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Microsoft 365 is a cloud-first platform that gives you access to various services and tools, including OneDrive, Power Apps, course Windows, and many more. Its two main 365 plans that it offers are the Microsoft E3 licence and the Microsoft E5 licence. Both of these plans offer different sets of tools and features, and it is important to know which is suitable for your business before you choose to purchase one. In this article, we will focus on the common security features of the Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 licence, and provide you with a clear idea of which plan meets your organization’s security requirements.  

Microsoft 365 E5 and E3 Security Capabilities 

Microsoft Defender Antivirus : It is a comprehensive security solution that protects against various types of malware, including spyware and viruses. It employs real-time scanning and behavioral analysis to identify and neutralize potential threats before they cause any harm to the integrity of the system. 

Microsoft Intune: It is a mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM) solution, enabling businesses to manage and secure mobile devices used by their workforce. Microsoft Intune ensures that employees can be productive on their mobile devices while implementing the policies to protect organizational data. 

Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (for emails and files): Microsoft E3 and Microsoft E5 licences offer Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP), designed to automatically identify and monitor sensitive data within emails and documents. This tool utilizes a deep content analysis to recognize and protect confidential data, mitigating the risk of data breaches and preventing unauthorized access.  

Microsoft Security and Compliance Center : It serves as a centralized repository for monitoring an organization’s overall compliance status. By providing insights into compliance status, recommending actions to improve compliance, and allowing admins to configure settings, it ensures that the business meets complex compliance requirements.

BitLocker: It is a data encryption tool that addresses the threat of data theft or exposure resulting from lost or stolen computers. BitLocker encrypts the data from storage drives and prevents unauthorized access, even if the physical device is compromised.

Microsoft Secure Score: This tool, under the Microsoft E5 and Microsoft E3 licences, offers a centralized dashboard for organizations to access and improve their security posture. It recommends actions to enhance security by assigning a score based on implemented security measures.   

Device Guard: This security tool helps prevent malicious code from running on your Windows devices. It ensures that only known, trusted, and signed applications can be executed, minimizing the risk of unauthorized software compromising the system.  

Windows Information Protection: Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 licences provide this data leakage prevention feature that helps prevent accidental data leaks on both enterprise and personal devices. It has the ability to distinguish between corporate and personal data and applies appropriate access and encryption control measures to prevent leakage of sensitive information and unintentional sharing.   

Windows Defender Credential Card: Microsoft E3 and Microsoft E5 licences offer this security feature, which is designed to protect derived domain credentials from potential attacks, particularly those aiming to exploit vulnerabilities in credential-based authentication. 

The Microsoft E5 licence carries some extra security features, including Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Identity, and Cloud applications. In addition to these features, it offers Microsoft Defender XDR, Azure information protection plan, and many others. This plan is especially suitable for those organizations looking for extra protection and security features, as they carry more sensitive and confidential information. 

Which Plan Should Your Organization Choose?

Choosing between the Microsoft E3 and Microsoft E5 licences is a challenging task, especially if you are using the Microsoft 365 platform for the first time. The Microsoft E3 licence offers all the major productivity and collaboration apps, along with core security features to protect your information against common threats. On the other hand, if your business deals with a significant amount of sensitive and valuable data or operates in highly risky industries, the Microsoft E5 licence is a worthy investment. It provides advanced security features that some businesses may require for their specific, highly sensitive, and confidential information. 

Choose your plan wisely so that it aligns with your security requirements and helps you protect your data in every way.   

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the key benefits of the Microsoft E5 licence? It delivers the latest version of familiar productivity apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, integrated with Microsoft Teams and other cloud services. It also offers advanced security features like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Identity. 

When is the time to upgrade to the Microsoft 365 E5 plan? If your business deals with a high level of sensitive information and you like to prioritize compliance, you must upgrade your plan to E5, ensuring your data is protected and managed perfectly.