Can the right product help you keep your data safe?
Many businesses choose Microsoft 365 based on price, not realizing that security features differ dramatically between plans. Business Premium is designed with security-first SMBs in mind. It includes Microsoft Defender for Business, Intune for device management, and most importantly, Conditional Access—a powerful tool to enforce security policies based on user behavior and risk.
We strongly recommend Microsoft 365 Business Premium for SMBs that:
- Handle sensitive customer or financial data
- Have remote or hybrid teams
- Want to reduce the risk of cyberattacks
- Need to meet compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR)
The additional cost is minimal compared to the cost of a data breach or lost productivity from unmanaged devices.
License Features:
What Is Conditional Access?
Conditional Access is like a security guard that checks who is trying to access your company data, from where, and under what conditions. It allows you to set rules such as:
- Block access from unknown or risky locations
- Require MFA only when users are off-network
- Prevent access from unmanaged or personal devices
- Allow access only during business hours
This means your team can work flexibly, but your data stays protected. For example, if someone tries to log in from a country your business doesn’t operate in, access can be automatically blocked or require extra verification.
This level of control is not available in Business Basic, which means you’re relying on users to make good security decisions—without the tools to enforce them.
What is Intune?
Business Premium includes Microsoft Intune, which lets you manage and secure company devices remotely. You can:
- Wipe data from lost or stolen devices
- Push security updates
- Enforce encryption and password policies
This is essential for hybrid or remote teams, and it’s a major gap in Business Basic.
| Feature / Benefit | Business Basic | Business Premium |
| Email & Calendar (Exchange) | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| Web & Mobile Office Apps | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| Desktop Office Apps (Word, Excel, etc.) | ❌ Not included | ✅ Included |
| 1 TB OneDrive Cloud Storage | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| Microsoft Teams | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| Device Management (Intune) | ❌ Not included | ✅ Included |
| Advanced Security (Defender, etc.) | ❌ Not included | ✅ Included |
| Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) | ⚠️ Available but not enforceable by policy | ✅ Enforceable via Conditional Access |
| Conditional Access | ❌ Not available | ✅ Fully available |
| Windows Virtual Desktop Access | ❌ Not included | ✅ Included |