Microsoft 365 Lighthouse – How to Manage your M365 Customers (MSPs)

What is Microsoft 365 Lighthouse

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is a feature of Microsoft 365 that enables organizations to manage, optimize, and secure their Microsoft 365 deployment. It provides a set of tools and features that help administrators and IT professionals monitor and manage their Microsoft 365 environment, including Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS).

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse includes a dashboard that provides visibility into the health and usage of Microsoft 365 services, as well as alerts and notifications for potential issues. It also includes a set of diagnostic and troubleshooting tools that can help administrators identify and resolve issues with their Microsoft 365 deployment.

In addition to monitoring and managing Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Lighthouse also provides guidance and best practices for optimizing and securing the deployment, helping organizations to get the most out of their Microsoft 365 investment. It includes resources such as templates, documentation, and videos to help organizations with tasks such as onboarding users, setting up security policies, and deploying new features.

Requirements to enable the Service

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is an admin portal that helps Managed Service Providers (MSPs) secure and manage devices, data, and users at scale for small- and medium-sized business (SMB) customers.

  • Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is deployed in the partner tenant only — not in the customer tenants, but make sure you and your customer tenants meet the requirements listed in Microsoft 365 Lighthouse requirements.
  • You must be a Global Administrator in the partner tenant that you’re signing in to.

Why you should use it in 2023

Microsoft regularly releases updates and new features for Microsoft 365 Lighthouse. These updates are designed to improve the functionality and usability of the service, and to help organizations better manage and secure their Microsoft 365 deployment.

Features like Risky users, Windows 365 and Data Protection wasn’t there in the first Version of Lighthouse.

Try it out and Register for the Service here:

Sign up for Microsoft 365 Lighthouse

How to Monitor your Customers Inactive Users

Inactive users in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) can potentially pose a security risk to an organization. Inactive users are those who have not signed in to their accounts for a certain period of time, and may not be aware of changes or updates to the organization’s security policies or procedures. These users may also have access to sensitive data or resources, and could potentially be compromised by hackers or malicious actors if their accounts are not properly secured.

To minimize the security risk posed by inactive users, it is recommended that organizations regularly review and monitor their Azure AD user accounts, and take steps to secure or disable inactive accounts as needed. This can help to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data or resources, and ensure that only active and authorized users have access to the organization’s systems and resources.

two other useful tabs are “Search User” and “Shared Mailboxes

  1. Resetting user passwords of all Customer tenants via one dashboard
  2. Display which shared mailboxes are not used, i.e. haven’t had a login in a long time

View Risky Users over all your Customer Tenants

Risky users in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) are those who may pose a security risk to an organization due to their actions or behaviors. This can include users who have accessed sensitive data or resources, or who have been the target of cyber attacks or other security incidents.

Managing risky users in Azure AD is important because it can help organizations to minimize the risk of security breaches or other incidents that could compromise sensitive data or systems. By identifying and addressing risky users, organizations can reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access to sensitive resources, and protect against potential threats to the security of their systems and data.

Important: You only can managed/view Customers with an active Azure AD Premium License.

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse includes a number of features and tools that can help organizations to manage risky users in Azure AD. For example, the Microsoft 365 Risky Sign-ins dashboard provides visibility into potentially risky sign-ins, such as those from unfamiliar locations or devices, and allows administrators to investigate and respond to these events as needed.

By using these and other features in Microsoft 365 Lighthouse, organizations can effectively manage and mitigate the risk posed by risky users in Azure AD, and protect the security of their systems and data.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is a powerful tool for IT professionals and administrators who are responsible for managing and optimizing the deployment of Microsoft 365 in their organizations. It provides a set of tools and features that can help to monitor and manage the health and usage of Microsoft 365 services, as well as troubleshoot and resolve issues with the deployment. In addition to its monitoring and management capabilities, Microsoft 365 Lighthouse also provides guidance and best practices for optimizing and securing the deployment of Microsoft 365. This can be particularly useful for IT partners who are working with multiple customers, as it can help them to efficiently manage and support the Microsoft 365 deployments of their customers.

There are several ways that IT partners can use Microsoft 365 Lighthouse to manage their customers’ Microsoft 365 infrastructure:

  • Monitor the health and usage of Microsoft 365 services: Microsoft 365 Lighthouse provides a dashboard that provides visibility into the health and usage of Microsoft 365 services, as well as alerts and notifications for potential issues. This can help IT partners to quickly identify and resolve any issues with their customers’ deployments.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve issues: Microsoft 365 Lighthouse includes a set of diagnostic and troubleshooting tools that can help IT partners to identify and resolve issues with their customers’ Microsoft 365 deployments. This can include issues with email, SharePoint, or other Microsoft 365 services.
  • Provide guidance and best practices: Microsoft 365 Lighthouse includes resources such as templates, documentation, and videos that can help IT partners to optimize and secure their customers’ Microsoft 365 deployments. This can include tasks such as onboarding users, setting up security policies, and deploying new features.

In this Articel, only two small useful topics are dealt with. Overall, Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is a valuable tool for IT partners who are responsible for managing the deployment of Microsoft 365 for their customers. It can help them to efficiently monitor and manage the deployment, troubleshoot and resolve issues, and provide guidance and best practices for optimizing and securing the deployment. Question?

Nico Wyss

Writer & Blogger

Be the First in Line!

Sign up for a Newsletter.

You have been successfully Subscribed! Ops! Something went wrong, please try again.

© 2023 Copyright