Security Is Already in Your Licensing Stack—You Just Need to Turn It On

By Terry Johnson, Microsoft Security Solution Specialist, Synergy Technical

If I had a dollar for every time a customer asked, “Do we already own that in Microsoft?”—I’d have funded a zero-trust rollout by now.

As a security specialist, my job is to help customers strengthen their environments using Microsoft tools. I perform security assessments, harden environments, and work directly with teams to implement capabilities they often didn’t know they had. And more often than not, I find organizations paying for third-party tools that duplicate Microsoft functionality—because no one realized it was already included in their licensing.

Read The Ultimate Guide: What is Microsoft CSP.

Microsoft Licensing: It’s More Secure Than You Think

Whether you're running Microsoft 365 E3, E5, or even Business Premium, the licensing SKUs come packed with serious security power—if you know how to use it.

• M365 E5? You’ve got Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Identity Protection, Threat Analytics, and more.
• E3 + Security Add-ons? You’re halfway to a modern security architecture, if it’s configured properly.
• Business Premium? Yes, even this includes Defender, DLP, and conditional access—critical for small and mid-sized orgs.

I spend a lot of time mapping what’s licensed versus what’s deployed. The gap is often wider than customers expect.

You Can’t Protect What You Don’t Know You Have

Here's what usually happens:

1. A third-party endpoint solution gets purchased years ago.
2. Microsoft 365 licensing gets upgraded over time.
3. Security features accumulate... but no one adjusts the stack.

So now you're paying for both—without the integration, without the simplicity, and without the consolidated threat visibility Microsoft provides natively.

My job is to close that loop.

What Makes the CSP Conversation Critical

When you're in a CSP model, you have more agility to make licensing decisions that align with your security roadmap. But the value isn’t in the CSP portal—it’s in having a partner who understands the licensing and the tech behind it.

At Synergy Technical, we don’t just check a box and say “yes, that feature is included.” I go into the tenant. I configure it. I monitor how it performs. And I make sure it’s actually protecting what it’s supposed to.

That’s the difference between a quote and a security outcome.

Security is too important to outsource to a spreadsheet. If you’re not sure whether your Microsoft environment is fully protected, or if you’re layering tools that don’t need to be there, let’s assess what you already own.

You may be closer to a more secure, simplified, and cost-effective environment than you think.

Ready to transform your licensing strategy? Contact us today to schedule a consultation, learn more about the Microsoft CSP licensing benefits, or start optimizing your Microsoft cloud services with a trusted partner by your side. Let’s modernize your cloud journey together!