Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

In January 2022, Microsoft announced that Excel 4.0 macros would be restricted by default, to protect users from malicious macros. In February 2022, Microsoft announced that VBA macros would also be blocked for files downloaded from the internet. Cybersecurity professionals and enthusiasts rejoiced at the news! Malicious Office documents were running rampant. Attackers abused Microsoft Office macros to deliver BazarLoader and Trickbot, and remote access trojans like AveMaria and AgentTesla.

Over the last few years, Microsoft 365 has significantly enhanced its native security capabilities. Today, it offers a solid foundation of protection from advanced attacks, making it a popular choice for organizations. However, security threats are advancing rapidly, and Microsoft 365 still has some points of weakness that are leaving users vulnerable. Cybersecurity experts' views on email risk within Microsoft 365 is our most recent report identifying the security risks its users face.

Speaking with clients, I find one of the biggest issues they struggle with how to properly secure Guest access in Microsoft 365 applications. While many organizations had already begun outsourcing their email to M365, most had really only begun looking at the rest of the M365 offering (Teams, SharePoint Online and OneDrive) when COVID hit. Most organizations wound up diving headfirst into this offering in an attempt to deal with the sudden need to work and collaborate with colleagues from home.

In April 2022, Netskope Threat Labs analyzed an Emotet campaign that was using LNK files instead of Microsoft Office documents, likely as a response to the protections launched by Microsoft in 2022 to mitigate attacks via Excel 4.0 (XLM) and VBA macros.

Cybersecurity has become an important topic for the defense supply chain. The ever-increasing number of digital channels that data can be exchanged through, has exponentially increased the risk of data breaches and leaks. This puts a lot of pressure on these organizations to ensure that the risks associated with the handling of sensitive data are as low as possible.

Ever since the pandemic had set in, the entire cybersecurity landscape has undergone a vast change. The Covid-19 crisis has forced organizations and CISOs to adapt to sudden, unprecedented, and until now unforeseen challenges. Remote working has become the “New Normal”. The remote working culture will stay long after the pandemic has gone. The shifting of offices to home has made it easier for hackers to target personal networks rather than the well-protected office networks.

The standard shipping container is the unsung hero of the modern world! More on that later…

It’s no secret that hackers are attracted to large and lucrative targets in the vast digital sphere. Oftentimes, the largest targets present the most avenues for attack. And with over 300 million users worldwide, Microsoft 365 is one of those large targets. Over 80% of deployed Microsoft 365 accounts have suffered an email breach and over 70% have suffered an account takeover.

There has been tremendous growth in Microsoft 365 usage with the current remote work trend, leading to an explosion of Microsoft 365 data. Microsoft infrastructure and platforms support the availability, reliability, and security of this infrastructure by providing world-class perimeter defense, controlling access to keep attackers out, and detecting risky behavior. However, customers are responsible for protecting the data itself - emails, chats, files, etc.