Microsoft 365 Audit Alerts Retirement: Microsoft Retires Audit-Based Alerts in Compliance Center

Microsoft has announced the retirement of Microsoft 365 audit alerts in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center, affecting organizations that rely on this feature for monitoring user and admin activity. The feature is being deprecated as Microsoft shifts toward more advanced security and alerting mechanisms.

End of Microsoft 365 Audit Alerts

Microsoft 365 audit alerts were used to notify security and compliance teams when specific activities occurred in a tenant, such as user logins, file access, and administrative changes. However, Microsoft is phasing out this functionality to streamline security and compliance tools within Microsoft 365.

According to Microsoft’s official documentation, organizations will need to transition to alternative monitoring solutions before the retirement date.

Recommended Alternatives

With the removal of Microsoft 365 audit alerts, Microsoft recommends that organizations use the following solutions:

1. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Alerts – Available via the Microsoft Defender Security Center, this feature provides advanced security alerts for email threats, user risks, and policy violations.
   • Microsoft Defender for Office 365
2. Microsoft Purview Audit – Provides advanced logging capabilities, including long-term retention of audit logs and more granular event tracking. Organizations with Microsoft 365 E5 licenses can take advantage of Advanced Audit for additional insights.
   • Microsoft Purview Audit
3. Microsoft Sentinel – A cloud-native SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) platform that enables real-time security threat detection and response, integrating with audit logs for enhanced security monitoring.
   • Microsoft Sentinel

Impact on Organizations

Organizations relying on Microsoft 365 audit alerts must transition to these alternative solutions to maintain visibility into user activity. Microsoft has provided guidelines for migrating existing alert policies to other security tools within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

For businesses using Microsoft 365 E3 or lower, transitioning may require additional licensing considerations. Companies should evaluate whether Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, Microsoft Sentinel, or Microsoft 365 E5 best suits their compliance and security needs.

Most Important:

• Microsoft 365 audit alerts are being retired in Microsoft 365 Compliance Center.
• Organizations must migrate to alternative solutions such as Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Alerts, Microsoft Purview Audit, or Microsoft Sentinel.
• Advanced alerting features require Microsoft 365 E5, Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, or Microsoft Sentinel integration.
• Businesses should review their security policies and adjust monitoring tools accordingly before the retirement takes full effect.

For further details, visit Microsoft’s official documentation on alerting and monitoring options in Microsoft 365.

Conclusion

The retirement of Microsoft 365 audit alerts underscores Microsoft’s push towards more integrated and AI-driven security monitoring. Organizations must adapt to these changes to ensure continuous compliance and threat detection across their Microsoft 365 environments. IT admins should start planning the transition now to avoid gaps in security monitoring.