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Microsoft Secure Score Explained: Measuring and Improving Your 365 Security

Microsoft Secure Score turns complex security settings into a clear, actionable score. See how it helps businesses improve protection, reduce risk, and even lower insurance costs.

If your business uses Microsoft 365, you already have a powerful set of security tools included in your subscription, but knowing how well you’re actually using them can be tricky. That’s where Microsoft Secure Score comes in.
 
Microsoft Secure Score is a built-in measurement system that helps you understand and improve your organisation’s security posture across Microsoft 365. Think of it as a health check for your Microsoft environment. It analyses how your business is configured — from user accounts and email settings to device management and identity protection — and gives you a score based on the level of protection you’ve implemented.
 
You’ll find Secure Score in the Microsoft 365 Security Centre, and it updates automatically as your setup changes. A higher score generally means better protection against potential threats like phishing, data leaks, and unauthorised access. But it’s not just about chasing a better score, Secure Score provides detailed recommendations to help you make meaningful improvements. Each action you take, such as enabling multifactor authentication (MFA) or configuring Intune policies, can increase your score and strengthen your security.
 
One of the best things about Secure Score is its transparency. You can see exactly which areas need attention and why. Each recommendation includes an explanation of what it does, how much it will improve your score, and the potential impact on your users. This makes it much easier for IT teams to prioritise security changes that deliver real value without causing unnecessary disruption to day-to-day work.
 
Secure Score also lets you benchmark your organisation against others in your industry or of a similar size, which can be useful for understanding where you stand. Over time, you can track your progress and demonstrate measurable improvement to management, auditors, or clients who want reassurance that security is being taken seriously.
 
Lastly, Secure Score is being used by insurance underwriters to help measure the risk of an organisation. Having a good Secure Score can get your cheaper insurance and having a poor score can actually stop you from being covered!
 
Secure Score is a valuable indicator for everyone. It gives everyone a clear, shared view of security status and provides an easy way to discuss next steps. Whether you’re a small business owner wanting peace of mind or an IT administrator fine-tuning your defences, Microsoft Secure Score is an excellent starting point for building a safer, more resilient Microsoft 365 environment.

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