Short answer
FirstNet's Microsoft 365 security and compliance service hardens identities, devices, apps and data in your tenant using zero-trust best practice. Controls are tailored to your risk profile and compliance needs, so security supports productivity rather than hindering it.
In detail: Microsoft 365 security and compliance features
Microsoft 365 includes strong security features, but they protect you only once they are configured for your risks, and some depend on your licence level. Misconfigurations and weak identity controls are the root cause of many breaches, while regulations such as POPIA add pressure for data governance, retention and auditability.
The service covers five layers:
- Identity security: multi-factor authentication (MFA), conditional access and privileged identity management, which limits standing administrator rights
- Device and app control: endpoint hardening and application governance
- Data protection: data loss prevention, sensitivity labels, encryption and retention
- Threat protection: phishing defence, safe links and safe attachments
- Compliance: audit trails, eDiscovery and regulatory reporting, with reports and dashboards configured to support audits and regulatory checks
Engagements range from targeted hardening to a full zero-trust programme with policy baselines and continuous monitoring. Delivery follows four stages:
- Assessment: a tenant review, gap analysis and prioritised action plan
- Implementation: policy baselines, staged rollouts and change control
- Monitoring: dashboards for incidents, drift and user risk signals
- Enablement: admin and end-user training to sustain the improvements
Stronger security does not have to slow people down. FirstNet prioritises controls that add protection with minimal friction, and phases each change with clear communication to users. Alerts and logs can also be forwarded to your SIEM for central visibility.
Licensing matters here. Conditional access and privileged identity management depend on your Microsoft Entra ID licence level. FirstNet is a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider and can supply Entra security add-ons if your current licences fall short.
Where you need more than Microsoft's own controls, FirstNet adds independent layers:
- Mimecast in front of Microsoft 365, with separate threat intelligence, sandboxing and URL rewriting
- Sophos MDR, which can ingest Microsoft Defender telemetry, so you keep Defender and add analyst-led detection around the clock
- A cloud access security broker (CASB) through Cloudflare, to find risky sharing, risky OAuth grants and unsanctioned apps
- Druva backup for Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams as a companion service, because retention in Microsoft 365 is not the same as backup
Some things stay with you. Under POPIA your organisation remains the responsible party, and the outcome depends on how your tenant is configured and governed over time. FirstNet's controls support compliance, but no provider can guarantee it on its own.
A Microsoft 365 security assessment is the usual first step for prioritising quick wins and long-term guardrails.
Source: FirstNet Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance service page →