Maximise your Microsoft 365 investment: Activate the security you already own

This phrase sums up a costly reality for many organisations. Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 licences come loaded with enterprise-grade security capabilities, yet most companies use only a small fraction of what they own. Productivity tools like Teams and Office are widely adopted, but powerful security features often remain untouched or left at default settings. The result? A costly disconnect where businesses are investing in top-tier security but not fully leveraging its value.

The scale of underutilisation is striking. More than half of enterprise Microsoft 365 licences are inactive, underused or over-provisioned ^[4]. In E5 environments, nearly 25% of seats sit entirely idle, and many users could be moved to more cost-effective plans without impact ^[4]. Meanwhile, configuration maturity lags behind: the average Microsoft Secure Score is just 49%, with only a small minority reaching the robust benchmark of 75–80% [5]. As Gartner highlights, over 99% of cloud breaches through 2025 will stem from avoidable misconfigurations or human error, not platform vulnerabilities ^[6].

Microsoft’s security stack consistently delivers strong performance. Defender for Endpoint has achieved full detection coverage in independent testing, and Microsoft is consistently recognised as a leader in endpoint protection ^[7][8]. When combined with Defender for Office 365, Defender for Cloud Apps, and Purview Information Protection, the suite forms an integrated defence across email, identity, endpoints and cloud apps, intercepting complex threats that siloed tools often miss ^[1][7]. Forrester studies report faster incident response, stronger ROI, and improved outcomes when these tools are actively used ^[9][10]. One organisation cut its cybersecurity spend by 20% simply by consolidating onto Microsoft ^[11].

In our experience helping clients build and evolve their security operations, the answer is clear: many teams lack the time, bandwidth, or expertise to unlock the full potential of what they already own. Deploying Microsoft’s security tools isn’t about flipping switches, it requires deliberate planning, deep technical understanding, and a clear vision for how to extract real-world value from the platform.

Additionally, in a crowded security market overflowing with “silver bullet” promises, many organisations overlook the fact that the solutions they need are already embedded in their Microsoft licences. The challenge isn’t access to technology, it’s access to the expertise needed to activate and operationalise it effectively, while not getting distracted by the noise that the cyber security industry has become known for. With constant pressure to evaluate new tools and vendors, teams often find themselves stuck in decision paralysis, chasing innovation instead of extracting value. The result is fragmented security environments, duplicated capabilities, and missed opportunities.

Optimising licence usage can reduce costs by up to 14%, while consolidating tools can cut security and compliance spending by as much as 60% ^[4][10]. Enabling built-in security controls boosts compliance, improves audit outcomes, and significantly lowers breach risk ^[9]. In short, smarter use of existing investments improves both resilience and efficiency. From our experience, this has helped many CISOs we’ve worked with in building strong relationships with their C-Suite, including the most cost-conscious CFOs.

How can we help?

At PwC Digital Services, we empower organisations to unlock the full value of Microsoft 365 security—without needing to grow internal teams. We assess entitlements and configurations, deliver practical roadmaps, and implement high-impact capabilities like Microsoft Defender Suite, Extended Detection and Response (XDR), and Microsoft Sentinel. Our team also ensures ongoing optimisation so that your progress is sustained, not temporary. With cyber threats growing and budgets tightening, the opportunity isn’t to buy more—it’s to activate the powerful defences you already own. Let us help you make the most of your existing security capabilities.