Every company that relies on internet-connected tools must deal with the potential of cyberattacks. Hackers continually seek ways to gain unauthorized access to platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365 and exploit any existing vulnerabilities. This article addresses the most significant Dynamics 365 cybersecurity threats users encounter and provides solutions for mitigating them. By following these guidelines, you can help ensure that bad actors don’t get the chance to damage your company’s reputation and put the data you protect at risk.
1. Phishing Attacks
One of the most effective tools used by cyber attackers is to exploit human behavior and communication channels that companies rely on. Their goal is to deceive a user into giving up sensitive data like:
- Login Credentials
- Financial Details
- Access to Backend Systems
Dynamics 365 provides a centralized hub for financial records, customer data, sales pipelines, and supply chain information. It would be easy for a hacker to compromise business operations if they managed to gain access.
Phishing campaigns involve sending emails with fake login pages that look like an official Microsoft sign-in interface. They may also contain malicious links that collect a user’s login information when clicked. Attackers sometimes have attachments linked that can deploy malware that harvest authentication tokens and session cookies.
Below are some of the most effective ways of counteracting phishing attacks.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Use MFA in all Dynamics 365 modules as an additional verification step to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
- Conditional Access Policies: Restrict access to Dynamics 365 based on factors like user location, device compliance, or login irregularities.
- Email Protection: Use tools like Microsoft Defender for Office 365 to scan emails for known phishing signals, suspicious URLs, and malicious attachments.
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Limit users' access to specific areas in Dynamics 365 based on their job role.
2. Malware and Ransomware
Malware and ransomware are favorites of attackers looking to disrupt essential business processes. They do this by stealing sensitive information or blocking authorized users from accessing necessary data. The fallout can include financial and reputational damage if the threat is not handled correctly.
These attacks usually start with users interacting with malicious content, such as an infected email attachment sent during a phishing attempt. A hacker might also find ways to compromise an endpoint to install malware or ransomware.
Malware can perform actions like injecting tokens into browsers to enable access to your company’s Dynamics 365 platform or installing remote tools that control devices used to access the instance. If ransomware infiltrates a user’s machine, it can encrypt local files, shared drives, or synced services like OneDrive or SharePoint, both of which companies often integrate with Dynamics 365.
Below are some steps your organization can take to counteract malware and ransomware threats:
- Endpoint Protection: Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools like Microsoft Defender can detect, isolate, and remediate malware infections before they spread into Dynamics 365.
- Cloud App Security: Set up Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps to monitor potential infections and prevent compromised devices from connecting to Dynamics 365.
- Backup and Recovery Planning: Even though Microsoft automatically backs up cloud data, it’s a good idea for organizations to have contingency plans that involve backing up configurations and data exports from Dynamics 365.
3. Insider Threats
There are several ways that insider threats can manifest:
- A disgruntled employee with administrative rights exports, manipulates, alters, or exports sensitive data
- Employees leak information because of misconfigured sharing settings or careless behavior
- Someone inadvertently sends an attachment containing malware to other users in the company
Due to the way the Microsoft ecosystem operates, a single insider action can have far-reaching consequences. Someone in marketing could download a contact list from Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and send it to an external contact because they are not aware of company policies prohibiting this action. That can lead to regulatory breaches and intellectual property loss.
Below are some ways companies can deal with insider threats:
- Set up Audit Logs: Track all user actions, including data exports, deletions, and privilege changes. Microsoft 365 also provides compliance tools that can detect abnormal user behavior, such as mass downloads or attempts to access sensitive information outside of regular business hours.
- Cut off Former Employers and Contractors: Ensure that access to Dynamics 365 is terminated immediately upon separation from the company.
- Use Insider Risk Management Tools: Find solutions capable of looking for risks based on user behavior, including policy violations.
4. Data Breaches
A successful phishing attack or a compromised user account can quickly lead to a data breach. If someone manages to get into your company’s Microsoft 365 instances, they can easily access critical data. This can trigger fines in industries regulated by HIPAA or PCI-DSS. The damage gets compounded the longer a data breach goes undetected.
Below are some ways you can defend your Dynamics 365 instance from data breach attempts:
- Enforce Identity and Access Management (IAM): Use Azure ID to implement strong identity management along with enforcing MFA for all users.
- Use Data Encryption: Make sure data at rest or in transit is encrypted with Microsoft-managed keys or those generated by other trusted tools.
- Perform Regular Assessments and Penetration Testing: Conduct routine security checks and penetration testing to identify any vulnerabilities present in Dynamics 365 integrations, user settings, and integrations.
5. Cloud Security Misconfigurations
You can find misconfigurations in multiple levels of Dynamics 365, including user access controls and API endpoints. A common one often found is assigning users broad privileges to various areas of the platform instead of limiting them by job role. Some companies still do not enforce MFA or conditional access policies. A hacker could exploit stolen credentials and bypass login restrictions.
Below are some of the ways your organization can mitigate this specific threat:
- Enforce Least Privilege Access: Use the principle of least privilege to assign users only the permissions necessary to perform their job function.
- Secure Integrations and APIs: Conduct a security review of all third-party integrations and custom APIs to ensure they are not vulnerable to attack.
- Automate Configuration Audits: Perform automatic reviews of your configuration settings using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.
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Internet eBusiness Solutions (IES) helps organizations harden their platforms against potential cyber threats. Learn more about how we can help by contacting one of our representatives.