People refer to it as both those terms and shorthand as M365 and O365. There’s lots of configuration on your end to maximize your Microsoft Office 365 email securityīefore I dive deeper, Microsoft 365 was formerly known as Office 365. Microsoft has been improving its security features but its default settings are frankly terrible. The cloud email application for Office 365 users has always been a breeding ground for phishing, malware and very targeted data breaches. Once a hacker has bypassed your email, it’s easy for them to steal sensitive data like Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and even intellectual property. It is the easiest way for bad guys to spread ransomware, spyware, worms, different types of malware, social engineering attacks and other cyber threats.

Frankly, their default settings are horrible!Įmail security is important because it is the most common attack vector for attackers looking to gain entry into an enterprise network. The bad guys will walk right in! Unfortunately, Microsoft Office 365 email security leaves much to be desired. If you only need Word, Excel, PowerPoint and have basic needs, LibreOffice is free and might be good enough, although it's not perfect.An email server with weak security settings is like a castle without a wall. If you use multiple devices and not share a PC, 365 is probably cheaper despite the subscription. (and always kept up to date with the most recent features) (unless it is obsolete of security updates in Oct 2026 - then you should buy another)ģ65 is subscription. each licensed user can use the desktop app on 5 devices which they own/use, but only that user is allowed to use it - the license is tied to the person.Ģ021 is a one-time price. Of the Desktop Apps SKUs, it usually includes Outlook and some other goodies. Anyone can jump onto that PC or Mac to use it, as long as it's non-commercial - the license is not tied to a person.ģ65 comes in Home version (non-commercial) and Business/Enterprise versions (a bit of set up requirements), of different feature levels.

Updates are good until October 2026 but some new features or online-enhanced features (including future features) are not included - it is locked to the feature level as of 2021. H&S is for Non-commercial use on 1 PC or Mac and includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint.

Microsoft office 2021 vs 365 reddit