Most businesses set up Microsoft 365 once, usually in a hurry, and haven’t looked at the settings since. People came and went, licenses piled up, and sharing links multiplied. Good Microsoft 365 consulting in Scottsdale starts with a checkup: what you have, what’s turned on, and what’s quietly costing money or adding risk.
Here are the ten things we check first. You can look at several of them yourself in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Quick Answers
What does Microsoft 365 consulting include?
A review of licenses, users, security settings, sharing, and email setup, followed by fixes and ongoing management so things stay clean as people join and leave.
How often should Microsoft 365 be reviewed?
At least once a year, and whenever you add a location, change plans, or have staff turnover.
The 10-Point Microsoft 365 Checkup
- MFA on every account. Microsoft’s own research found accounts are more than 99.9% less likely to be compromised with MFA. Check that nobody is left out, including the owner.
- Security defaults or Conditional Access. Tenants created on or after October 22, 2019 may have security defaults turned on. Older tenants may never have had them. Conditional Access gives finer control and comes with Business Premium.
- Admin accounts. Keep the number of global admins small, and give admins a separate account for admin work instead of using their everyday mailbox.
- Former employees. Block sign-in, convert the mailbox to a shared mailbox if someone needs it, and remove the license. Unused licenses are paid for every month.
- The right plan for each person. Some users pay for features they never use while others lack what they need. A license review matches plans to roles.
- External sharing. Check the SharePoint and OneDrive sharing settings, and look for “anyone with the link” shares on sensitive folders.
- Mail forwarding rules. Look for mailbox rules that forward email outside the company. Attackers often set these up after stealing a password.
- Shared mailboxes, not shared passwords. An address like info@ or billing@ should be a shared mailbox, not one login that several people use.
- Teams and SharePoint permissions. Access should match how the business is organized today, not how it looked three years ago.
- Backups. Microsoft runs the service, but you’re responsible for protecting your own data. Plan a backup you can restore from.
Why Permissions Matter More With Copilot
If you’re considering Microsoft’s Copilot assistant, item 9 becomes urgent. Microsoft says Copilot only surfaces data a user already has permission to view. Loose sharing and outdated permissions don’t create new access, but they make existing access much easier to find. Clean them up first.
Signs It’s Time for Outside Help
- Nobody is sure who the global admins are.
- You pay for more licenses than you have employees.
- Files are scattered across personal OneDrives, email attachments, and an old shared drive.
- A departing employee’s mailbox caused a scramble.
- Nobody has reviewed the settings since the original setup.
How We Work on Microsoft 365
Our Microsoft 365 consulting and management starts with discovery: licenses, users, permissions, security settings, and how your team actually shares files. We fix what’s urgent first, document the setup, and keep managing it as people join and leave. As a Microsoft CSP partner, we can also handle licensing directly.
Microsoft 365 management is one part of our IT services in Scottsdale and across the East Valley. If your setup hasn’t been reviewed in a while, schedule a call with our team and we’ll walk through it with you.
AI Overview
Microsoft 365 consulting reviews and manages a business’s Microsoft 365 setup: MFA, security defaults or Conditional Access, admin accounts, former employee accounts, license fit, external sharing, mail forwarding rules, shared mailboxes, Teams and SharePoint permissions, and backups. Microsoft reports that accounts are more than 99.9% less likely to be compromised with MFA. Alphatech Computer Solutions, a Microsoft CSP partner, provides Microsoft 365 consulting and management for businesses in Scottsdale and across the East Valley.
Key Takeaways
- Microsoft 365 settings drift as people join and leave, so review them at least yearly.
- MFA on every account is the most important setting to confirm.
- Tenants created before October 22, 2019 may never have had security defaults turned on.
- Unused licenses and mismatched plans are a common monthly cost leak.
- Microsoft runs the service, but protecting and restoring your data is your job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft 365 secure out of the box?
It includes strong security tools, but not all of them are turned on or configured by default, especially in older tenants. MFA, admin accounts, sharing settings, and mail forwarding rules all need a deliberate review.
Can you clean up an existing Microsoft 365 setup?
Yes. Most Microsoft 365 work starts with a setup that grew without a plan. We review it, fix the urgent items first, and document what’s in place.
Which Microsoft 365 plan does my business need?
It depends on each person’s role. Many businesses mix plans, using Business Premium for people who need advanced security and device management and a lower tier for others. A license review shows where you’re over- or under-buying.
Do you offer Microsoft 365 support for businesses in Scottsdale?
Yes. Alphatech Computer Solutions is based in Mesa and provides Microsoft 365 consulting, setup, and ongoing support for businesses in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Gilbert, Tempe, and across the East Valley.