Why MSPs Need to Understand the Role Licensing Plays in Secure Score Results
If you’ve ever shown a client their Microsoft Secure Score and heard them say, “Wait, why is it only 48%? That’s failing!”, you’re not alone.
Many MSPs use Secure Score as a way to assess and track Microsoft 365 security posture. It’s a helpful tool—but only if you know how to interpret what it’s really telling you. The truth is, Secure Score doesn’t always reflect how secure an environment is. That number is deeply influenced by the Microsoft 365 license in place.
Let’s unpack what Secure Score is, how licensing affects it, and what you should be doing with that knowledge to better protect your clients, and grow your business.
The balancing act of Security
When thinking about digital security, it can be helpful to draw parallels to physical security in the real world. A small-town coffee shop might only need a basic deadbolt to lock up at night. A jewelry store in a busy downtown core likely has an alarm system, motion sensors, security glass, and bars on the windows. And a high-end R&D firm in the medical or defense industry? They’re probably operating behind multiple layers of physical and procedural security, all designed to prevent serious breaches.
These real world examples illustrate an important principle: security should fit the needs and risk profile of the business. The same applies in the digital space. Deploying advanced conditional access policies, just-in-time permissions, and strict device compliance requirements might be essential for an R&D firm handling sensitive data, but it’s overkill for a dog grooming business that just wants to send emails and manage appointments. The goal isn’t to max out Secure Score for its own sake – it’s to right-size your security posture to your client’s actual needs.
What Is Microsoft Secure Score?
Microsoft Secure Score is a numerical value that represents the potential security posture of a Microsoft 365 environment. It evaluates things like:
- Identity protections (MFA, conditional access)
- Device compliance (Intune, Defender)
- Application controls
- Data protections (DLP policies, sharing rules)
Microsoft provides actionable recommendations and tells you how much your score would increase by implementing each one. Sounds simple, right?
But here’s the catch: you can only get credit for features you have access to—and many of those require higher-tier licenses.
The Licensing Trap: Why Your Score May Be Capped
Here’s where Secure Score gets tricky. A lot of clients assume a 100% score means you’re secure, and a 48% score means you’re exposed. But that interpretation doesn’t factor in licensing.
Let’s break it down:
- Microsoft Business Basic: Tops out around 40–50% Secure Score
- Microsoft Business Premium (P1 license): Can reach 70–80%
- E5 or P2 license: Only way to realistically hit 90–100%
In other words, a small business on Business Basic might actually be doing everything they can, yet still only see a 45% Secure Score. That’s not a failure. That’s a limit.
It’s one of the most misunderstood aspects of Secure Score, and it’s up to MSPs to educate clients on what that number really means.
Why This Matters for MSPs
Understanding the Secure Score licensing gap is more than just good technical knowledge, it’s essential for client management and service growth.
Here’s why:
- Prevent Panic
Clients seeing a “low” score might think their MSP is failing them. You need to be able to explain, “Based on your current license tier, this is actually excellent.”
- Create Upgrade Conversations
When appropriate, show clients what’s not being protected due to licensing. That opens the door to an informed discussion about moving from Basic to Premium, or from P1 to P2.
- Show Progress, Not Perfection
Use Secure Score to highlight progress over time. Did their score move from 32% to 48%? That’s huge. Frame it as improvement, not inadequacy.
How Augmentt Supports MSPs with Secure Score
At Augmentt, we’ve made Secure Score more visible and actionable inside our platform—because we know it’s a great entry point into better security conversations with clients.
You can:
- View Secure Scores across all tenants at a glance
- Drill into what’s driving (or limiting) each score
- Track changes over time to show continuous improvement
- Use insights to upsell or recommend licensing changes
Even better: it’s built for MSPs, so you’re not jumping through Microsoft’s admin portals to get the information you need.
The Bottom Line
Microsoft Secure Score is a great tool—but it doesn’t tell the whole story unless you understand the context. License tiers cap how far you can go, no matter how secure your environment actually is.
As an MSP, your job is to translate that context for your clients, helping them understand the trade-offs and decide when it’s time to invest in stronger security.
Want to see how Secure Score looks across all your tenants—and how to use it to start better client conversations?
Book a demo with Augmentt and we’ll show you how.
