Entra ID
Azure Active Directory renamed. Cloud identity management system for Microsoft 365. Authenticates users and manages access with MFA, Conditional Access, device compliance.
M365 Glossary
Guide to technical terms and key concepts in Microsoft 365. Each term explained for technical and non-technical readers.
Conditional Access
Zero-trust access policy in Entra ID. Requires multi-factor authentication, compliant devices, and risk-based rules. Essential for enterprise security.
MFA
Multi-Factor Authentication. Requires more than one verification (password + app, SMS, biometric) to access. Minimum security standard for M365.
DLP
Data Loss Prevention. Policy that blocks or alerts when sensitive data (credit cards, SSN, PII) is sent via email or shared externally.
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. Email protocol that verifies sender authenticity via SPF/DKIM. Prevents spoofing and phishing.
SPF
Sender Policy Framework. DNS record that declares which mail servers can send email from your domain. Part of email security.
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail. Digital signature that authenticates email. Sender server signs the message; receiver verifies. Part of SPF/DKIM/DMARC chain.
Mailflow
Email flow between tenant and external servers. Includes connectors, routing rules, and relay management. Critical for legacy system integrations.
Exchange Online
Microsoft 365 email service. Replaces on-premise Exchange Server. Manages mailboxes, calendar sharing, and deliverability.
Teams
Microsoft collaboration platform. Chat, video meetings, file sharing, app integration. Modern communication hub in M365.
SharePoint Online
Cloud document repository in M365. Team sites, libraries, versioning. Where collaborative business documents live.
OneDrive
Personal cloud storage for every M365 user. Automatic backup, file sync, controlled sharing. Similar to Google Drive.
Tenant
Dedicated Microsoft 365 instance for an organization. Contains users, licenses, data, configurations. Like your personal domain on Microsoft cloud.
CSP
Cloud Solution Provider. Authorized Microsoft license reseller. We manage purchase, renewals, and subscription management for your M365.
Audit Log
Record of all actions in M365 (logins, file edits, email sends, admin changes). Essential for compliance, investigations, and troubleshooting.
Break Glass Account
Emergency administrative account with MFA disabled. Access only if authentication blocks. Enterprise security best practice.
RBAC
Role-Based Access Control. Permissions assigned by role (admin, user, reviewer) rather than individual. Scalable and secure.
Retention Policy
Rule defining how long to keep/delete email and documents. Essential for compliance and storage management.
eDiscovery
Capability to search and extract data from M365 for legal investigations. Part of enterprise compliance.
Compliance Center
Microsoft portal to manage retention, DLP, eDiscovery, and regulatory compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, etc).
Governance
Policies and processes controlling how teams use M365. Includes naming conventions, sharing rules, retention, security.
Connector
Integration between Exchange Online and external systems (on-premise servers, SaaS apps). Enables hybrid mailflow.
Hybrid Setup
Configuration with on-premise Exchange + Exchange Online. Useful during migrations or legacy integrations.
Migration
Data transfer from a system to M365. Can be from Google Workspace, on-premise Exchange, IMAP. We manage the process.
Azure
Microsoft cloud platform for computing, storage, and advanced services. M365 runs inside Azure. Used for Power Platform, custom apps.
Power Platform
Microsoft suite of low-code tools: Power BI (analytics), Power Automate (workflows), Power Apps (applications). Integrates with M365.