Time for a Cleanup? How Inactive Accounts Undermine Your IT Security
Did you know that 10% to 30% of Microsoft 365 subscriptions are often assigned to inactive users? These unused licenses not only pose security risks but also drive up your IT costs unnecessarily. The solution lies in gaining proactive insights into your users and devices.
In your Entra ID application for identity and access management, all user accounts and access rights are managed. Each end user has their own account. Problems arise when departing employees are not removed in time, leaving unused accounts unnoticed.
And that’s problematic for several reasons:
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Security risks: Inactive accounts pose a significant security risk, as they may provide a gateway for unauthorized access. Cybercriminals often target inactive accounts because they are more likely to have weak passwords or outdated security configurations.
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Unnecessary licensing costs: Inactive user accounts often consume valuable licenses, needlessly driving up your monthly bill.
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Wasted time and effort: Managing inactive accounts requires time and resources that could be better spent on more valuable tasks.
Visibility into your users
The example of inactive users illustrates how important it is for IT managers to have clear visibility (and oversight) of all current users.
Some examples of useful user insights include:
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Inactive users: Accounts that show no activity but still have access to company data.
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Guest users: An overview of external accounts and their access rights.
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Global admin accounts: Minimizing and securing highly privileged accounts.
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MFA configurations: Insight into users who have not (yet) enabled Multi-Factor Authentication.
Visibility into your devices
Every user is linked to one or more devices. That’s why gaining insight into device usage is essential. It helps you minimize vulnerabilities and ensures compliance with security best practices.
Some key metrics for your devices include:
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OS updates: Which devices are lagging behind on updates?
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Compliance status: Do all your devices meet the latest security policies?
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Antivirus protection: Which devices don’t have antivirus software installed?
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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): Which personal devices currently have access to Microsoft 365?
Everything under control?
“Measuring is knowing.” It may sound as worn-out as a sitcom cliché, but the importance of insight into your user and device data is undeniable. The real challenge lies elsewhere: in the sheer number of responsibilities an IT manager typically juggles.
Depending on your team’s scope — endpoint management, application management, security, network operations — you may find yourself constantly switching between ten to fifteen different admin panels. Add to that the never-ending stream of Microsoft updates and patches, and you’ve got a true balancing act on your hands.
The dynamic nature of a platform like Microsoft 365 calls for continuous monitoring and adjustments. Proactive reporting equips IT managers with the tools to identify and resolve issues before they turn into risks.
AXI 365 Proactive Care: proactive overviews of devices, users and applications
Microsoft naturally provides the tools to maintain a certain level of visibility yourself. The various Microsoft Admin Centers, for example, give you insights into your IT infrastructure. Yet the overall complexity — combined with a lack of time or in-house expertise — often means you’re not making optimal use of these tools or, worse, that you’re unable to respond quickly enough to vulnerabilities within the Microsoft 365 platform.
That’s exactly why AXI now offers its AXI 365 Proactive Care program. With AXI 365 Proactive Care, our experts proactively monitor the health and security of your Microsoft 365 environment, allowing you to focus on your core activities.
Through the Microsoft 365 Lighthouse platform, AXI 365 Proactive Care provides you with tailored reports on your security status, compliance, applications, and much more. This way, we keep risks under control proactively and recommend optimizations based on clear reports and actionable insights.
Discover more benefits of AXI 365 Proactive Care
