Managed Services / Managed Microsoft 365 Security
Managed Microsoft 365
security. Uplift first,
then always on.
Most organisations run on Microsoft 365 and use a fraction of the security they already pay for. We harden your tenant once, closing the gaps that actually expose you, then run and improve those defences month after month. Built for teams that rely on Microsoft 365 but have no appetite to run their own security operation.
The model
Assess. Uplift. Operate.
We are not an IT company that also does security. We are a cybersecurity practice that sells one thing: defensibility. Everything starts with an honest assessment, then a one-time uplift, then ongoing management, so your posture keeps getting stronger instead of drifting.
A clear-eyed review of your Microsoft 365 posture and the gaps that actually expose you. Vendor-neutral, with findings you could take to any provider. This is where we tell you what genuinely needs fixing, not what is easiest to sell.
A one-time hardening of identity, email, devices and data across your Microsoft 365 tenant. We fix what the assessment flagged, closing the gaps that put your business at real risk, and leave you audit-ready.
Ongoing monitoring, response and advisory that keeps your posture improving month on month instead of drifting. Your team stays on the core business; we take the threats, the tooling and the hard calls off your plate.
The outcome
What good looks like.
The uplift is not abstract. Your Microsoft Secure Score climbs as gaps close, and managed operation keeps it there instead of letting it drift back. Here is the shape of that change.
Figures are illustrative. Actual Secure Score gains depend on your starting posture, licensing and how much of the uplift you adopt. We measure your real baseline at the assessment.
Phase 1 · One-time engagement
Security uplift.
A one-time hardening of your Microsoft 365 environment. We assess first, then fix what genuinely needs fixing, closing the gaps that actually expose your business. Nine areas of protection, configured properly rather than left at their defaults.
What's included
Hardened sign-ins, multi-factor authentication, privileged access and single sign-on across your core apps, on managed devices, from anywhere. Company-branded login with enforced terms of use. Built on Microsoft Entra.
Blocks phishing, impersonation and business email compromise, still the primary way Australian organisations get breached. Defender for Office 365.
Stops viruses, malware and ransomware before they take hold, across both company and personal laptops, phones and tablets. Microsoft Intune and Defender.
Classifies sensitive data and guards it against leaks on any device, so information does not walk out the door unnoticed. Microsoft Purview.
Filtering that blocks risky and malicious sites, plus visibility over the unsanctioned cloud apps your people are already using without telling anyone.
AI that learns what normal looks like in your tenant and catches new attack patterns early, before they turn into an incident.
Finds and closes security weak points across your systems, and centralises your security activity logs so nothing important goes unrecorded. Defender XDR and Sentinel.
A full year of computer-based staff training and realistic phishing simulations, so your people stop being the easiest way in. Delivered through KnowBe4.
Business outcomes
Phase 2 · Ongoing operation
Managed security.
We run, tune and continually improve your defences: monitoring, responding and advising month after month, so your posture keeps getting stronger instead of drifting. The uplift closes today's gaps; managed security makes sure new ones do not open while you are focused elsewhere.
What's included
Threat hunting, response and the ongoing closing of weaknesses, with a clear, plain-English monthly report. Your Microsoft Secure Score climbs over time instead of slipping.
Behaviour-based AI that keeps adapting to new attacker tactics. Not a set-and-forget rule that ages badly the moment attackers change approach.
Strategic guidance and regular policy reviews from a principal consultant, at a cadence set by your tier. Someone accountable for the direction, not just the tooling.
Onboarding users and licences, rotating credentials, and setting up single sign-on smoothly for every new starter, so access stays tidy as your team changes.
Defences tuned as attacker tactics change, quarantined email reviewed and released when you need it, and protection policies extended to new company and personal devices.
Evolving training plans with recurring phishing simulations, so susceptibility keeps falling and you have the evidence to prove it.
Business outcomes
Packages
Compare plans.
Three tiers, matched to your risk profile: data sensitivity, compliance obligations and breach impact. Not sure which fits? We assess first, then recommend the right level for your actual risk, not the biggest package we can sell you.
| FoundationalTechnicalLow regulatory exposure, standard data. | RecommendedManagedTacticalSensitive data & client obligations. | GovernedStrategicRegulated, insured or board-accountable. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security uplift · one-time | |||
| Identity — logins, passwords & SSO | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email protection | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Device protection | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| User behaviour protection by AI | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Data loss & leakage protection | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Internet protection | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vulnerability remediation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Security awareness training (CBT) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Phishing simulation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Managed security · ongoing | |||
| User behaviour analysis by AI | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vulnerability remediation & threat hunting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ongoing security report (monthly) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| vCISO consultation with a principal consultant | Quarterly | Monthly | Fortnightly |
| Security awareness training (CBT) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ongoing phishing simulation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fine-tuning identity & email protection | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fine-tuning device & data protection | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| SOC monitoring & incident response | – | 9×5 | 24×7 |
We do not publish fixed prices, because the right scope depends on your user count, device count and obligations. We scope and price after an assessment, so you pay for the coverage you actually need.
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Why Cliffside
Not the biggest package.
The right one.
Most managed security providers sell fixed products at fixed prices, shaped by the tooling they have invested in rather than the risk profile of your organisation. We work the other way around.
Assessment before service
Every engagement starts with an honest assessment. We recommend the tier that fits your actual risk, and we will tell you if a lower tier is enough. Honest recommendations, even when they cost us revenue.
Defensibility, not tooling
We are not an IT company that also does security. We sell one thing: defensibility. Continuous, defensible evidence for your board, your auditors and your insurer, not a dashboard nobody reads.
Practitioner-led delivery
The same practitioners who assess your tenant, run the uplift and advise your leadership are the people operating your defences. One team, one view of your environment, no handoff to a helpdesk.
Built on what you already pay for
We get the security value out of the Microsoft 365 licences you already hold, then add best-of-breed where it counts. No rip-and-replace, no tooling you do not need.
Frequently asked questions.
What is managed Microsoft 365 security?
How is this different from the Microsoft 365 security we already pay for?
Do we need the one-time uplift, or can we go straight to managed?
Which tier is right for us?
What does the SOC monitoring cover, and when?
How much does managed Microsoft 365 security cost?
Get secure.
Then stay secure.
Book a free assessment. We will review your Microsoft 365 posture, tell you which gaps genuinely expose you, and recommend the tier that fits your actual risk, not the biggest one we can sell.