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·6 min read

How MSPs and MSSPs Can Automate Microsoft 365 Security Assessments (and Save Hours Every Week)

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“Security is a journey, not a destination. It requires constant improvement and automation.” — Microsoft Security Blog

The threat landscape is rapidly evolving — and MSPs and MSSPs are on the front lines.

From phishing campaigns and credential stuffing to insider threats and misconfigured cloud environments, today’s Microsoft 365 environments are under constant attack. And while Microsoft 365 provides powerful built-in protections, most breaches are not caused by zero-days — they’re caused by misconfiguration and oversight.

That’s why automated Microsoft 365 security assessments are not just useful — they’re essential. For MSPs and MSSPs, they’re also a strategic advantage.

In this guide, we’ll explore:

  • Why security assessments in Microsoft 365 are critical for MSPs/MSSPs
  • The pain points and risks of manual assessments
  • How automation improves speed, consistency, and scalability
  • Sample PowerShell scripts you can use today
  • Why Optimize365 is the ultimate solution for automating assessments at scale

Why Microsoft 365 Security Assessments Are Critical

Microsoft 365 has become the de facto productivity platform for small and large businesses alike. However, its flexibility is a double-edged sword. Out of the box, tenants are not configured for security-first operation.

According to Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report:

"More than 99% of attacks could be mitigated by basic security hygiene, including multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, and endpoint hardening."

Misconfigurations in Microsoft 365 can include:

  • Disabled MFA for users or admins
  • Excessive guest access in SharePoint or Teams
  • Legacy authentication still allowed
  • Weak password policies or lack of conditional access
  • Inactive accounts with administrative privileges

MSPs and MSSPs bear the burden of detecting and fixing these issues across dozens — or even hundreds — of tenants. Doing this manually is no longer feasible.

The Limitations of Manual Security Audits

Here’s what a typical manual assessment process might look like:

  1. Log into the [Microsoft 365 Admin Center] (https://admin.microsoft.com/)
  2. Click through Azure AD, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, Intune
  3. Export data manually (CSV or screenshots)
  4. Write a custom report per client
  5. Try to maintain consistency across assessments

This process:

  • Is slow (3–6 hours per client on average)
  • Is inconsistent (depends on who runs it)
  • Is not scalable (limited by staff time)
  • Delays response to security drift
  • Makes reporting and trend analysis a nightmare

It also puts MSPs and MSSPs at risk if they miss something critical — because the client will hold them responsible.

Automating Microsoft 365 Security Assessments: The Benefits

Speed

Automation allows you to scan entire Microsoft 365 tenants in seconds. You get actionable insights instantly — instead of spending hours gathering them.

Consistency

Automated assessments use the same rules, benchmarks, and controls for every tenant — ensuring fairness and reducing errors.

Audit Readiness

You can schedule recurring assessments and keep historical logs of findings and remediations. This helps during internal audits or compliance events like ISO 27001 or SOC 2.

Real-Time Visibility

Instead of quarterly snapshots, you can monitor for drift and misconfigurations on a daily or weekly basis.

Cost Efficiency

Automating this work saves hours of manual effort. That time can now be spent on higher-value activities like advisory services, compliance, or threat detection.

PowerShell: The Manual Alternative (Example Script)

Some MSPs try to automate assessments using PowerShell. It's powerful — but comes with complexity, especially when scaling to multiple tenants.

Here's a basic example of a script to check Microsoft 365 users without MFA enabled:

# Requires MSOnline module
Connect-MsolService

# Get all users
$users = Get-MsolUser -All

# Find users without MFA enabled
$users | Where-Object { $_.StrongAuthenticationRequirements.Count -eq 0 } | 
Select-Object UserPrincipalName, DisplayName

You can expand this script to generate CSVs or reports, but managing versions, securing credentials, and running this across dozens of tenants becomes a nightmare without centralized automation.

Microsoft’s View on Automation

Even Microsoft itself recommends moving toward automation:

“We encourage all organizations to automate security configuration, posture checks, and remediation using Microsoft Graph APIs, Secure Score, and security baselines.”
— Microsoft Compliance Center Documentation

Tools like Microsoft Secure Score, Compliance Manager, and Defender for Cloud Apps are valuable — but they:

  • Don’t support full cross-tenant visibility for MSPs
  • Lack white-label or client-friendly reporting
  • Don’t easily integrate into your MSP stack

For true automation, MSPs and MSSPs need more than APIs and Excel.

Enter Optimize365: Automate Security Assessments the Smart Way

Optimize365 is built specifically for MSPs and MSSPs managing Microsoft 365 environments at scale. It consolidates all the manual steps you’d normally perform into one intelligent, automated workflow.

Features That Make It a Game Changer

Unified Tenant Management

Manage and assess dozens (or hundreds) of Microsoft 365 tenants from one dashboard.

Instant Security Scanning

Run full security configuration scans across Azure AD, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive in seconds.

Beautiful, Branded Reports

Export client-facing reports with your logo, customized executive summaries, and clear remediation steps.

Automated Scheduling

Run monthly, quarterly, or ad-hoc assessments — no manual triggers needed.

Risk-Based Prioritization

Highlight the most critical misconfigurations based on industry best practices, not just raw data dumps.

PSA/RMM Integrations

Connect Optimize365 with your ticketing and monitoring tools for real-time remediation workflows.

Final Thoughts: Automate or Fall Behind

If you're an MSP or MSSP still running Microsoft 365 security assessments manually, you're not just wasting time — you're leaving clients vulnerable.

The modern security stack is automated. So should your assessment process be.

As Microsoft points out:

“Cybersecurity is a team sport, and automation is your best player.” — Microsoft Secure

With tools like Optimize365, you don’t just save time — you build trust, scale efficiently, and offer clients a premium service.

Ready to Automate Microsoft 365 Assessments?

Stop juggling scripts, spreadsheets, and screenshots. Start delivering security assessments at scale — the smart way.

** Try Optimize365 for free today and see how effortless automation can be.**

You'll reduce assessment time from hours to minutes — and prove your value like never before.