Four layers of protection for your business

Cyber security is no longer about protecting a single device or installing antivirus software. Modern businesses rely on cloud platforms, Microsoft 365, user accounts and digital identities every day – and each creates a potential target for cyber criminals.

A stolen password, compromised identity or loss of business data can be enough to disrupt operations and put sensitive information at risk.

At Cloud Geeni, we believe strong cyber security starts with a consistent foundation. That is why we have developed the Cloud Geeni Security Baseline: four complementary layers of protection around access, data, users and identities.

One baseline. Four layers of protection.

MFA Security – Protect access
Adds an additional verification step to help prevent stolen passwords from being used to access your cloud environment.

Microsoft 365 Backup – Protect data
Creates daily encrypted backups of Microsoft 365 data, providing an independent recovery option if data is lost, deleted or compromised.

Cloud User Protection – Protect users
Continuously monitors Cloud Users for signs of compromise, supported by a 24/7/365 Security Operations Centre.

Identity Threat Detection & Response – Protect identities
Monitors Microsoft identities for suspicious activity and helps contain compromised accounts.

Together, these four layers create a stronger foundation for preventing, detecting, responding to and recovering from cyber security incidents.

Why layered security matters

There is no single security tool that can protect an organisation against every cyber threat.

Modern attacks often involve multiple stages. An attacker might steal a password through phishing, use those credentials to access an account and then attempt to move further into an organisation’s cloud environment or access sensitive data.

Layered security makes that journey more difficult. Instead of relying on one line of defence, different security measures work together to protect different parts of your environment.

The Cloud Geeni Security Baseline applies this principle across four key areas.

1. MFA Security: protecting access

Passwords remain a common target for attackers. They can be stolen through phishing, reused across different services or exposed as part of a data breach.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an additional verification step when a user signs in. This means that even if an attacker obtains a user’s password, the password alone should not be enough to access the protected cloud environment.

MFA provides the first layer of the Security Baseline: helping ensure that the person attempting to access your environment is actually who they claim to be.

Why it matters:

• Helps prevent unauthorised access using stolen credentials.
• Adds protection against account takeover attempts.
• Reduces reliance on passwords as the only barrier to access.

2. Microsoft 365 Backup: protecting your data

Microsoft 365 holds some of an organisation’s most important business information across Exchange, OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint.

While Microsoft protects the underlying cloud infrastructure, organisations remain responsible for important aspects of protecting and managing their own data. Accidental deletion, malicious activity or a compromised account can still result in important information being lost or changed.

Cloud Geeni’s Microsoft 365 Backup provides daily encrypted backups of Microsoft 365 data, stored in UK and EU data centres. This creates an independent recovery option when data needs to be restored. The objective is simple: if important business data is lost or compromised, there is a way to recover it.

Why it matters:

• Provides recovery following accidental deletion or modification.
• Helps protect against data loss following an account compromise.
• Allows historic Microsoft 365 data to be restored when required.
• Adds an independent recovery layer outside the live Microsoft 365 environment.

3. Cloud User Protection: detecting and responding to threats

Preventing an attacker from gaining access is important, but prevention alone is not enough.

Modern attacks are not always immediately visible. An attacker may use legitimate credentials or establish a foothold within an environment, making malicious activity harder to distinguish from normal user behaviour.

Cloud User Protection continuously monitors Cloud Users for signs of compromise. Security information from across the cloud environment is analysed to identify suspicious behaviour.

This monitoring is backed by a 24/7/365 Security Operations Centre (SOC), where security specialists investigate potential threats and respond when necessary.

This means security does not stop at trying to keep attackers out. There is also active monitoring and response if suspicious activity occurs.

Why it matters:

• Helps identify suspicious activity and signs of compromise.
• Provides continuous security monitoring.
• Enables potential incidents to be investigated by security specialists.
• Supports rapid action to contain threats and limit their impact.

4. Identity Threat Detection & Response: protecting digital identities

Digital identities determine what users can access, making them a valuable target for attackers.

A compromised Microsoft identity can potentially provide access to email, files, applications and other business resources. Depending on the account’s permissions, an attacker may also be able to change settings, gain additional privileges or expand their access.

Identity Threat Detection & Response continuously monitors Microsoft identities for behaviour that could indicate compromise, such as unusual sign-in activity or unexpected administrative changes.

If a compromised identity is identified, action can be taken to help contain the threat, including locking the affected account or terminating active sessions.

MFA helps protect the point of access; Identity Threat Detection & Response continues watching the identity after that point.

Why it matters:

• Detects suspicious activity associated with Microsoft identities.
• Helps identify compromised accounts.
• Provides visibility into unusual changes or behaviour.
• Enables action to contain an identity-based attack.

How does the Security Baseline relate to Cyber Essentials?

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recommends Cyber Essentials as the minimum cyber security standard for organisations of all sizes.

The Cloud Geeni Security Baseline provides an important security foundation, but does not in itself provide Cyber Essentials certification.

Cyber Essentials focuses on five technical control areas: firewalls, secure configuration, security updates, malware protection and user access control. These sit alongside the additional layers of protection provided through the Cloud Geeni Security Baseline.

Depending on your organisation and existing IT environment, additional measures may therefore be required as part of your wider cyber security approach or to meet the requirements for Cyber Essentials certification.

Staff security awareness and training are also not included within the Cloud Geeni Security Baseline. Employees play an important role in recognising threats such as phishing, impersonation and social engineering, so awareness and training remain an important part of a wider cyber security approach.

A strong foundation for your cyber security

Cyber security is not a one-off exercise. Technology changes, new vulnerabilities emerge and attackers continually adapt their methods.

The Cloud Geeni Security Baseline therefore isn’t designed to address every possible cyber risk. It provides a consistent security foundation across four critical areas: access, data, users and identities.

From there, the right wider security approach will depend on your organisation, your IT environment and the risks you face.

Ready to strengthen your cyber security?

Every organisation has different risks, systems and security requirements. Cloud Geeni can help you understand your current protection, identify potential gaps and determine which security measures are right for your organisation.

[Talk to our cyber security team]