M365 Governance Framework

Enable MFA through Entra ID Conditional Access policies. Begin with administrative accounts and expand to all users. Require phishing-resistant methods such as FIDO2 security keys or Windows Hello for Business for privileged accounts. Configure registration campaigns to ensure smooth user adoption and minimize helpdesk impact.

• Microsoft MFA Documentation

Define Conditional Access policies that enforce device compliance, restrict access from untrusted locations, and require additional verification for risky sign-in attempts. Use report-only mode during initial deployment to assess impact before enforcement. Establish named locations for trusted corporate networks and block legacy authentication protocols.

• Conditional Access Overview

Deploy Entra ID Privileged Identity Management to enforce just-in-time privileged access. Require multi-person approval workflows for Global Administrator activation. Set maximum activation durations, enforce MFA on activation, and configure access reviews on a quarterly cadence for all privileged roles.

• PIM Configuration Guide

Enable SSPR for all users and require a minimum of two authentication methods for password reset. Configure password writeback if using hybrid identity. Monitor SSPR registration and usage reports to identify gaps and drive adoption across the organization.

• SSPR Documentation

Create DLP policies targeting sensitive information types such as PII, PHI, and financial data. Apply policies across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Teams. Start with test mode to evaluate policy matches before enabling enforcement actions and user notifications.

• DLP Policy Overview

Define a sensitivity label taxonomy aligned with your data classification policy. Configure labels with appropriate protection settings including encryption, content marking, and access restrictions. Deploy the Microsoft Purview Information Protection client and enable auto-labeling policies for high-confidence data classifications.

• Sensitivity Labels Documentation

Create retention policies that govern content lifecycle across Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. Align retention periods with federal records management requirements and agency-specific retention schedules. Use retention labels for item-level control and configure disposition reviews for records at the end of their retention period.

• Retention Policies Guide

Evaluate whether information barriers are required based on regulatory obligations or organizational separation requirements. Define user segments and barrier policies that restrict communication through Teams chat, calls, and channel invitations. Test policies in audit mode before full enforcement to prevent unintended collaboration disruptions.

• Information Barriers Overview

Restrict Microsoft 365 Group creation to designated personnel or a security group. Implement a request-and-approval process for new Teams to ensure proper naming, classification, and ownership assignment. Consider deploying a self-service provisioning solution that enforces governance policies automatically while enabling end-user productivity.

• Manage Group Creation

Create standardized site templates with appropriate permission structures, navigation, and branding. Set default storage quotas and configure site lifecycle policies to identify and archive inactive sites. Restrict site creation to administrators or an approved provisioning workflow to maintain consistency and prevent uncontrolled growth.

• SharePoint Site Management

Configure organization-level external sharing settings and apply more restrictive policies at the site level where needed. Limit sharing to authenticated guests, require guest access expiration, and enforce domain allowlists for external collaboration. Disable anonymous sharing links in environments handling controlled unclassified information.

• External Sharing Overview

Define a naming policy for Microsoft 365 Groups that includes prefixes or suffixes to identify department, project, or classification level. Configure the Groups naming policy in Entra ID to enforce standards automatically. Block specific reserved words and maintain a reference guide so users can self-serve within established guardrails.

• Groups Naming Policy

Activate Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 to enable advanced threat protection across Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. Configure anti-phishing policies with impersonation protection for executives and sensitive roles. Enable Threat Explorer for security operations and configure automated investigation and response workflows.

• Defender for Office 365 Overview

Enable Safe Attachments with dynamic delivery to scan attachments in a sandbox environment while delivering the message body immediately. Configure Safe Links to rewrite and verify URLs at time of click, protecting against delayed weaponization. Extend Safe Links protection to Teams and Office desktop applications.

• Safe Attachments Documentation
• Safe Links Documentation

Verify that unified audit logging is enabled in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Configure Audit Premium for extended retention of up to one year and access to critical audit events such as MailItemsAccessed. Integrate audit logs with your SIEM platform for centralized monitoring and establish alerting for high-risk administrative actions.

• Audit Solutions Overview

Review and customize default alert policies in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal. Create custom alert policies for organization-specific risk scenarios such as mass file downloads, external sharing spikes, and privilege escalation. Configure alert notification recipients and integrate with your incident response process for timely triage.

• Alert Policies Documentation

Add relevant regulatory assessments in Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager such as NIST 800-53, FedRAMP, CMMC, or HIPAA. Assign improvement actions to responsible teams with target completion dates. Monitor the compliance score dashboard regularly and use it to prioritize remediation efforts and demonstrate progress to auditors and leadership.

• Compliance Manager Documentation

Configure eDiscovery Premium cases and place legal holds on relevant custodian mailboxes, SharePoint sites, and Teams channels. Establish standard operating procedures for hold notification, content collection, and review workflows. Assign eDiscovery Manager and Administrator roles following least privilege principles and maintain an audit trail of all discovery actions.

• eDiscovery Solutions

Create communication compliance policies to detect sensitive information sharing, harassment, and regulatory violations in email, Teams, and Viva Engage. Configure supervised user groups and assign dedicated reviewers. Use built-in classifiers and custom keyword dictionaries to tailor detection to your organizational context while respecting employee privacy rights.

• Communication Compliance Overview

Establish a quarterly governance review cycle that covers compliance score trends, open improvement actions, policy effectiveness, and emerging regulatory requirements. Generate reports from Compliance Manager and Secure Score for leadership review. Document findings and remediation plans and track them through your organizational change management process.

• Compliance Assessments Guide