Microsoft 365 Security Hardening — Secure Configuration & Risk Reduction

Securing and Hardening of your Microsoft 365 Environment is a 1-week Microsoft 365 security engagement in which IT Partner analyzes your Microsoft 365 organization, reviews security controls and settings, and develops a prioritized plan to reduce risk. The service is based on Microsoft best practices and is intended to make the Microsoft 365 environment safer and more secure.

The engagement includes a service-level security review, Microsoft 365 environment analysis, Secure Score improvement activities, review or implementation of built-in security tools and features, and a prioritized plan of changes. It also covers areas such as anti-malware, patching and configuration management, advanced threat protection, multi-factor authentication, customer security controls, and privacy controls within the stated Microsoft 365 scope.

You will receive a prioritized security improvement plan based on Microsoft best practices, a comprehensive report, and a project closeout report. The closeout report indicates final project status, evidence of matching acceptance criteria, outstanding issues if any, and the final budget.

The stated duration for this service is 1 week. The plan may vary depending on your needs, so specific scheduling, milestones, and effort should be confirmed with IT Partner during scoping and kickoff.

The service is priced at $175 per hour, and the listed SKU is ITPWW140IMPOT. Because the service is hourly, the final budget may depend on the approved scope, required changes, customer readiness, and any outstanding issues documented at closeout.

A Microsoft 365 subscription is required for this service. Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise licenses and an Enterprise Mobility + Security subscription are recommended because the service focuses on Microsoft 365 security, managed Windows 10 devices, and Enterprise Mobility + Security capabilities.

Enterprise Mobility + Security is recommended but not listed as a mandatory prerequisite. If you do not have EM+S, IT Partner can still assess and work within the available Microsoft 365 capabilities, but some security controls may depend on licensing and should be confirmed during planning.

Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise licenses are recommended because one of the service’s security pillars is updated and managed Windows 10 on your devices. If your device estate differs, IT Partner should confirm which hardening recommendations and implementation steps are applicable.

The engagement typically includes a kickoff meeting, research into customer security requirements, analysis of the Microsoft 365 environment, approval of a plan of changes, implementation of built-in security tools and features, post-implementation analysis, and development of a comprehensive report. These milestones help ensure the work is reviewed, approved, implemented, and documented.

The service includes both development of a prioritized plan and implementation of built-in security tools and features. Specific changes are subject to approval through the plan of changes and may vary depending on your Microsoft 365 environment, licensing, and requirements.

Yes, Secure Score increasing is listed as an IT Partner service area for this engagement. Secure Score improvements are handled as part of the broader security review and hardening effort, based on Microsoft best practices and the controls available in your environment.

Yes, multi-factor authentication is included in the areas IT Partner addresses during the service. The exact MFA configuration approach depends on your current Microsoft 365 setup, licensing, security requirements, and approved plan of changes.

The service description does not specify expected downtime or user impact. Because security changes such as MFA, policy adjustments, or configuration changes can affect users, any business impact should be reviewed and approved during the plan of changes before implementation.

IT Partner can provide a service-level security review, Secure Score improvement, anti-malware, patching and configuration management, advanced threat protection, customer security controls, multi-factor authentication, and privacy controls within the engagement scope. IT Partner also analyzes the environment, implements approved built-in security features, performs post-implementation analysis, and prepares the reports.

The client must coordinate internal resources and schedules, assign a dedicated point of contact, provide information needed for the statement of work, and provide required service accounts with appropriate rights. The client is also responsible for coordinating outside vendors, configuring network equipment such as firewalls and switches, reviewing deliverables, and requesting or approving change tickets when change management is used.

The client must provide an account in the required services with the rights necessary to implement the service. The exact permissions should be confirmed during scoping, because required access depends on the Microsoft 365 services, security controls, and approved implementation tasks.

No, training customer teams is not included in the stated scope of this service. If training is required, it should be discussed separately with IT Partner as an additional requirement.

The included documentation consists of a comprehensive report and a project closeout report. More extensive documentation beyond the project closeout report can be provided for an additional fee, but the service description does not define the documentation types or pricing, so those details should be confirmed with IT Partner.

After implementation, IT Partner performs post-implementation analysis and develops a comprehensive report. The engagement concludes with a project closeout report that documents final status, evidence against acceptance criteria, outstanding issues if any, and the final budget.

The service states that the project closeout report will include evidence of matching acceptance criteria, but it does not define specific measurable acceptance criteria beyond making the Microsoft 365 environment safer and more secure. If your organization needs formal success metrics, they should be defined with IT Partner before or during the kickoff and planning stages.