Enhancing Your Microsoft 365 Email Security

MSPs: How to Better Secure and Protect Your Microsoft 365 Environment

4 out of 5 Fortune 500 companies utilize the Microsoft 365 (M365) cloud-powered productivity platform — yet cyberattacks are still possible on their M365 network. As more and more companies store important, sensitive data on their M365 accounts, it’s not enough to rely on one service alone.

PhishTitan is a next-generation phishing protection and remediation solution powered by TitanHQ. Our proprietary machine-learning algorithm integrates directly with Microsoft 365, catching and remediating sophisticated phishing attacks Microsoft misses. These sophisticated, zero-day attacks are currently being missed and are where the real damage occurs.

This guide helps highlight today’s most dangerous threats, shines a light on the gaps in Microsoft 365’s out-of-the-box defenses and details how to fortify your clients’ security defenses with PhishTitan.

We cover:

• TitanHQ’s heritage in email security
• The current state of play in email security
• Today’s most dangerous cyberattacks and why M365 is vulnerable
• How to bolster your M365 email security with PhishTitan

TitanHQ - A Rich History in Email Protection

With over two decades of experience, TitanHQ has been a pioneer in the field of email protection. At the heart of their commitment to safeguarding digital communications is SpamTitan, a secure email gateway that has shielded billions of emails from malicious threats for over 20 years.

Secure email gateways play a crucial role in safeguarding businesses from cyberthreats, monitoring and filtering both incoming and outgoing emails. Specifically, they aim to identify malicious content, links and attachments, including malware or phishing attacks. As emails continue to remain a top form of communication for organizations, it makes them a primary target for cybercriminals.

Advanced secure email gateways include such defenses as threat intelligence, sandboxing and URL rewriting. These strategies not only scan for potential attacks but also aid employees in preventing them from inadvertently releasing sensitive data that can cause financial or reputational damage.

SpamTitan developed secure email gateways that use the most advanced machine learning and algorithms to land a 99.9% spam catch rate . As a result, SpamTitan’s leading solution has led to numerous awards and recognition in the industry.

The Conceptualization of Email: Past to Present Day

The digital communication of email has been around for nearly 50 years and has seen much evolution since its launch. The 1950s and 1960s saw progression in the use of personal emails, but it wasn’t until 1978 that email marketing made its debut with the first unsolicited mass email, which, in turn, led to the first email spam. By the 1990s, when email platforms like Outlook and Hotmail became popular, spam also became commonplace.

As a result, spam-blocking technologies and governmental legislation protecting users from spam began to develop. Since the early 2000s and the release of other devices that could accept and receive emails (mobile phones), spam and malware only became a more widespread issue for millions of users worldwide. More email platform companies, including Gmail, continued to release anti-spam technologies and strategies but also introduced personalization from gathering user data.

As such, email is not dead but continues to require strict monitoring to comply with worldwide governmental demands for the protection of user data and the minimization of spam.

Breaking Down Virtualization

However, it’s not just the introduction of spam technologies that have contributed to the development of email communication over the years. Virtualization has also come into play to expand the usage and advancement of emails.

Virtualization refers to creating multiple virtual email servers or instances on a single physical server or infrastructure. This enables organizations to efficiently manage and isolate email services for different purposes or clients within a shared environment. Each virtual email server functions independently, allowing for greater resource optimization and security while reducing the need for separate physical servers for each email system.

Still, virtualization comes with its own security issues. As virtualization often involves shared storage resources, data leakage, cyberattacks and unauthorized access are still possible. Virtualization requires a strict need for strong access controls, regular security audits and assessments of virtualized infrastructure.

TitanHQ: Adapting to Market Demands

TitanHQ’s journey began as a hardware-based solution provider, purpose-built to fight email threats and ensure organizational security. As the cybersecurity landscape evolved, so did TitanHQ. It transitioned to the versatile realm of virtualization, offering organizations greater flexibility and scalability to adapt to evolving threats.

The evolution from hardware-based solutions to virtualization and, ultimately, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) has transformed the IT landscape, presenting Managed Service Providers (MSPs) with both risks and opportunities. Initially, MSPs primarily dealt with hardware-centric infrastructure, providing on-premises solutions to clients. This model offered stability and control but often required substantial upfront costs and complex maintenance.

As the industry shifted towards virtualization, MSPs had to adapt. Virtualization allowed for more efficient resource utilization and scalability, reducing hardware costs and offering greater flexibility. MSPs that embraced this change gained a competitive edge by providing clients with streamlined, cost-effective solutions.

The emergence of SaaS marked a pivotal moment in this market shift. SaaS solutions offer clients the convenience of accessing software applications and services over the internet, eliminating the need for local installations and hardware maintenance. While this provided better flexibility and accessibility, it also posed challenges for MSPs. They faced the risk of reduced reliance on traditional MSP services like hardware procurement and maintenance. It also demanded continuous adaptation to remain relevant in an ever-changing technology landscape.

Now, TitanHQ is once again at the forefront, having evolved to become a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendor dedicated to delivering cutting-edge email security and security awareness solutions.

Current Market Conditions: Navigating the Cloud Email Era

In recent years, the tech landscape has seen a big shift towards the adoption of cloudbased email systems, highlighted by leading research firm Gartner. This transition to cloud-based email solutions represents a transformation in how organizations manage their communication infrastructure, offering unmatched flexibility in an increasingly digital world.

Transitioning to the cloud offers access to enterprise-grade applications without substantial infrastructure investment. As well as providing strict security frameworks, cloud-based email services are also scalable and accessible. This in turn encourages productivity and teamwork via collaboration tools.

As for disadvantages, it all comes down to cloud management. Cloud customers have limited control over the underlying infrastructure and services. This lack of control can lead to concerns about customization, performance optimization and the ability to address specific IT requirements.

M365 and the Cloud

M365 is a stand-out example of a cloud-based email solution, gathering immense popularity among MSPs and their clients. Its diverse range of bundles and pricing options caters to the varied needs of businesses, making it a versatile choice for organizations of all sizes.

Yet, M365’s popularity also makes it a prime target for cyberattacks. As organizations move their data to the cloud, questions arise about the effectiveness of built-in security like Microsoft Defender. There is uncertainty about whether these measures can truly defend against today’s cyberthreats, as highlighted in these statistics:

• A survey of 27 million users across 600 enterprises found that 71.4% of Microsoft 365 business users suffer at least one compromised account each month.
• 9 out of 10 cybersecurity professionals see the need to supplement Microsoft’s built-in email security features.
• Windows Defender blocked phishing sites only 68% of the time.

The Gaps in your Defenses

So, what weaknesses does Microsoft Defender have? The main issue centers around Microsoft Defender’s list of scanning exceptions, which users can set to prevent legitimate apps from being mistakenly treated as malware. However, this list lacks proper security measures, allowing any user to access it. As a result, local users can query the registry and obtain information about the excluded locations, such as files, folders and processes. Hackers with local access to a compromised Windows machine can hide and run malware from these excluded folders, evading detection.

Microsoft Defender also exhibits weaknesses in independent antivirus evaluations, sometimes falling short compared to dedicated third-party antivirus solutions in detecting advanced malware and achieving high detection rates. A 2022 study by anti-malware assessment company AV-Comparatives found that Microsoft Defender had an offline detection rate of only 60.3%.

This raises concerns for users who prioritize robust security and rely on their antivirus software to defend against various threats. To address these limitations, some users bolster their security by pairing Microsoft Defender with third-party antivirus or anti-malware tools for more comprehensive protection against evolving threats.

The most common examples of attacks against M365 include:

• Phishing
• Email Account Takeover
• Ransomware
• Business Email Compromise (BEC)
• Cloud Data Theft
• Data Theft

An Increasingly Dangerous Threat Environment

The current state of cybersecurity paints a sobering picture – it’s a dangerous time in the digital realm.

For example, electronic fraud continues to grow year after year, with phishing being the most prevalent type (FBI). Masquerading as legitimate email messages, these attacks trick receivers into divulging sensitive information or downloading malicious links.

Moreover, ransomware remains the highest threat in the cyberthreat landscape, according to the 2023 ENISA Threat Landscape (ETL) report. The impact of these ransomware attacks is catastrophic in terms of cost, reputational damage and data loss. Quite simply, the importance of cybersecurity during these turbulent times cannot be overstated.

The Solution: Bolster Your M365 Email Defenses With PhishTitan

Benefits of PhishTitan

PhishTitan does not replace existing email security measures. It augments these systems, increasing the effectiveness of email security. PhishTitan provides next-generation phishing protection and remediation. Our proprietary machine-learning algorithm integrates directly with Microsoft 365, catching and remediating sophisticated phishing attacks Microsoft misses.

Simplified Deployment

Protection is up and running in less than 10 minutes and is managed from a single interface, allowing administrators to cleanse multiple inboxes in one click. Onboarding is super simple and does not require any additional hardware or software.

Seamless Integration

It seamlessly integrates with M365, providing a consistent user experience and reducing the risk of compatibility issues. The native and API-based integration augments EOP and MS Defender where they need it most, providing unbeatable phishing protection; no MX changes are required. The application works seamlessly with M365 and pulls usage data from Azure AD.

Real-Time Protection

When a user clicks on a link, we analyse the destination of that link and if we deem it to be dangerous, we block access to that site. The phishing catch rate is exceptional. PhishTitan provides real-time protection against email-based threats, preventing data breaches and other security incidents.

Advanced Threat Detection

PhishTitan uses advanced threat detection techniques, such as machine learning and LLM to identify and block emerging threats. Our proprietary machine-learning algorithm integrates directly with Microsoft 365, catching and remediating sophisticated phishing attacks Microsoft misses.

Key Features

PhishTitan leverages the following features to ensure ultimate phishing detection, prevention and protection:

• AI Driven Analysis
• URL Rewriting
• Time-of-Click Protection
• Banner Notifications
• Detailed and Insightful Reporting
• Native 365 Integration
• Post Delivery Remediation
• Quick Deployment
• TitanHQ Add-In
• Industry Leading Support Team
• Spam & Malware Protection

Office 365 Native Integration

PhishTitan is inline within M365 and scans all emails, internal and external. The native and APIbased integration augments EOP and MS Defender, providing unbeatable phishing protection; no MX changes are required. The application works seamlessly with M365 and pulls usage data from Azure AD.

This integration is based on Microsoft Active Licensed Users count, simplifying vendor reconciliation. The user interface is intuitive and aesthetically pleasing, making navigation a breeze.

User Reporting

PhishTitan provides insightful reporting to keep you informed about your email security status. PhishTitan surfaces threat data and analytics to help customers assess their risk profile. Detailed real time reporting is available as both a summary page which reflects the threats targeted over time and as an Insights view, which identifies the relationships between that data. In a world where Microsoft 365 is a prime target for cybercriminals, having a multi-layered security approach is crucial. PhishTitan is tailored to meet the specific requirements of Managed Service Providers (MSPs),enabling efficient management of multiple clients and rapid response to threats across various email tenants.

Training and Support

PhishTitan additionally offers comprehensive customer support to ensure a smooth implementation process. Webinars and courses are also designed to help you effectively utilize all of PhishTitan’s features and educate your users about the various phishing threats they may encounter

Close the Net with PhishTitan from TitanHQ

Modern-day threats are bypassing traditional email security solutions. PhishTitan is a cloud-based, AI-driven, advanced phishing protection solution for companies using Microsoft 365. PhishTitan natively integrates into M365, augmenting EOP and Defender by catching and remediating sophisticated phishing attacks that Microsoft misses.

The email security market is moving toward inline phishing solutions: in 2025, Gartner predicts 25% of all email security will be inline/integrated (growing from 5% in 2022). In an increasingly saturated MSP market, we want to ensure you’re ahead of the curve and help you offer a comprehensive security portfolio to stand out and grow your business at speed and scale.

PhishTitan does just that with increasing ROI, cost savings, and efficiency gains. PhishTitan’s world-class AI and unparalleled threat intelligence provide high detection accuracy across your customers’ environments – allowing your team to focus on higher-level tasks that grow your business. Are you ready to learn more about PhishTitan’s superior protection capabilities and how it works seamlessly with Microsoft 365?

Book your demo today.