Enhancing Not-for-Profit Security: Insights and Strategies from Our Microsoft 365 Endpoint Management Webinar
In today’s digital landscape, not-for-profit organisations face an unprecedented wave of cybersecurity threats. As highlighted in our recent webinar, the sector’s vulnerability is growing due to limited resources, evolving attack tactics, and the sensitive nature of data held by NFPs. Australia & New Zealand now ranks as the 10th most targeted countries for cyber-attacks, with NFPs and NGOs becoming the fourth most targeted sector globally.
The Evolving Threat Landscape
Our presenters, Sean Hartman and Vimal Vamadevan, shared findings from the 2025 NFP Sector Digital Technology Report. Despite rising risks, cybersecurity investment in the sector has declined, and nearly half of organisations lack a documented cyber plan or regular awareness training. One in six NFPs in our region experienced a breach in the past year.
Key risks include:
- Sophisticated cyberattacks from nation-state actors and organised crime groups targeting NFPs for their missions and sensitive data
- Identity attacks that remain mostly password-based, with phishing as the most successful vector. Microsoft has observed a surge from 4,000 to 7,000 attacks per second in the past year
- Unmanaged devices responsible for over 90% of successful attacks, highlighting the need for robust endpoint management
Microsoft Intune: Securing Endpoints and Empowering Teams
Emphasising its role in securing endpoints for NFPs, Microsoft Intune enables organisations to:
- Enroll and manage devices (Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone) with security baselines tailored to diverse user groups, including remote and frontline workers
- Support BYOD and device retirement, ensuring organisational data is protected even on personal devices and securely wiped when devices are repurposed
- Integrate with Defender, Purview, and Office 365, offering a unified management interface that reduces operational costs and risk by consolidating tools
- Adopt Zero Trust principles, allowing only authenticated and compliant users and devices to access resources, leveraging cloud-based identity management and SharePoint for secure file services
Advanced Features: Automation and Proactive Security
Intune’s advanced capabilities help NFPs stay ahead of threats:
- Auto Patch and Hot Patching automate deployment of updates, including Windows, Office 365, and drivers, ensuring devices are secure without disrupting productivity. Hot patching in Windows 11 25H2 installs security fixes instantly without requiring a reboot
- Access policies and delegated administration allow support teams to propose policy changes, reviewed by senior admins, streamlining operations and fostering continuous learning
Passwordless Authentication: Security and Privacy
Passwordless options like Windows Hello and Microsoft Authenticator address both security and privacy concerns. Biometric data is stored locally on the device and never transmitted to Microsoft, providing a secure and user-friendly authentication experience.
AI-Driven Security: Microsoft Security Copilot
Microsoft Security Copilot, an AI-powered assistant for security operations. Security Copilot leverages GPT-powered natural language processing to:
- Automate incident response and triage
- Provide remediation guidance
- Analyse scripts for malicious content
- Assist with device troubleshooting, policy conflict identification, and compliance reporting
Security Copilot is now included for E5 license holders, with access determined by secure compute units. Details for non-E5 NFPs are emerging following recent Microsoft Ignite announcements.
Book a meeting with us today to discover how Generation-e can help bring Microsoft 365 to life across your Not-for-Profit organisation.
