Digital Transformation and Security Modernization Using Microsoft 365

The College successfully transitioned from legacy on-premises infrastructure to a fully cloud-based environment using Microsoft 365, enabling a secure, collaborative, and modern digital workspace for both students and staff.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Deployed Microsoft Defender for Office 365 across all staff accounts to provide advanced protection against phishing, malware, and other email-borne threats. This included configuring:

Safe Attachments to scan and detonate suspicious files in a secure environment

Anti-phishing and anti-malware policies

Threat Investigation and Response Tools to monitor and act on potential risks

Safe Links to protect users from malicious URLs in real time.

These measures significantly enhanced the College’s email security posture and safeguarded sensitive communications.

Microsoft Intune – Device and Application Management

Implemented Microsoft Intune to manage and secure devices used by students and faculty. Key actions included:

Enrolling institutional mobile devices and iPads for centralized management

Defining compliance policies to ensure only secure, up-to-date devices access College resources

Applying application protection policies to safeguard data on both managed and personal (BYOD) devices

This ensured consistent security standards across all endpoints, while supporting flexible learning and teaching environments.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Rolled out Microsoft Defender for Endpoint across all Windows-based devices to strengthen endpoint security. The deployment featured:

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) for real-time threat monitoring

Automated investigation and remediation to reduce response times

Integration with Microsoft 365 Defender for a unified security ecosystem

This provided comprehensive visibility and control over device health and threat activity.

Secure Authentication and Conditional Access

Enhanced identity and access management by implementing:

These measures were applied across the student and staff population to ensure secure, seamless access to College resources.

Conditional Access policies to enforce access controls based on user location, device compliance, and risk level

Passwordless authentication using FIDO2 security keys and passkeys

SharePoint Online Migration

Migrated all data from legacy file servers to SharePoint Online, establishing a structured and accessible document management system. The migration included:

Creation of a centralized hub site with department-specific sub-sites