Start-ups on Microsoft 365 - what security stuff did you wish you’d done earlier?

[Ben_Nova_Blue]

Title idea:
Start-ups on Microsoft 365 — what security stuff did you wish you’d done earlier?

Hi everyone,

I keep seeing the same thing with start-ups, you get Microsoft 365 up and running fast (email, Teams, OneDrive/SharePoint)… and security is something you “get to later”. Then a dodgy email lands, an account gets probed, or someone clicks the thing they shouldn’t.

We’re a small Microsoft-focused security company (Nova Blue) and we’ve put together a simple managed setup for teams of under 10 users called MIDAS Micro (and a slightly beefier MIDAS Micro Plus). The whole idea is: get the basics right early without turning the business into an IT admin exercise.

MIDAS Micro is basically:

• Lock down Microsoft 365 properly (secure-by-default setup)
• Keep an eye on things 8×5 and respond if anything looks off
• Basic device monitoring (so laptops/mobiles aren’t a total blind spot)
• Email security (phishing/spam/spoofing/malware filtering)

Think: lock the doors first, then keep watch.

MIDAS Micro Plus is for start-ups that want stronger controls and/or are aiming for Cyber Essentials / Cyber Essentials Plus — more device hardening, closer alignment to what CE/CE+ expects.

What I’d love from this group (especially anyone running a small business):

1. What are your must-dos on day one for Microsoft 365?
2. What do you DIY vs pay for help with early on?
3. Biggest headache for small teams: time, cost, usability, or just not knowing what’s sensible?
4. If you’ve done Cyber Essentials / CE+, what surprised you? What would you do sooner next time?
5. What matters most: fewer hacked accounts, less phishing pain, quicker response, or just peace of mind?

Not trying to turn this into a sales pitch, genuinely interested in what’s worked (and what hasn’t) for real small businesses.