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Microsoft has released a new update for its Entra ID Conditional Access service that provides more granular controls over certificate-based authentication (CBA) methods. The advanced CBA options are currently in preview, allowing access to specific resources based on certificate Issuer or Policy Object Identifiers (OIDs) properties. Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access is a service that…

Environment variables are essential for accessing command line tools and controlling program execution in operating systems. In Windows, PowerShell provides a convenient way to manage and access environment variables. You can set the environment path, edit existing paths, and handle the user profile on your computer. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll explore what environment variables…

Microsoft is planning to make changes to LDAP security settings in Windows Server. In today’s Ask the Admin, I show you how to audit for unsigned LDAP traffic hitting Windows Server Active Directory.

In this guide about Active Directory security, we’re going to detail five steps that IT admins need to follow to secure Active Directory environments in an organization. There are many best practices you’ll need to be familiar with to ensure Active Directory security, including restricting the use of privileged accounts, monitoring Windows Event Log for…

Microsoft announced the automatic rollout of new Conditional Access (CA) policies for select Microsoft 365 licenses in November 2023. As of today, these policies are only available in report-only mode, with the activation for commercial customers set for February and March 2024. The report-only mode enables policies to log policy results without enforcing them. Microsoft…

Audit your Active Directory environment to ensure the security of your company’s most valuable assets. Here are the top 10 events to audit in Active Directory to identify risks. Why audit Active Directory? Active Directory provides authentication, account management, and authorization services that are critical for strong access governance. To quickly detect insider threats, organizations should audit the creation of new accounts and security groups, and…

Microsoft has recently announced the release of Windows Server Insider Preview Build 26040. The company also revealed the official branding for the upcoming Windows Server product called Windows Server 2025. In November, Microsoft announced that Windows Server 2025 should include several new capabilities for enterprise customers. The release will introduce features like SMB over QUIC,…

Microsoft has recently published an initial analysis of the cyber-attack that was carried out by Russian state-sponsored hackers in late November of 2023. The company has raised concerns that the same threat actor is currently targeting other organizations and has provided detailed guidance to help organizations strengthen their defenses. Last week, Microsoft disclosed that a…

In this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad Sams and Paul Thurrott Microsoft laying off 1,900 employees in its Gaming division, and Apple announcing big changes for iOS and the App Store in Europe to comply with the Digital Markets Act.

Microsoft has published a roundup of all the enhancements it made to its Microsoft Intune solution during the month of January 2024. The improvements include an updated device workload experience, new analytics capabilities, and mobile application management support for U.S. government cloud environments. Microsoft has updated the devices workload experience in Microsoft Intune. The company…