Why Your Network Admin Isn't a Microsoft 365 Security Expert

Your business’ security with Microsoft 365 is too important to trust to a non-expert. Traditional IT professionals and network admins do incredible work for their companies, but don’t always understand the M365 environment.

The Dangerous Assumption That's Compromising Business Security

Your network administrator is excellent at their job. They keep your servers running, manage your switches, and can troubleshoot network issues in their sleep. But here's a hard truth: being great at traditional IT infrastructure doesn't automatically qualify someone to secure your Microsoft 365 environment.

The Cloud Security Paradigm Shift

Traditional IT security and cloud security are fundamentally different disciplines. Your network admin's expertise in firewalls, VPNs, and on-premises Active Directory doesn't directly translate to securing a cloud-first environment like Microsoft 365.

Traditional IT Security Focus:

• Perimeter-based security (firewalls, network segmentation)

• On-premises Active Directory management

• Hardware-based security appliances

• Physical server and infrastructure protection

Microsoft 365 Security Focus:

• Identity-based security (zero trust principles)

• Cloud-native threat protection

• API-based integrations and automation

• Software-defined security policies

The Specialized Knowledge Gap

Securing Microsoft 365 requires expertise in areas that traditional IT professionals rarely encounter:

Azure Active Directory Architecture

• Understanding hybrid identity scenarios

• Configuring conditional access policies

• Managing privileged identity management

• Implementing identity protection features

Cloud Application Security

• Securing Teams, SharePoint, and Exchange Online

• Managing data loss prevention across cloud apps

• Configuring cloud app security policies

• Understanding OAuth and API security

Compliance and Governance

• Meeting industry-specific compliance requirements

• Implementing data retention policies

• Managing eDiscovery and legal hold

• Configuring sensitivity labels and information protection

Advanced Threat Protection

• Configuring Microsoft Defender for Office 365

• Managing safe attachments and safe links

• Implementing advanced anti-phishing policies

• Analyzing security insights and reports

The Certification Confusion

Many businesses assume that Microsoft certifications equal M365 security expertise. While certifications are valuable, they're not all equal:

Entry-Level Certifications (often held by general IT professionals):

• Microsoft 365 Fundamentals

• Azure Fundamentals

• Basic administrator certifications

Specialized Security Certifications (required for true M365 security expertise):

• Microsoft 365 Security Administrator

• Azure Security Engineer

• Microsoft Security Operations Analyst

• Information Protection Administrator

The Risk of Assumptions

We've seen businesses suffer security incidents because they assumed their capable IT team could handle M365 security. Common issues include:

• Misconfigured conditional access policies that blocked legitimate users

• Data loss prevention rules that were too restrictive or too permissive

• Unmonitored security alerts that missed actual threats

• Compliance gaps that resulted in regulatory issues

The Solution: Specialized Expertise

This doesn't mean your existing IT team isn't valuable—they absolutely are. It means recognizing that Microsoft 365 security requires specialized knowledge that takes time and focused effort to develop.
The most successful businesses we work with take a hybrid approach:

• Keep their existing IT team focused on what they do best

• Partner with M365 specialists for security and optimization

• Invest in training for internal staff over time

• Maintain clear boundaries between traditional IT and cloud security responsibilities

Want to assess your current M365 security posture? Our specialists can provide an objective evaluation and identify areas for improvement.