All critical applications need to be monitored, even the SaaS software maintained by a third party. With Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), there are several aspects to focus attention on.

1. Security monitoring.

Almost every employee uses email, making Microsoft 365 perhaps the most commonly used application in your business. That widespread dependency, along with the frequent use of email as a vector for malware, means that security monitoring in Microsoft 365 is critical. Tracking logins is important, but monitoring should go beyond tracking user and administrator access. Changes to user identities and to policies should be monitored. Use of SharePoint and OneDrive should also be monitored, with particular attention to file sharing and uploads of files with suspicious extensions. Microsoft provides a number of tools for monitoring security-related activities, such as the Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance Center.

2. Connectivity monitoring.

As a cloud service, Microsoft 365 is dependent on being connected to the internet, so general network status is important. Microsoft 365 may also require an internal network to connect multiple sites in addition to internet connectivity. These connections need to be monitored to ensure they’re up and functioning with normal levels of bandwidth and latency. In addition, if your business relies on Active Directory Federation Services for single sign-on to Microsoft 365, the health of that connection needs to be monitored as well.

3. Usage.

Monitoring end user activities is important to manage security and performance concerns, as well as making sure you get the most benefit from your Microsoft 365 deployment. There are a variety of usage-related metrics that can be tracked within Exchange, SharePoint, and other Microsoft 365 applications. Relevant Exchange metrics include mailbox growth, inactive mailboxes, and more. SharePoint monitoring can include site status, allocated storage, page views, and other metrics.

Microsoft 365 provides core business functionality that’s vital to the smooth operation of the businesses that use it. While Microsoft ensures availability of the service, businesses need to monitor security, connectivity, and usage to ensure the service is used securely and delivers the performance the business needs.

Prescient Solutions is a Microsoft Partner. We provide complete support for Microsoft 365 to businesses in the Chicago and Schaumburg areas, from migrating to the service to providing ongoing maintenance and support. Contact us to learn how to set up a Microsoft 365 monitoring process that ensures your business can depend on this crucial application.