Every October brings the same reminder: cybersecurity is not just an IT department matter. It is a business matter – and, increasingly, a legal one.
In the Skaylink webinar “How to get the most out of Microsoft 365 security without additional investment”, Microsoft solutions expert Viktoras Irtmonas spoke openly about what most business leaders want to hear but are afraid to ask: do we really need this, are we really ready for it, and how much will it cost? The answers were surprising.
The problem: you pay for it, but you don’t use it
“The most common packages on the market are Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Standard, but today that level of protection is no longer enough,” says Viktoras Irtmonas. “These packages essentially give you two-factor authentication, and that is too little now.”
The reality Skaylink specialists see in client environments looks like this: in an organisation of 200 employees, only 6 have multi-factor authentication enabled. Employees connect to work systems from personal devices, use unapproved apps and store confidential documents in personal cloud storage. This is called shadow IT, and it is one of the main sources of data leaks.
At the same time, organisations buy separate antivirus software, VPN solutions, device management tools, email filters and password managers. Each solution has its own management console, its own updates and its own price. The result: more spending, but not more security.
How Microsoft 365 Business Premium security changed the rules of the game
Microsoft 365 Business Premium is not simply a more expensive package. It is an architecturally different solution, with security built into every layer: the user identity, the device, the application and the document itself.
In the webinar, Viktoras demonstrated how this works in practice. When an employee connects to organisational data, the system checks three things at once: is this really the right person (identity verification), is this an organisation device (device compliance check), and does this device meet the security requirements. Only after passing all these layers does the employee reach the data. This is the principle of Zero Trust architecture, and it works automatically, in the background, without affecting employee productivity.
User access management (Conditional Access) lets you define from which countries, IP addresses or devices people may connect to the organisation’s systems. Stolen login credentials become worthless if the attacker connects from an unauthorised device or location. Microsoft Intune manages both company-owned and employees’ personal devices, and if a phone or laptop is lost, the data can be wiped remotely within minutes.
Data control with Microsoft Purview lets you label sensitive documents, encrypt emails and specify that certain information cannot be sent, copied or opened by the wrong recipients. Viktoras gave a real example: a law firm sends confidential documents to its clients. The email is encrypted automatically, the recipient gets a code by email and only then can open the document. If that document somehow reached a third party, it would remain inaccessible.
How much does it cost compared with the alternatives?
The webinar presented a calculation that came as a revelation to many. If an organisation wanted to reach the same level of security using separate market solutions (a remote access tool, advanced email protection, SSO, multi-factor authentication, endpoint antivirus, EDR, device management), the total cost would exceed USD 45 per user per month. Microsoft 365 Business Premium costs USD 22. One solution, one management console, one line on the invoice.
The TIS2 (NIS2) directive: not tomorrow, but today
“Every Business Premium feature helps cover specific requirements of the TIS2 directive,” stresses Viktoras Irtmonas. “Conditional Access, Intune, Purview, Defender – each of them directly serves and, through its functionality, covers certain points of the directive.”
TIS2 is the Lithuanian law transposing the EU NIS2 Directive. According to Skaylink specialists, companies and organisations using BTT Armour have already seen this for themselves. The service, built on advanced Microsoft 365 configuration methods, helps them meet at least two thirds of the TIS2 directive’s requirements. This means they can prepare for certification or an audit much faster and without additional investment in new tools. Read more about NIS2 compliance in Lithuania.
BTT Armour: managed Microsoft 365 security configuration that actually works
This is the essential difference between a licence and a well-configured licence that significantly raises your level of security. Buying a licence is easy. Configuring it properly, maintaining it continuously and adapting it to changing threats is another story.
BTT Armour is a Skaylink managed security service designed to close exactly this gap. The service covers the full security management cycle: an initial assessment of the organisation’s security based on Microsoft Secure Score, implementation of security controls (user identities, devices, applications, data), ongoing maintenance and monthly security reports showing how many incidents were detected, how many malicious links were blocked and how the security score has changed.
“If you don’t have the time or the expertise, or you want someone to configure the solution properly, we have a dedicated service for that,” says Viktoras. “With Business Premium, everything can be implemented. We can help you do it and introduce a Zero Trust architecture model in which users, devices and files are more secure for a minimal price difference compared with the licences.”
The service comes in two tiers: Basic, focused on managing email, user identities and file storage, and Premium, covering a full multi-layered security model with device management, application control and data loss prevention.
To find out your organisation’s current security level and what can be done with the licence you already have, contact the Skaylink team or learn more about the BTT Armour service. International companies can also write to us at sales@skaylink.lt.
