Microsoft-First. Security-First. Human.
MFA ISN’T ENOUGH: 5 IDENTITY CONTROLS COUNTIES CAN IMPLEMENT WITHOUT NEW HEADCOUNT
Most county security incidents start the same way: a login that shouldn’t have worked. MFA is essential—but it’s no longer the finish line. Counties running Microsoft 365 often already have powerful identity protections included in licensing. They just aren’t turned on or configured in the right order.
This is about using what you already own—without adding budget or staffing.
WHY IDENTITY IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT SECURITY LAYER
Identity is the new perimeter. County employees sign in from home networks, personal devices, field locations, and everywhere in between. When attackers compromise an account, they don’t look like attackers — they look like a legitimate employee with access to email, files, and systems.
The good news: you likely already have the tools you need.
5 HIGH-IMPACT IDENTITY CONTROLS FOR COUNTY IT TEAMS
CONDITIONAL ACCESS
Conditional Access policies block or challenge suspicious logins based on location, device, or sign-in risk.
QUICK STEP
- Block legacy authentication
- Require MFA for admin roles
LEAST PRIVILEGE ACCESS
Administrative access should be rare, role-based, and temporary. Permanent admin privileges create unnecessary risk.
QUICK STEP
Review all global admin accounts and remove any without a documented operational need.
SEPARATE ADMIN ACCOUNTS
IT staff should use dedicated administrative accounts for elevated tasks, separate from their everyday email accounts.
DISABLE LEGACY AUTHENTICATION
Legacy protocols bypass modern security protections and should be disabled wherever possible.
MONITOR SIGN-IN RISK
Regularly review Microsoft Entra ID sign-in logs and risk alerts to identify suspicious activity early.
WHY THIS IS ACHIEVABLE
These controls are configuration changes—not large projects. Most organizations can implement them incrementally, starting with the highest-impact improvements.
Security posture improves fastest when organizations start with a clear baseline.
READY TO SEE WHERE YOU STAND?
Start with a conversation, or run a quick baseline to understand your current risk posture and improvement opportunities.
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