Microsoft 365 Security Baseline — Secure Score Remediation

Microsoft 365 Security Baseline and Secure Score Remediation is a fixed-scope hardening engagement that moves a Microsoft 365 tenant beyond default security settings. It assesses and remediates prioritized Microsoft Secure Score items, implements multi-factor authentication and baseline Conditional Access policies, protects administrator accounts and roles, configures identity protection, and applies core email and identity hardening.

This service is for organizations whose Microsoft 365 tenant is still close to default security settings and needs a fast, defensible security baseline. It is especially useful as a high-value quick win before larger security programs, because it focuses on practical baseline controls such as MFA, Conditional Access, administrator protection, identity protection, and email hardening.

The engagement includes Secure Score assessment and prioritized remediation, enforced multi-factor authentication, a baseline Conditional Access policy set, administrator account protection, role hardening, identity-protection configuration, and core email and identity hardening such as anti-phishing and safe defaults. It also includes phased validation before enforcement and documentation, including a documented security baseline and an operations runbook.

The stated deliverables are a remediated Secure Score, enforced MFA and Conditional Access baseline, admin-protection configuration, a documented security baseline, and an operations runbook. These deliverables are intended to help the organization maintain the baseline after the engagement is complete.

No, a full Zero Trust architecture is not included in this fixed-scope service. The engagement provides a foundational Microsoft 365 security baseline, while full Zero Trust architecture is identified as a separate, broader engagement.

The service begins with a Secure Score assessment and prioritization of remediation items. IT Partner then remediates prioritized Secure Score items within the service scope, focusing on controls such as MFA, Conditional Access, administrator protection, identity protection, and core email and identity hardening.

The service includes a remediated Secure Score as a deliverable, so it is designed to improve the tenant’s security posture against Secure Score priorities. The exact score increase is not guaranteed because the result depends on the tenant’s starting configuration, licensing, existing controls, applicable Microsoft recommendations, and client-approved exceptions.

The engagement includes implementation of a baseline Conditional Access policy set. The exact policies, targeting, exclusions, and enforcement sequence are confirmed during readiness and validation so the baseline fits the tenant while remaining within the fixed scope.

Yes, enforced multi-factor authentication is included as part of the Microsoft 365 security baseline. MFA changes are phased and validated before enforcement to reduce the risk of user disruption.

The service includes administrator account protection and role hardening. This typically includes reviewing privileged accounts and roles, applying stronger sign-in requirements, and reducing avoidable exposure, subject to the tenant’s licensing and approved baseline design.

The engagement includes core email hardening, including anti-phishing controls and safe defaults. It is a baseline hardening service, so broader or advanced email security architecture beyond the stated baseline should be scoped separately with IT Partner.

The service includes identity-protection configuration, MFA, baseline Conditional Access, administrator account protection, role hardening, and core identity hardening. These controls are intended to move the tenant away from default settings toward a defensible Microsoft 365 identity security baseline.

Changes are phased to avoid user disruption and validated before enforcement. This is important because controls such as MFA and Conditional Access can affect user sign-in behavior if they are applied without testing.

The service is designed to avoid planned Microsoft 365 downtime. However, MFA and Conditional Access can change user sign-in behavior, so pilot testing, change-window coordination, help desk readiness, and user communications are important.

IT Partner performs the Secure Score assessment and prioritized remediation, configures MFA and baseline Conditional Access, protects administrator accounts and roles, configures identity protection, and applies core email and identity hardening. IT Partner also phases implementation, validates configurations before enforcement, and provides the documented security baseline and operations runbook.

The client provides tenant access, licensing confirmation, administrative approvals, pilot users, change-window coordination, information about critical users and applications, and user communications for MFA or sign-in changes. The client also approves exceptions and owns ongoing operation of the baseline after handover.

Typical prerequisites include an active Microsoft 365 tenant, licensing for the agreed baseline controls, appropriate administrative access, an approved emergency access approach, pilot users for validation, change-window approval, and information about service accounts, legacy authentication, business-critical applications, and hybrid or third-party identity dependencies.

The listed duration is 1-2 weeks. Actual scheduling can depend on tenant readiness, licensing, access, pilot results, approval cycles, and how much phasing is needed to avoid user disruption.

The listed price for this fixed-scope service is $3,450. Any out-of-scope remediation, licensing, advanced architecture, or additional operational support should be scoped separately with IT Partner.

After implementation, the organization receives documentation of the security baseline and an operations runbook to help maintain the configuration. Ongoing security operations, broader Zero Trust architecture, or additional remediation beyond the fixed scope should be discussed separately with IT Partner.