When user experience breaks in Microsoft 365, security risk follows

Microsoft 365 has transformed how organisations work — but it has also transformed what gets in the way. Designed for speed, flexibility and direct-to-internet connectivity, it delivers convenience users love. Yet that same architecture often sidelines traditional security controls, leaving IT teams blind to what’s happening and users stuck with an experience that’s anything but seamless.

Microsoft’s shift to direct-to-internet connectivity for Microsoft 365 makes sense. It improves performance and reduces latency. But it also routes traffic around traditional security layers, giving IT less visibility and even less control.

Security policies become harder to enforce. Monitoring gets patchy. What used to run through centralised defences now disappears into endpoints and SaaS services.

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s rapid-fire updates to interfaces and admin tools mean IT teams are constantly catching up. Managing user experience across apps, locations and devices is no longer straightforward. It’s inconsistent by default.

When Microsoft 365 performance slips, the consequences are immediate. Collaboration slows. Video calls drop. Apps become unreliable. For many organisations, these aren’t minor disruptions — they’re operational risks. In November 2024, a multi-day outage impacted millions of users across Exchange, Teams and SharePoint.

For 22 percent of organisations, a Microsoft 365 outage brings business to a halt entirely. One in three now consider the platform strategic to business operations. That means any disruption goes far beyond inconvenience.

And when issues persist, users do what they always do — they adapt. They turn to personal devices, upload files to consumer cloud apps or move conversations to unauthorised tools. According to JumpCloud, 65 percent of remote workers admit to using unapproved apps to stay productive. Before long, a user experience problem becomes a security one.

The issue isn’t that security breaks things. It’s that most security models weren’t built to work with Microsoft 365’s modern, cloud-first design. When old enforcement methods are forced onto a new architecture, the result is poor performance, inconsistent control and endless user complaints. The Defence365 framework offers a different approach. It applies security in a way that complements how Microsoft 365 actually works — across locations, devices and risk levels — without rerouting traffic or blocking productivity. Protection runs in the background. Users stay connected. IT stays in control. What this looks like in practice:

Cloud-native enforcement that aligns with Microsoft’s performance model
Consistent policy control across apps, users and locations
Adaptive controls based on identity, location or device
Seamless user experience with no added friction
Unified visibility into usage, behaviour and performance
Fewer support tickets and fewer user workarounds

TrustLayer brings the Defence365 framework to life through four integrated protection layers:

Protect Microsoft 365 email with inline filtering that works natively with Microsoft’s architecture. Block phishing, malware and impersonation without rerouting traffic or breaking mail flow.

Deliver direct-to-internet web protection that keeps users safe without slowing them down. Stop malicious sites, enforce safe browsing and reduce shadow IT without adding friction.

Apply identity-aware access controls with adaptive MFA that supports the way people work. Protect accounts and streamline login experiences across Microsoft 365 and beyond.

Ensure policies are applied consistently and securely across services, users and devices. Maintain stable, secure configurations that keep Microsoft 365 performing as expected.

Microsoft 365 is built for modern work — but delivering a consistent, secure experience takes more than the native toolset. When performance slips and users seek workarounds, the gap between productivity and protection grows.

The Defence365 framework, powered by TrustLayer, closes that gap. It helps organisations keep Microsoft 365 working the way users expect — fast, available and secure — while giving IT the control they need behind the scenes.