Acumen simplifies security management across devices using Microsoft 365 Business Premium

As Acumen grew, mobile device management and security became more complex. Instead of using a variety of third-party tools, the company wanted one centralized solution for its hybrid infrastructure that would maintain security compliance.

Acumen and Global Micro Solutions used Microsoft 365 Business Premium to strengthen security for users’ data and devices. They standardized Acumen’s tooling, centralized security controls, and implemented intelligent threat monitoring.

Global Micro Solutions helped Acumen simplify its hybrid infrastructure while maintaining compliance with local regulations. The partner is managing hundreds of devices and thousands of security settings while reducing costs for Acumen.

Acumen, a financial services outsourcing company, serves its global customers with a hybrid workforce. The company wanted to streamline how it manages distributed devices and sensitive information for its global, hybrid workforce while improving its ability to monitor security threats and maintain compliance with local regulations.

Acumen worked with Microsoft partner Global Micro Solutions (Global Micro) to use the full capabilities of Microsoft 365 Business Premium to strengthen security for its users and their data and devices. By simplifying remote device management (encompassing approximately 80% of Acumen’s security settings) and improving compliance, Global Micro is enhancing Acumen’s ability to serve customers and its hybrid workforce.

Integrating tools on a hybrid infrastructure using Microsoft technology

Acumen provides financial outsourcing services and recruitment solutions. With offices across the globe, it must manage secure access to the devices employees use along with sensitive information in many jurisdictions. But complying with local regulations has increased in complexity as Acumen continues to grow. By using Microsoft 365 Business Premium, the company simplified the process and centralized controls and reporting.

Between 2022 and 2025, Acumen Group has grown substantially, and the number of Microsoft 365 Business Premium users has grown too. Acumen worked with Global Micro to manage its IT infrastructure environment and improve the overall security posture. “The professionalism of Global Micro’s team and the willingness to always be on hand when we need something goes above and beyond,” says Theo Mouchteros, Head of IT Operations at Acumen. “We’ve got people all over the world in different time zones, and the team is always available to help us.”

In February 2024, the companies migrated 260 devices to Microsoft Intune within four months. With simpler processes for new devices using Intune with Windows Autopilot, the company can onboard a new employee within a day if needed. “Using Intune makes managing devices a lot simpler and safer, which gives us and our operational team more peace of mind,” says Mouchteros.

“Using Intune makes managing devices a lot simpler and safer, which gives us and our operational team more peace of mind.”

Theo Mouchteros, Head of IT Operations, Acumen

Then, they began creating identities using Microsoft Entra and implementing conditional access policies to verify that both the user and device are authorized to access company resources. “Allowing people to operate devices and applications without conditional access increases risks. Getting that done was a huge success for us,” says Mouchteros.

Enhancing security and device management

Acumen has automated security deployment and maintenance and replaced third-party services with a complete solution using Microsoft technology. With the application protection policies of Intune, Acumen can maintain its security standards for applications running in customers’ environments, even on devices that it doesn’t own. The company also uses Microsoft Purview to implement data labeling and protection policies, minimizing data loss by ensuring that files and emails are shared correctly. Overall, Acumen drastically reduced the attack surface for its environment, enhanced reporting, and increased customer confidence.

Global Micro and Acumen finished implementing Microsoft Defender for Business to help protect endpoints by automatically disrupting or responding to security events. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 helps secure email and other collaboration tools so that Acumen can better protect itself and its users from advanced cybersecurity threats. “It’s valuable that Microsoft 365 Business Premium provides all the native controls for us to implement security benchmarks in audits and dramatically reduce the attack surface area,” says JJ Milner, Chief Cloud Architect and Managing Director at Global Micro.

“It’s valuable that Microsoft 365 Business Premium provides all the native controls for us to implement security benchmarks in audits and dramatically reduce the attack surface area.”

JJ Milner, Cloud Architect and Managing Director, Global Micro Solutions

Achieving a security score that’s twice the industry average

Acumen and Global Micro continue to manage and monitor devices using the holistic security management portal in Defender, which improves transparency with a centralized view of the company’s security posture. Now, the companies can see security threats in one place, receive immediate notifications about any incidents, and have better clarity into their reporting. Acumen achieved a Microsoft security score of 82—double the industry average. It has also reduced certain support costs by 60% by consolidating its services on Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

In the future, Acumen wants to identify opportunities to further enhance security, such as expanding data labeling using Purview so that it’s prepared to implement more policy for more employees. “Our leadership is really appreciative of and impressed with the tools at our disposal,” says Mouchteros. “We’re really looking forward to what’s coming in 2025.”