MASTERING MICROSOFTSECURITY FOR THE
MODERN WORKPLACE
How to integrate Microsoft Security into your cyber strategy

SECURING THE
EVOLVING WORKPLACE
Today’s workplace is a constantly evolving environment, withnew devices, new software, new connections, and new modes ofworking. Whilst this evolution has brought significant benefits inemployee experience, flexible and hybrid working, collaboration
and ultimately more productive people, it has also created amuch broader threat landscape for cyber attackers to target.
The proliferation of devices used outside of the traditional corporate
perimeter is exposing additional cyber-attack points. The explosion ofdevices, along with the increased usage of web applications and theadoption of collaboration technology continues to generate data at
unprecedented rates, and more data offers greater potential reward for
attackers if they can gain access to it.
As organisations continue to exploit unlimited data resources in the cloud,leveraging hosted applications and environments across multiple devices,
the increased attack surface increases the likelihood that organisations will
be a victim of cyber-attacks.
With more potential for greater reward and an increasingly broad attack
surface to protect, it is no surprise that securing the workplace has neverbeen higher on the corporate agenda. Nor is it surprising that implementing
effective levels of control continues to be challenging for most organisations.

THE ADVENT OF
ZERO-TRUST
To address these evolving security challenges, security
controls, processes and tools also need to evolve. Controls
used to be applied at the corporate edge, but they are now
also needed on the device, in the cloud, around data, acrossidentities and throughout the internal network.
New architectural concepts such as zero-trust and SASE (Secure AccessService Edge) emphasise the importance of an integrated approach, withmultiple security controls coming together to provide workplaces withenhanced levels of security regardless of the location of the worker, what typeof device they are using, or where the data they are accessing is being held.
As organisations implement integrated solutions, they gain better visibility
and control over their workplace. Data generated by security agentsrunning on devices, allied with access controls, defined identities and data
governance protocols, running alongside regular scanning and analysis
makes it much easier to detect the anomalous behaviour of attackers.
This also has the benefit of allowing response and remediation actions to
be enacted more quickly. Integration also offers better options for AI andAutomation, helping scale protection, detection and response across multiple
environments and devices.
Many security vendors now offer broader portfolios that encompass a large
proportion of the recommended components of a zero-trust architecture.
These integrated security vendors are increasingly being seen as a solution tothe security challenges facing workplace leaders.

FINDING THE
RIGHT APPROACH
Finding a core of tightly integrated security solutions
that covers all these areas is difficult despite theincreasing depth of security vendor portfolios. Existing
technology deployments, and their associated technicaldebt, can impact an organisation’s ability to implementa more over-arching solution, resulting in partial
deployments and the overhead of additional integrations.
Moving to a smaller core of overarching workplace security platforms
offers undoubted benefits but does require an understanding of what
technology to retain, what to remove, what and when to integrate
new solutions with old, and a deep knowledge of both the new andexisting vendor portfolios to ensure there is a minimum of productoverlap and an effective exploitation of available licensing.
However, enabling such vendor solutions also delivers tangible
value. Moving away from the legacy siloed vendor approach to aplatform centric, highly consolidated landscape removes complexity,
helps with cost control, enhances data exchange and ensures that
gaps are minimised. All of which creates greater opportunity forautomation, better visibility and ultimately improves detection of,and response to, cyber threats.

MICROSOFT SECURITY
AN INTEGRATEDSOLUTION
Microsoft offers integrated security solutions, helping organisations
to safeguard their people, data and infrastructure using a single
security platform and a single licensing model.
With Microsoft Security products it is possible for enterprise organisations to protect
identities and manage access, stop threats with integrated, automated protection,
secure apps and resources across the cloud, protect and govern sensitive data andidentify and remediate risks.
The Microsoft security products are the result of significant, ongoing investment andare now recognised as market leading by organisations such as Gartner. Microsoft
security solutions are now embedded within the broader Microsoft platform, making
enablement more a matter of configuration and policy management than wholesale
deployment. With solutions linking endpoint protection, identity and accessmanagement, anti-virus, data loss protection, CASB and security monitoring, theportfolio is extensive and fully integrated.
With many organisations already invested in using Microsoft 365 and Windows
Operating Systems there is logic in extending the Microsoft product set to takeadvantage of the security solutions available with it, and in doing so deploy a truly
integrated workplace security solution.

HOW
COMPUTACENTERCAN HELP
Moving to an integrated platform security model will helporganisations implement the type of security controls
needed in the new world of hybrid working.
Deploying a workplace security solution architected around Zero
Trust principles will provide a more effective defence against
attackers, and it will reduce the overhead of operating andmanaging multiple point solutions, plus security teams will benefit
from more insight, more visibility and more control, and the ability
to leverage AI and Automation.
However, adopting this sort of solution against the backdrop of
consolidating existing technical debt, the overhead of managing
multiple integrated component technologies, the navigation ofcomplex licencing models and developing effective deployment
roadmaps that do not impact worker experience and productivity,
can be a challenge.
With our unrivalled knowledge of both the Microsoft Security
Portfolio and the product sets of all the leading security vendors
we know how to help organisations exploit their Microsoft security
opportunity whilst retaining and integrating the best of their
existing workplace solution.

COMPUTACENTER
AND MICROSOFT
As a preferred Microsoft partner for more than 30 years, we helporganisations adopt and optimise their Microsoft investments,
helping them to tackle the challenges and opportunities they face
today and to plan and build their modern working future.
We have experience of serving 4.5 million users of Microsoft
technologies, 1,500 Microsoft-certified technologists, a trackrecord of managing two million activations of Microsoft Office 365
and we currently manage more than 500,000 systems running
Microsoft Windows platforms.
We focus on developing strong and trusted customer relationshipsthat we support through an expert, advisory approach to business.
Whether accelerating your digital transformation; building andrunning cloud-based services; applying AI technologies; unlocking
the potential of your people; or building rock-solid security,
Computacenter and Microsoft can together help you modernise
your operations and secure your long-term success.

We offer services that address the full spectrum of common challenges, these include:

CONSOLIDATION AND LICENCEEXPLOITATION ADVISORYVENDOR ASSESSMENT

SOLUTION DESIGN AND
DEPLOYMENTMANAGED MICROSOFTSECURITY

Our CyberLens service helps
organisations understand the scaleand scope of the opportunity toconsolidate their workplace security
around Microsoft. We can provide
insight as to what is available
within the Microsoft licence model,
where there are overlaps withexisting technology, where best toconsolidate and where to retain
existing solutions.

We can help organisations undertakea security vendor business value
and consolidation assessment tohelp them understand how Microsoft
compares to existing deployedvendors.

We offer extensive professional
services to enable Microsoft
Conditional Access and MFA,
Defender for Identity, Defender for
Cloud Apps and Purview Information
protection and DLP. We helporganisations migrate to Defenderfor Endpoint and Defender for Office365. We also provide consultancy
and professional services to support
Sentinel, Entra and Privileged Access
Management.

Managing and supporting theMicrosoft security platform, during
migration and beyond can tie up key
security resources. Computacenter
offers a full managed Microsoft
Security platform service, which inturn enable us to offer solutions
such as Anti-virus services, Managed
Endpoint and Vulnerability lifecycleservices, all delivered using Microsoft
Security tooling.

THE BENEFITS

THE BENEFITS

THE BENEFITS

THE BENEFITS•	Clarity on licensing entitlement,
current levels of utilisation, andhow best to exploit it.
•	Insight into where Microsoft
security could be deployed toconsolidate existing vendor spend.
•	Understand how existing or
additional vendor solutions could
close any gaps in the Microsoft
portfolio.

•	Multi-vendor assessment with
Computacenter enhanced analysisof Microsoft capabilities andintegration benefits•	Reduce effort and cost of standing
up complex PoCs to validate
Microsoft value vs other vendors.
•	Enable quicker decision making
as to the extent and depth ofMicrosoft security deployments.

•	Access to skilled resources tosupplement internal teams.
•	Utilisation of proven deployment
models•	Can benefit from extensive lessons
learnt and experience in design,configuration and deployment.

•	Outsourcing of platform
management to free up in-house
resources for more strategic
activities•	Access to standardized support
playbooks and processes.
•	Operation of key workplacesecurity services – providing
enhanced support scale and hoursof operation.

GET IN TOUCH
To find out more about what Computacenter can do to help you secure your organisation
with Microsoft security solutions please contact your Computacenter Account Manager,email SecurityEnquiries@computacenter.com or call 01707 631000.

About Computacenter
Computacenter is a leading independent technology and services provider, trusted
by large corporate and public sector organisations. We help our customers to source,transform, and manage their IT infrastructure to deliver digital transformation, enablingusers and their business. Computacenter is a public company quoted on the London FTSE
250 (CCC.L) and employs over 20,000 people worldwide.
www.computacenter.com