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Windows Laptops, Remote Work and Today’s Threat Landscape

Windows Laptops, Remote Work and Today’s Threat Landscape

The reality is, remote employees and working situations are here to stay. Unfortunately, many organizations have regressed in terms of endpoint security, partly due to the pandemic as well as the subsequent rush to implement remote work solutions. To help make sense of the many technologies out there and determine the best approach for your organization, this article explores different options from the traditional Active Directory domain membership with group policy management, to co-management with Configuration Manager and Microsoft Intune.

August 9, 2021
Attend TEC 2021 and Learn from the Very Best

Attend TEC 2021 and Learn from the Very Best

TEC 2021, The Experts Conference, takes place as a virtual event on September 1-2. In this article, Tony selects his favorite sessions from the event agenda. This isn't to say that the other sessions are no good. Everyone's got their own favorite topics and there are many other TEC 2021 sessions covering other topics which will make others very happy.

August 4, 2021
Microsoft Insists on Office 365 E5 for Automatic Decryption of Protected Documents in eDiscovery Searches 8 Comments

Microsoft Insists on Office 365 E5 for Automatic Decryption of Protected Documents in eDiscovery Searches

Microsoft insists that encrypted SharePoint and OneDrive for Business files found by eDiscovery searches can only be decrypted by Advanced eDiscovery, which requires Office 365 E5 licenses. This seems unfair, especially as Office 365 E3 tenants can create and use sensitivity labels to protect Office documents stored in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. An example of not very joined up thinking when it comes to software licensing?

August 2, 2021
Microsoft 365 and Office 365: Microsoft’s Confusing Branding 2 Comments

Microsoft 365 and Office 365: Microsoft’s Confusing Branding

The recent 10th anniversary of the launch of Office 365 brought some questions about the demarcation between Office 365 and Microsoft 365. For instance, do I have an Office 365 tenant or is it a Microsoft 365 tenant? Is a feature part of Microsoft 365 or does it belong to Office 365? And why does Microsoft insist on calling its desktop Office apps Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise? Welcome to the bizarre world of branding, and that’s before throwing Windows 365 into the mix.

July 28, 2021
Teams Chat Becomes Fluid (or Lively) 3 Comments

Teams Chat Becomes Fluid (or Lively)

Teams is the first major Microsoft 365 application to ship support for Fluid components. Teams chats can include components like a task list, checklist, table, or paragraph. When a live component is sent to other chat participants, everyone involved in the chat can edit and update the component. It's a new way of collaborative working which challenges traditional approaches. Fluid components will also find their way into applications like OneNote, Outlook, and Whiteboard. Looks like a good thing, but how do these components work in practice?

July 27, 2021
Configuring Microsoft Defender for Office 365 One comment

Configuring Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Previously Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection) is a suite of tools/policies that provides powerful protection for your Office 365 environment. This article explores the various tools available at the different licensing levels and shows how Preset Policies and Configuration Analyzer can help you quickly align with the guidance provided, allowing you to focus on the settings that matter the most in your environment.

July 21, 2021
Microsoft 365 E3 License vs. Microsoft 365 E5 License 5 Comments

Microsoft 365 E3 License vs. Microsoft 365 E5 License

When performing a cost-benefit analysis of the Microsoft 365 E5 license for users in your organization, cost is usually the deciding factor as the quality of the features are rarely disputed. However, there are some who argue that to maintain a "Better" Security and Compliance posture as suggested by Microsoft, some of these key security features should be made more widely accessible and affordable and therefore included in the E3 license structure. Microsoft MVP Peter Rising took his debate to Twitter, conducting a straw poll where the results show there is clearly an appetite for more choice when it comes to Microsoft 365 licensing.

July 20, 2021