Keeping Your Microsoft 365 Tenants Compliant
There’s compliance and then there’s compliance. Few MSPs are actually going to be in the compliance business, but most will have some clients that are subject to complying with industry regulations. As MSPs we need to monitor our clients’ networks to help them become and remain compliant. And then there’s the other compliance, which is to make sure that every client is adhering to the standards and best practices we have set. It’s honestly not an easy task but fortunately we have some tools to work with that can assist us.
Navigating this complex landscape requires MSPs to manage multiple Microsoft Office 365 tenants, ensuring your client networks meet both regulatory requirements and internal best practices. Obviously, the stakes are high and if you do not comply with them, this can lead to:
- security vulnerabilities
- legal consequences
- damaged client trust
Being able to address these challenges effectively means adopting tools and strategies that streamline compliance management while maintaining flexibility across diverse industries. Let’s take a look at the most important challenges an MSP can face.
The challenges
The diversity of compliance requirements adds to the difficulty of scaling an MSP effectively. Here’s what we’re up against:
- We have to support regulatory compliance for multiple frameworks across different industries and regions;
- Regulations frequently change in response to new laws, risks, and market conditions;
- Managing compliance across multiple frameworks and industries can stretch an MSP’s resources thin;
- Compliance doesn’t scale easily across multiple IT environments, requiring in-depth analysis of each customer on a case-by-case basis\ We need good monitoring and reporting tools because conducting comprehensive audits for each client is expensive and time-consuming.
These challenges become even more pronounced as businesses grow and diversify. From my personal experience, I can tell that different clients may face distinct compliance mandates based on their industry, location, or specific regulatory environment. An MSP’s ability to efficiently address each of these needs is critical to ensuring long-term success.
MSPs have many clients to consider when addressing these challenges. Allocating resources to deploy a compliance solution that also adheres to best practices is our main challenge, but we also have to monitor and report on the state of the network too.
Compliance across clients
Hornetsecurity has an estimator of how much time it takes for an MSP to manage a diverse client base and maintain compliance with standards and regulations. Let’s say your MSP is very small with 40 to manage and growing at a steady pace of 1 new client every month.
Managing compliance across multiple clients can feel like a never-ending battle for many MSPs. Each tenant brings unique needs, adding layers of complexity to the process. Therefore, the ability to streamline these tasks isn’t just suitable—it’s transformative. This is where leveraging automation becomes an essential game-changer for us as MSPs.
The tool estimates that you can save about ¾ of a full-time tech by using 365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs. As MSPs, we know that this actually translates to a full-time person who is 75% efficient. Either way, you look at it, that’s a huge saving. Looking at this in reverse, means that we can double the size of the business and not have to worry about hiring another tech to managed Microsoft 365 tenants! How are they doing that?
365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs
With 365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs we can create the custom policies that together maintain compliance with best practices and industry regulations. We can then, of course, save those and utilize them with the next client. But we can then go further and make sure that the tenant is not experiencing security drift. Drift happens when things change after our settings have been applied.
Security drift is a hidden but significant threat. It occurs as employees, system updates, and new integrations subtly alter the network’s configuration, often without immediate detection. These small changes are able to accumulate over time, leading to major vulnerabilities.
Drift is natural. As things change in the network, the tendency is for it to become less secure –unless someone is watching. We can use 365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs to be that watcher and have it let us know when the network has fallen out of compliance. We can further have 365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs identify those devices that are out of compliance and allow it to automatically reapply the compliance setting to them.
365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs’ ability to monitor and alert MSPs to these changes in real time is a game-changer. Instead of waiting for an audit or a security incident to reveal these gaps, MSPs can proactively address them, maintaining continuous compliance.
We can further have 365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs identify those devices that are out of compliance and allow it to automatically reapply the compliance setting to them.
Policy Standardization and Automation
Policy standardization and automatic remediation is how we can save our staff time and realize the efficiency gain in our MSP.
By leveraging pre-built templates and policies, MSPs can apply best-practice configurations across multiple clients effortlessly. The built-in toolbox also supports creating custom settings to meet unique client needs, ensuring flexibility while maintaining standardization.
365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs also helps simplify onboarding by automating the discovery and setup of new tenants through its integration with Microsoft Partner Center. This eliminates repetitive tasks and allows MSPs to focus on higher-value activities.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, 365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs is an invaluable tool for MSPs striving to maintain compliance across a diverse client base. By automating policy standardization and remediation, our 365 Multi-Tenant Manager empowers MSPs to manage compliance efficiently, reduce the need for additional staffing, and ensure that clients’ networks remain secure and aligned with industry regulations.
For MSPs, staying compliant is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and swift action. 365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs simplifies this process, providing a centralized platform to oversee tenant compliance and enforce policies, ultimately helping MSPs save time and resources while ensuring their clients’ security.
Embracing 365 Multi-Tenant Manager for MSPs not only enhances operational efficiency but also fortifies the trust and reliability that clients place in their MSPs, fostering long-term growth and success in a competitive market.
