn security into a competitive advantage, while building trust with your customers. Safety above all is also safety for everyone.
For more infos visit Microsoft Secure Score.
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