Microsoft Defender for Office 365 named best email security service of 2023

In today’s world, where hybrid and remote working is on the rise and businesses now rely on email more than ever, phishing remains one of the most prominent and sophisticated techniques used by malicious actors to attack organizations and gain access to their most sensitive information. Twenty-seven percent of all cyber attacks involve corporate e-mail compromise campaigns, making e-mail the primary entry point and a major vector of compromise.¹ To effectively protect against this constantly changing and evolving threat landscape, organizations must proactively implement security that is directly integrated with their email systems to stop attacks before they reach endpoints or other assets.

Microsoft has been working with organizations worldwide to protect against ransomware and phishing and is pleased to announce that SE Labs has named Microsoft Defender for Office 365 as the best email security service of 2023.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 provides comprehensive email protection against attacks such as phishing, corporate email compromise and ransomware. Using advanced machine learning, an unparalleled massive threat signal database and other innovative heuristics, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is able to identify phishing attacks across the organization, while also providing advanced prevention, detection and response features seamlessly integrated into Office 365. By integrating seamlessly with Office, Microsoft Defender can provide a user experience that feels native, is easy to use and minimizes processing overhead, without compromising on security.

Technology is the key, but users are often the weak link in phishing attacks, so training is a crucial element in ensuring that phishing links remain untouched by your employees. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 includes built-in phishing simulation training to train employees and senior leaders to reduce the likelihood of real-world attacks. In addition, SecOps teams get powerful tools that allow them to customize simulation training based on detailed insights into where there are knowledge gaps in the organization.

SE Labs testing, methodology and award results

For this award, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 was judged on a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors alongside other cybersecurity vendors. For quantitative testing, SE Labs created simulated attacks based on current, most up-to-date threat information. SE Labs then measured how many of these malicious messages were properly filtered by Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and other email security systems. SE Labs has been building and refining this test since 2017.

In the quantitative test, Microsoft received an aaa rating, the highest possible. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 was able to correctly identify and block 98 percent of emails with malicious content such as malware or phishing, demonstrating its state-of-the-art ability to protect customers from corporate email compromise. Moreover, once implemented, the Microsoft Defender for Office 365 engine always learns from email traffic in its environment and adjusts accordingly. Learn more about this test and its results.

In addition to quantitative testing, SE Labs conducted a comprehensive evaluation by also collecting qualitative feedback from organizations. Through this approach, SE Labs has gained valuable insights into the true effectiveness of e-mail security solutions. We are humbled that the results indicate that Microsoft Defender for Office 365 received the highest levels of customer satisfaction compared to other vendors in the evaluation.

Although not one of the customers who provided feedback as part of SE Labs’ research evaluation, here’s what Rx.Health, a major provider of digital solutions for healthcare systems, had to say about their experience with Microsoft Defender for Office 365:

“Defender for Office 365 is the silent component that gives us peace of mind.” -Saurabh Gupta, director of engineering and technology, Rx.Health.

For more on what Rx.Health has to say about Microsoft’s security solutions, read the full story.

Protect against advanced attacks such as corporate email compromise and ransomware with Microsoft’s XDR

Email security is embedded in Microsoft’s unified Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solution: Microsoft 365 Defender. Cross-domain XDR technology leverages signals across email, endpoint, on-premises and cloud identities, as well as cloud apps to alleviate the entire kill chain and more effectively protect your organization from modern threats such as ransomware and corporate email compromise. While it offers groundbreaking capabilities such as automatic attack interruption, which stops active threats early and prevents them from progressing, prevention is another crucial XDR component for stopping threats at the front door. Therefore, Microsoft recommends that you evaluate XDR solutions that provide phishing protection through email security and identity access management.

Thank you to SE Labs for their important and impactful testing of email security solutions, in addition to all of our customers who provided their feedback as part of this study.

At Microsoft, we understand the vital importance of robust cybersecurity in the modern digital landscape. That’s why we remain committed to delivering exceptional security products and services, such as Microsoft Defender for Office 365, backed by our team of world-class security researchers and industry-leading threat intelligence. Our advanced AI technology further adapts to the continuous and ever-evolving threat environment and helps keep your organization safe, so you can focus on driving success and growth.

Source: threatshub