Configure tenant-wide settings

Azure AD serves as the foundation for identity and access management services in Microsoft 365. As an administrator, there are several tenant-wide settings you might want to configure:

1. User settings:

• User account management settings: You can specify password expiration policies, account lockout thresholds, and the availability of self-service password reset.
• External collaboration settings: Determine how users can share resources with external parties and whether guest users can be invited by users or only by administrators.
• User feature settings: Enable or disable features such as MyApps, change user profile management options, or use enterprise-state roaming for Windows 10 devices.

2. Company branding:

Customize the sign-in page and Access Panel with company branding. You can add your company logo, custom color schemes, and sign-in page text to provide a consistent corporate identity.

3. Custom domains:

Add and verify custom domains to replace the default onmicrosoft.com domain assigned to you. This is key to maintaining a professional identity for user accounts and email addresses.

4. Authentication methods:

Configure the methods through which users can authenticate. This includes multi-factor authentication (MFA), password protection policies, and the use of FIDO2 security keys.

5. Conditional Access Policies:

• Sign-in risk policies: Automatically apply access controls based on the calculated risk level of a sign-in attempt.
• Device-based conditional access: Grant or block access based on whether the device is compliant with the organization’s standards.

6. License management:

Assign and manage the licenses for your tenants. Ensure that users have the necessary licenses to access the services they need.

Microsoft 365 Security and Compliance Settings

Configuring settings under the Microsoft 365 Security and Compliance center is crucial for protecting data across all of Microsoft 365 services. These include:

1. Security & privacy settings:

Define how data is accessed and handled by configuring data loss prevention (DLP) policies, information barriers, and sensitivity labels.

2. Compliance settings:

Set up retention policies, eDiscovery, and manage the compliance manager to assess and manage your compliance posture.

3. Threat management:

Configure settings related to protecting against threats, such as anti-malware and anti-phishing policies, as well as Safe Links and Safe Attachments settings in Microsoft Defender for Office 365.

SharePoint and OneDrive for Business Settings

As part of tenant-wide settings, configuration in SharePoint and OneDrive for Business is key for content management and collaboration:

1. Sharing settings:

• External Sharing: Define how and with whom files and sites can be shared outside your organization.
• Sharing links: Set the default type of link created when users share files and folders.

2. Site storage limits:

Manage storage limits for SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts.

3. Site creation settings:

Control how sites can be created and who can create them.

4. Sync settings:

Configure sync client settings, such as blocking syncing of specific file types or allowing syncing only on domain-joined computers.

Teams & Skype for Business Settings

Within Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business, tenant-wide settings include:

1. Meeting policies:

Define participation features, such as who can create or join meetings, recording settings, and meeting content sharing options.

2. Messaging policies:

Set standards for chat and channel messaging, such as message edit and delete permissions, GIFs, stickers, and meme usage.

3. Calling policies:

Control features like call forwarding, voicemail, and caller ID policies.

The following table summarizes the areas of tenant-wide settings in Microsoft 365:

By carefully configuring these tenant-wide settings, an Identity and Access Administrator can effectively manage security and access throughout the Microsoft 365 tenant, ensuring compliance with organizational policies and industry regulations. This holistic approach to tenant configuration is one of the critical competencies assessed in the SC-300 exam.