Cloud computing has become the norm in the past ten years. But, for all the benefits of the cloud, the challenge of delivering robust applications securely remains. Fortunately, Microsoft continues to lead the way on enhanced cloud security with their identity platform for application partners. Applications like Construction Viz that meet the Microsoft identity platform standards offer peace of mind for organizations concerned about cloud security and data protection.
When implementing a construction software solution, organizations need to consider two major data security questions: will your data be secure, and can you trust the application to run in the cloud?
Will your data be secure in the cloud?
When your data resides outside your information firewall, it presents an IT risk and creates a data archiving problem.
With Microsoft 365, your data resides securely in SharePoint or the Microsoft Azure Dataverse, both of which exist within the Microsoft Azure ecosystem. While your data is in the cloud, the security measures enforced by Microsoft Azure are far greater than most externally hosted applications. Additionally, when your data is in your Microsoft 365 tenant, you have 24x7 access should you want to archive in place or export it to a third-party system. Check out this related article, "Why it's Time to Rethink Where You Store Your Project Data," over on our Construction Viz blog.
So, the good news is that your data is in safe hands if you are using Microsoft 365. But what if you want to use an application like Construction Viz to manage your projects better? Now you need to think about evaluating and trusting applications that will gain access to your secure data.
How do you know which applications to trust?
With any applications hosted in the cloud, there is a chance that third parties could penetrate the system and embed malicious code or gain access to information by masquerading as a legitimate solution. Before allowing an application to access your Microsoft 365 data, you must consider if you can trust it.
The Microsoft Azure identity platform lets you minimize security risks with third-party applications. Microsoft partners must now register their applications with Azure Active Directory. Once verified and trusted by Microsoft, the application integrates with the Microsoft identity platform to validate the application's authenticity for users. The first time users attempt to use the application, the platform asks them to allow access and approve how it will interact with their data. This step essentially limits what data the application can access within your Microsoft 365 tenant/Azure solution
Once the user provides consent for the application, it is trusted, and your Microsoft 365 authentication will automatically work with the application (i.e., single sign-on). By having your application trusted, you gain the added benefit of not having to deal with multiple log-ins and passwords😊.
It does not matter if you build in-house custom solutions or leverage a trusted project management information system, like Construction Viz. With Microsoft 365 and the Azure identity platform, you can be confident your information and data will remain secure.
You can also have confidence that you will remain compliant with your IT department's security policies without restricting the functionality you need to manage your projects.
We are proud that our Construction Viz project management solution adheres to Microsoft's Azure identity program. As a result, our customers can manage their construction products using Construction Viz's robust suite of apps while benefiting from industry-leading security standards to protect their data.
Ready to do more with Microsoft 365?
Lydon Solutions has been delivering construction IT solutions built on the Microsoft stack since 2009. We work hand in hand with construction organizations and IT teams to provide leading-edge technology solutions for managing projects. Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation and demo today to learn more.