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The MSP's Edge: Optimizing Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance with Hornetsecurity

For Managed Service Providers (MSPs), delivering robust security and compliance in Microsoft 365 is a top priority – and often, a complex challenge. While Microsoft 365 offers an expansive suite of governance tools (Purview, Entra ID), the licensing model can quickly escalate costs, particularly when aiming for advanced features typically found in E5 or specialized add-ons.

This is where a strategic partnership with a solution like Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection and Compliance can give MSPs a significant edge. By understanding the synergy between these platforms, MSPs can provide superior protection, meet stringent compliance demands, and importantly, optimize client spend on Microsoft licensing.

Let's dive into a feature comparison and explore how MSPs can leverage Hornetsecurity to achieve this balance.

 

 

 

Microsoft 365 vs. Hornetsecurity: A Feature & Licensing Overview

 

The table below highlights key governance and compliance areas, detailing what Microsoft 365 offers (and at what license tier) versus Hornetsecurity's comprehensive solution.

Feature Area Microsoft 365 Governance & Compliance (M365 Purview & Entra ID) Microsoft License Requirements (Key Tiers) Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection and Compliance
Email Security & Threat Protection EOP: Basic anti-spam/malware. MDO P1: Safe Links, Safe Attachments. MDO P2: Advanced ATP, Threat Explorer, Automated Investigation. EOP: Business Basic/Standard, E1, E3. P1: Business Premium, E3 Security Add-on. P2: M365 E5, E5 Security Add-on. Advanced Email Security: AI-driven spam/malware filters, ATP (sandboxing, URL rewriting), Threat Defense, Compliance Filter, Email Continuity (failover).
Email Archiving & eDiscovery Basic Retention/eDiscovery Standard: Litigation hold, basic search, 180-day audit. eDiscovery Premium: Advanced analytics, ML, 1-year audit log. Purview Data Lifecycle Management: Advanced retention policies. Basic: Business Premium, E3. Premium/Advanced: M365 E5, E5 Compliance Add-on. Legally Compliant Email Archiving: Independent, audit-proof, long-term retention. eDiscovery: Comprehensive full-text search.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) & Information Protection Basic DLP: Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive. Advanced DLP: Endpoints, Teams Chat, custom sensitive info types, auto-labeling. Basic DLP/Manual Labels: Business Premium, E3. Advanced DLP/Auto-labeling: M365 E5, E5 Compliance Add-on. 365 Permission Manager: Granular auditing/control for SharePoint/Teams/OneDrive permissions. AI Recipient Validation: Prevents misdirected emails. Email Encryption.
User/Access Governance & Compliance Entra ID Conditional Access, Identity Protection, PIM: Advanced access controls. Purview Information Barriers, Communication Compliance, Insider Risk Management. Conditional Access/Identity Protection/PIM: Business Premium, E3+Entra ID P1/P2. Compliance Tools: M365 E5, E5 Compliance Add-on. 365 Permission Manager: Simplified auditing and management of M365 collaboration permissions. Security Awareness Service: Automated training and phishing simulations.
Microsoft 365 Backup & Recovery Limited native recovery (recycle bins, litigation hold). M365 Backup (new, usage-based, point-in-time restore). Requires separate purchase or add-on. 365 Total Backup: Unlimited, independent backup and recovery for Mailboxes, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint.
Security Awareness Training Attack simulation training (basic email-based). MDO P2 (E5, E5 Security Add-on). Security Awareness Service: Fully automated, AI-powered benchmarking (ESI), spear-phishing simulation, and e-training.

 

The MSP Advantage: Cost Optimization and Enhanced Security

 

Microsoft 365 E5 licenses offer a powerhouse of security and compliance features, but they come at a premium price. Many SMBs and even larger enterprises cannot justify the jump from E3 or Business Premium, leaving MSPs to bridge critical security gaps. This is precisely where Hornetsecurity shines.

How MSPs Can Optimize Costs with Hornetsecurity:

  1. Reduce E5 Dependency for Core Protections: For clients on M365 Business Premium or E3, Hornetsecurity provides advanced email security (often surpassing MDO P1/P2 functionality), robust backup, comprehensive archiving, and critical DLP-like features via its Permission Manager. This means clients can get "E5-level" protection in key areas without the full E5 license cost.

  2. Simplify Licensing & Management: Instead of juggling multiple Microsoft add-ons or disparate third-party tools for backup, archiving, and email security, Hornetsecurity offers a single, unified platform. This simplifies procurement, deployment, and ongoing management for MSPs.

  3. Bundle & Scale Efficiently: MSPs can easily bundle Hornetsecurity with existing Microsoft licenses (E3, Business Premium) to create attractive, all-inclusive security and compliance packages. This allows for clear, predictable pricing models for clients.

  4. Independent Backup for Peace of Mind: Microsoft 365's native backup capabilities are limited. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup provides a crucial, independent backup solution that protects against accidental deletions, ransomware, and compliance failures, alleviating the need for Microsoft's separate, usage-based M365 Backup service or other costly third-party backup solutions.

How MSPs Can Enhance Security with Hornetsecurity:

  1. Superior Email Threat Protection: Hornetsecurity's advanced email security offers multiple layers of defense, including AI-driven filtering, sandboxing, and URL rewriting that often catches what native EOP might miss.

  2. Simplified Compliance Management: The 365 Permission Manager is a game-changer for auditing and managing complex SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive permissions, a common compliance headache for many organizations. It streamlines the process of ensuring only authorized users have access to sensitive data.

  3. Proactive Security Awareness: Integrated Security Awareness Training provides automated, targeted phishing simulations and education, turning employees into the first line of defense. The patented ESI (Employee Security Index) makes this progress measurable—a feature often only found in premium Microsoft tiers or as a separate purchase.

  4. Business Continuity: Email Continuity ensures clients can continue sending and receiving emails even if Microsoft Exchange Online experiences an outage, a critical often-overlooked aspect of resilience.

 

The Winning Strategy for MSPs

 

By strategically implementing Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection and Compliance, MSPs are empowered to deliver:

  • Cost Efficiency: Provide a more comprehensive security and compliance posture to clients at a more accessible price point than an all-in E5 strategy.

  • Superior Protection: Enhance security beyond Microsoft's core built-in offerings with specialized ATP and backup features.

  • Streamlined Operations: Manage multiple critical security and compliance functions from a single, intuitive platform.

In today's threat landscape, robust Microsoft 365 security and compliance are non-negotiable. With Hornetsecurity, MSPs are empowered to deliver enterprise-grade protection, optimize client costs, and build a more resilient future for their businesses.

 

Glossary of Key Terms

Abbreviation Full Name Explanation
MSP Managed Service Provider A company that remotely manages a client's IT infrastructure and end-user systems.
EOP Exchange Online Protection Microsoft’s built-in, cloud-based email filtering service included with all M365 plans to protect against spam and basic malware.
MDO P1/P2 Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1/2 Microsoft’s advanced email security (formerly ATP) providing features like Safe Links, Safe Attachments, and Automated Investigation & Response (P2).
ATP Advanced Threat Protection A general cybersecurity term for solutions that protect against sophisticated, targeted cyberattacks and malware (like sandboxing).
DLP Data Loss Prevention A set of tools and policies designed to identify, monitor, and protect sensitive data from being shared or transferred inappropriately.
PIM Privileged Identity Management A feature in Microsoft Entra ID that enables "Just-in-Time" (JIT) and time-bound access to elevated roles, minimizing standing access permissions.
ESI Employee Security Index Hornetsecurity’s patented benchmark that scientifically measures and monitors security awareness within a company.
Entra ID Microsoft Entra ID Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service (formerly Azure Active Directory).
E3 / E5 Enterprise Licensing Tiers Core subscription bundles for Microsoft 365, with E5 including all features of E3 plus advanced security, compliance, and analytics tools.
Purview Microsoft Purview Microsoft's suite of solutions for data governance, risk, and compliance.

 

Ready to explore how Hornetsecurity can transform your M365 offerings?

Contact us for a demo and learn more about our partner program!