Essential Shield
Essential Shield is our entry tier for SMEs that want to cover the security basics. No tools pushed onto you, but a service: we measure your Microsoft 365 environment, monitor it monthly and report what your management and your IT partner can do with it.
We work on top of your existing licences (Microsoft 365, licences not included) and your existing IT. Your internal team or IT partner keeps doing its job; we are the security layer on top. Our support runs IT-to-IT: your IT team comes to us through the helpdesk portal and fixed contacts. End users stay with your own IT, that is exactly the point.
Every month you sit at the table with a fixed report: what is sharp, where is the risk, what do we do next month. That way your security grows step by step, without enterprise complexity and without project bureaucracy.
What is included
The fundamental security layer every SME needs, as a fixed part of your monthly operation.
Monitoring & protection
Monthly monitoring check
We follow up on your Secure Score, Exposure Score and relevant Microsoft recommendations.
Security follow-up
We see what changes in your tenant and name what needs attention, before it becomes a problem.
Patch follow-up
OS and Microsoft app patches within your existing tooling; we follow up on whether it actually happens.
Support
Third-line M365 support through fixed contacts
Your internal IT can come to us with escalations and technical questions. Your team decides who contacts us; end users do not come to us directly, that is deliberate.
Sparring partner
We validate technical choices and share knowledge with your IT team, so the team gets better at it.
Small changes
The 2-hour rule
Configuration changes up to 2 hours of estimated effort and without architectural impact are included in your monthly fee.
Project work separately
Something bigger, a migration or a structural rework? You get a separate project proposal upfront. No surprises afterwards.
Governance & service moments
Monthly service meeting (1 hour)
Status, risks and priorities with an action list we keep together.
Continuous improvement
We map improvement opportunities and suggest where a project can make the difference.
Scope
Full Microsoft 365 suite
Entra ID, Intune, Defender and Exchange: the full M365 environment falls within the service, no extra modules needed for the basics.
Optional modules
Device Lifecycle can always be added; for those who want deeper monitoring, there is Pro Guard.
Reporting
Quarterly report
Findings, risks and recommendations, readable for your management. Handy towards customers or auditors who ask for proof.
Compliance-aligned
We work according to Microsoft security baselines and keep CyFun in our sights as the next step.
Service details
Starting price
€25–35 per user/month, indicative
Required licence
Microsoft 365 (not included)
Support
Third-line, via fixed contacts, office hours
Who is it for?
Essential Shield is for SMEs with internal IT or an IT partner, but without a security specialist in-house. You want a grip on your M365 security without outsourcing anything.
It fits you if:
- A security audit or CyFun track showed your basics need strengthening.
- You want a fixed security contact point instead of loose ad hoc questions to your IT partner.
- Customers or insurers regularly ask about your security posture.
- You deliberately start small and can scale up to Pro Guard later.
Doubting between Essential Shield and Pro Guard? The audit gives the answer: the tier follows from the findings, not the other way around.
What does it get you?
- Fixed monthly cost, predictable
- One party responsible for your M365 security
- Reports you can show management and customers
- Your IT team gets better, not more dependent
Start your security journey today
Book a free consultation and find out whether Essential Shield fits your company. Honest advice: sometimes an audit is the better first step.
