Microsoft 365 Security Links and Resources for 2026

Microsoft security has changed significantly since the Office 365 era: Azure AD is now Microsoft Entra ID, Office 365 ATP is now Microsoft Defender for Office 365, compliance is managed through Microsoft Purview, and endpoint management is centered on Microsoft Intune. Use this updated resource hub to find the current Microsoft security documentation, portals, and planning guidance.

Start here: Microsoft security documentation and portals

For current Microsoft 365 administration and security documentation, start with Microsoft Learn rather than older docs.microsoft.com or support.office.com pages.

Useful starting points:

• Microsoft 365 admin documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/admin/
• Microsoft 365 security documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/security/
• Microsoft Security documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/security/
• Microsoft Defender portal: https://security.microsoft.com
• Microsoft Purview portal: https://purview.microsoft.com
• Microsoft Intune admin center: https://intune.microsoft.com
• Microsoft Entra admin center: https://entra.microsoft.com

Licensing note: feature availability depends on your Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra, Defender, Purview, Intune, and Azure subscriptions. Under CSP/NCE licensing, confirm the right plan before designing policies or promising functionality.

Trust, compliance, and Microsoft security intelligence

For customer-facing assurance, compliance, and security transparency resources, use these evergreen Microsoft references:

• Microsoft Trust Center: https://www.microsoft.com/trust-center
• Microsoft Service Trust Portal: https://servicetrust.microsoft.com/
• Microsoft compliance offerings: https://learn.microsoft.com/compliance/regulatory/offering-home
• Microsoft Digital Defense Report and security intelligence: https://www.microsoft.com/security/security-insider/
• Microsoft Tech Community for product updates and field guidance: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/

These resources are useful when evaluating Microsoft cloud controls, compliance mappings, product changes, and security trends.

Secure Score, Zero Trust, and security posture management

Microsoft Secure Score is now part of the Microsoft Defender experience and helps organizations review identity, device, app, and data protection recommendations. It should be used as a prioritization tool, not as a guarantee of security.

Key resources:

• Microsoft Secure Score: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-xdr/microsoft-secure-score
• Microsoft Zero Trust guidance: https://learn.microsoft.com/security/zero-trust/
• Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark: https://learn.microsoft.com/security/benchmark/azure/
• Microsoft Defender XDR: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-xdr/

For most organizations, practical priorities include closing legacy authentication gaps, enforcing Conditional Access, strengthening email protection, improving endpoint visibility, and protecting sensitive data with Microsoft Purview.

Identity security: Microsoft Entra ID, MFA, passkeys, and Conditional Access

Azure Active Directory is now Microsoft Entra ID. Identity remains the control plane for Microsoft 365 security, so modern deployments should emphasize phishing-resistant authentication, Conditional Access, least privilege, and identity governance.

Current resources:

• Microsoft Entra ID documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/
• Conditional Access: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/conditional-access/
• Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/authentication/concept-mfa-howitworks
• Passwordless authentication: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/authentication/concept-authentication-passwordless
• Passkeys/FIDO2 security keys in Microsoft Entra ID: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/authentication/how-to-enable-passkey-fido2
• Privileged Identity Management: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/id-governance/privileged-identity-management/pim-configure
• Microsoft Entra ID Governance: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/id-governance/
• Microsoft Entra Connect Sync: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/hybrid/connect/whatis-azure-ad-connect
• Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync: https://learn.microsoft.com/entra/identity/hybrid/cloud-sync/what-is-cloud-sync

Legacy note: Microsoft Identity Manager is still documented for specific hybrid or on-premises identity scenarios, but it is not the default choice for new cloud identity governance projects. See: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-identity-manager/microsoft-identity-manager-2016

Email, collaboration, and threat protection with Microsoft Defender

Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection is now Microsoft Defender for Office 365. Exchange Online Protection remains the baseline email filtering service, while Defender for Office 365 adds advanced protection such as Safe Links, Safe Attachments, anti-phishing policies, attack simulation training, investigation, and response capabilities depending on licensing.

Current resources:

• Microsoft Defender for Office 365: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-office-365/
• Exchange Online Protection: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-office-365/eop-about
• Anti-phishing protection: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-office-365/anti-phishing-protection-about
• Safe Links: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-office-365/safe-links-about
• Safe Attachments: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-office-365/safe-attachments-about
• Microsoft Defender XDR incidents and alerts: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-xdr/incidents-overview

Organizations using Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange Online should review protection settings regularly because collaboration security is now broader than email filtering alone.

Endpoint and device security with Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Device security is now typically managed through Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Windows Security, and Microsoft Defender XDR. The older endpoint.microsoft.com experience has been replaced in branding and navigation by the Microsoft Intune admin center.

Useful resources:

• Microsoft Intune documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/mem/intune/
• Microsoft Intune admin center: https://intune.microsoft.com
• Endpoint security in Intune: https://learn.microsoft.com/mem/intune/protect/endpoint-security
• Security baselines in Intune: https://learn.microsoft.com/mem/intune/protect/security-baselines
• Device compliance policies: https://learn.microsoft.com/mem/intune/protect/device-compliance-get-started
• App protection policies: https://learn.microsoft.com/mem/intune/apps/app-protection-policy
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-endpoint/
• Microsoft Defender Antivirus security intelligence: https://www.microsoft.com/wdsi
• Windows Autopatch: https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/deployment/windows-autopatch/

A strong endpoint program usually combines device enrollment, compliance policies, endpoint detection and response, patch management, application controls, and Conditional Access integration.

Data protection and compliance with Microsoft Purview

Information protection, data loss prevention, retention, audit, and eDiscovery have moved from older Security & Compliance Center experiences into Microsoft Purview. Azure Information Protection classic and the older unified labeling client are legacy for most scenarios; new deployments should use Microsoft Purview Information Protection and built-in sensitivity labeling.

Current resources:

• Microsoft Purview documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/
• Microsoft Purview Information Protection: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/information-protection
• Sensitivity labels: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/sensitivity-labels
• Data loss prevention: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/dlp-learn-about-dlp
• Data lifecycle management and retention: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/retention
• eDiscovery: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/ediscovery
• Microsoft Purview Audit: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/audit-solutions-overview
• Insider Risk Management: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/insider-risk-management
• Communication Compliance: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/communication-compliance

Before enabling Purview controls, classify the data you need to protect, identify regulatory requirements, confirm licensing, and pilot labels or DLP policies with a limited audience.

Cloud apps, hybrid environments, and advanced threat operations

For organizations with advanced security operations, Microsoft security extends beyond Microsoft 365 into cloud workloads, SaaS apps, identity signals, and SIEM/SOAR workflows.

Current resources:

• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-cloud-apps/
• Microsoft Defender for Identity: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-for-identity/
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/defender-for-cloud/
• Microsoft Sentinel: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/sentinel/
• Microsoft threat analytics in Defender XDR: https://learn.microsoft.com/defender-xdr/threat-analytics
• Microsoft Security Copilot: https://learn.microsoft.com/copilot/security/

These tools can help mature organizations centralize detection, investigation, response, and reporting, but they should be implemented with clear use cases, ownership, data retention requirements, and cost governance.

How to use this resource list

Use these links as a planning and validation checklist, not just as reference material. A practical 2026 Microsoft 365 security review should cover identity, authentication, administrator access, email protection, endpoint management, data protection, audit readiness, incident response, and licensing fit.

Recommended review questions:

• Are all users protected by Conditional Access and modern authentication?
• Are administrators using least privilege and just-in-time access where licensed?
• Is phishing-resistant MFA or passwordless authentication planned for high-risk users?
• Are Defender for Office 365 and Exchange Online Protection policies tuned for the business?
• Are devices enrolled, compliant, patched, and monitored?
• Are sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, and eDiscovery configured around real business data?
• Are Microsoft Secure Score recommendations reviewed and prioritized?
• Are Microsoft CSP/NCE licenses aligned with the security features you expect to use?

Key takeaways

• Use Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Defender portal, Microsoft Purview portal, Microsoft Entra admin center, and Microsoft Intune admin center instead of older Office 365 and Azure AD resource links.
• Microsoft 365 security in 2026 is identity-first: prioritize Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, phishing-resistant MFA, passwordless authentication, and privileged access controls.
• Office 365 ATP is now Microsoft Defender for Office 365, and broader threat detection is handled through Microsoft Defender XDR, Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps, Defender for Cloud, and Microsoft Sentinel.
• Compliance and data protection are now centered on Microsoft Purview, including sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, audit, eDiscovery, insider risk, and communication compliance.
• Always confirm licensing under current Microsoft CSP/NCE subscriptions before enabling or designing around advanced Entra, Defender, Intune, Purview, Sentinel, or Security Copilot capabilities.

Need help turning these resources into a practical roadmap? IT Partner can review your Microsoft 365 tenant, licensing, Secure Score, identity settings, Defender configuration, Intune policies, and Purview readiness, then recommend prioritized improvements.