Microsoft 365 Administration¶
Administering Microsoft 365 services: Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and the security and compliance centers.
Why It Matters¶
Microsoft 365 is the productivity backbone for most organizations, and its administration overlaps heavily with identity and security. Mailbox configuration, sharing settings, and audit logging are routine admin tasks that also have direct security impact.
Reference¶
Admin Centers¶
| Center | Scope |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 admin center | Users, licenses, service health |
| Exchange admin center | Mailboxes, mail flow, transport rules |
| Microsoft Entra admin center | Identity, Conditional Access |
| Microsoft Purview | Compliance, audit, data protection |
| Microsoft Defender portal | Threat protection across M365 |
PowerShell¶
# Exchange Online
Install-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement -Scope CurrentUser
Connect-ExchangeOnline
Get-Mailbox -ResultSize 10
Get-InboxRule -Mailbox user@example.com # review for malicious forwarding
The ExchangeOnline-Tools script collects common Exchange Online commands.
Security Essentials¶
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| MFA / Conditional Access | Protect against account takeover |
| Unified Audit Log | Record mailbox and admin activity for investigations |
| Safe Links / Safe Attachments | Defender for Office 365 email protection |
| External sharing settings | Limit data exposure in SharePoint and OneDrive |
How I Use It¶
I administer Exchange Online and the rest of M365 through the PowerShell modules for anything repeatable, and I keep the Unified Audit Log on, since it is what makes a mailbox or account investigation possible later.