Why Business Premium Isn’t Enough for Today’s Law Firms

Law firms face growing cyber threats, from ransomware to phishing attacks targeting sensitive client data. With regulators and clients demanding stronger protection, relying on Microsoft 365 Business Premium alone is no longer enough. While Business premium provides a solid foundation, it does not deliver the enterprise-grade security that modern law firms require to stay secure, compliant, and competitive.

Access Managed Services Cyber Security Legal Sector

4 mins

Posted 04/11/2025

The Rising Cyber Risk for Law Firms

Legal practices are prime targets for cyber criminals. Client data, financial records, and sensitive case information are valuable commodities on the dark web. A single breach can damage a firm’s reputation, erode client trusts and lead to costly fines for failing to meet compliance obligations.

Unfortunately, cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, and traditional security layers can’t always keep up. That’s why law firms need to go beyond Business Premium’s baseline protections.

Where Business Premium Falls Short

Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes essential features like endpoint protection, conditional access, and device management. However, there are key gaps:

Limited Threat Detection – Business Premium doesn’t provide advanced tools for identifying hidden or evolving threats.
Basic Incident Response – Without deeper investigation and response capabilities, firms may struggle to contain or remediate breaches.
Insufficient Data Protection – Law firms handle highly sensitive documents that demand advanced encryption, insider risk monitoring, and compliance tools.

In today’s environment, ‘basic security’ just isn’t good enough.

Why E5 Security Changes the Game

Microsoft’s E5 Security Suite - previously reserved for large enterprises – is now available as an add-on to Business Premium. This is a game-changing opportunity for small and mid-sized law firms to access the same enterprise-grade protection used by global organizations.

With E5 Security, law firms gain:

Advanced Threat Protection – Tools like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Office 365 to detect, investigate, and stop sophisticated attacks.
Identity & Access Safeguards – Enhanced controls like Privileged Identity Management to prevent account takeovers.
Information Protection & Compliance – Encryption, data loss prevention, and insider risk management to meet SRA and GDPR requirements.
Automated Investigation & Response – AI-powered response capabilities that reduce IT burden and accelerate remediation.

The Benefits for Law Firms

By adopting E5 security alongside Business Premium, law firms gain a significant advantage. It strengthens client trust by ensuring that sensitive data is protected with enterprise-grade safeguards, reducing the risk of breaches, downtime, and reputational damage.

At the same time, it helps firms stay compliant with key regulatory frameworks, demonstrating a higher level of cyber maturity to both regulators and clients.

How Access Legal Managed Services can help.

We are incorporating E5 Security into our cyber security proposition for law firms. This ensures your firm benefits from best-in-class security, full management, and ongoing compliance support – all tailored to the unique risks law firms face.

The Bottom Line, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is a strong starting point – but not enough for today’s legal environment. Adding E5 security ensures law firms can stay ahead of cyber threats, protect client relationships, and meet growing compliance demands.