How Not to Become the Target of the Next Microsoft Hack

COMMENTARY

The cybersecurity landscape, particularly within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, constantly evolves. Recent incidents involving major tech companies and cybersecurity firms highlight a critical reality: Understanding security best practices for Microsoft 365 differs from implementing them effectively.

Kaspersky reports that 2023 saw a 53% increase in cyber threats targeting documents, including Microsoft Office documents, daily. Attackers tended to use riskier strategies, like breaking into systems covertly through backdoors. In one instance, a non-production test account lacking multifactor authentication (2FA/MFA) was exploited, while in another, a backdoor was added to a file, leading to a supply chain attack.

These incidents serve as stark reminders that even low-risk accounts and trusted updates within Microsoft 365 can become vectors for security breaches if they’re not adequately protected and monitored. Despite organizations’ deep expertise, those targeted organizations fell victim to advanced cyberattacks, emphasizing the crucial need for diligent application of security measures within the Microsoft 365 space.

The Role of AI in Governance

Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown tremendously over the past few years, and it can now be found in almost every facet of technology. In this transformative era of AI and large language models (LLMs), advanced AI models can be leveraged to enhance cloud security measures. AI is more than on its way to becoming standard practice, and organizations have no choice but to embrace it. By fine-tuning AI algorithms for expert domain knowledge, AI can provide organizations with actionable insights and predictive capabilities to proactively identify and address potential security threats before they become an issue. These kinds of proactive strategies empower organizations to safeguard their digital assets effectively.

On the other hand, AI also increases the need for heightened cloud security. Just as the good guys are using AI to advance technology practices, hackers also use AI to uncover new organizational vulnerabilities and develop more sophisticated attacks. Open source LLM models available on the Internet can be leveraged to…