Zero Trust has become cybersecurity's buzzword. Every vendor tells you that you need their product to "implement Zero Trust." The reality? If you already use Microsoft 365 Business Premium - and most Italian SMEs do - you already have the tools to start. No additional investment, no product to buy.
The basic principle of Zero Trust is simple: trust nobody, always verify. Every access, from any device, from any location, must be verified. Being "inside the network" is not enough to get access - you must prove who you are, where you're accessing from, with what device, and whether your behavior is consistent.
Conditional Access: the heart of the strategy
Conditional Access in Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) lets you define granular policies. Access to SharePoint only from compliant devices? Done. Mandatory MFA for access outside the office? Done. Automatic block for access from high-risk countries? Done. Each policy is configured in minutes and applies immediately.
My typical configuration for an SME: mandatory MFA for everyone (non-negotiable), device compliance through Intune (even just to verify Windows is updated), block access from countries where the company doesn't operate, reduced session timeouts for sensitive applications, and risk-based conditional access calculated by Identity Protection.
The result? A security level that five years ago would have required enterprise investments, achieved with a license the company is already paying for. Zero Trust is not a product - it is a strategy. And the tools to implement it are probably already in your M365 tenant.
If you want to dive deeper into this topic or need specialized consulting, let us talk.
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