[m365weekly] #110

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Issue #110

☁️What’s on my mind

Now that the various AI projects have rather eclipsed the idea of avatars in Teams, I seldom come across articles in which the authors talk about them with great enthusiasm. But avatars are coming to Teams for sure.

Okay, I admit, there are certainly some good scenarios why someone would appear in a team call with their avatar and not their real face. For someone with an acne outbreak, this will certainly be the only acceptable option.

But on the other hand I can also imagine what a Teams meeting with the CEO of the corporation I work for would look like if I appeared on the call with my avatar rather my face.

10 minutes after the meeting, my computer would mysteriously lock up by itself and my Azure AD account would be terminated instantly.

And I could start looking for a new job the same day.

Matic Z.


Recently I was asked if I could get information on how Microsoft takes care of its own infrastructure. The question was about the security mechanisms that Microsoft has in place to ensure the security of data in data centers and the like. There is quite a hefty pile of documentation on the subject.

Risk Assessment Guide for Microsoft Cloud. This a starting point for all official documentation explorers.


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☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace

2 ways to keep SharePoint and OneDrive files locally on a computer. How to keep Microsoft SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams files locally on a PC for offline access when an internet connection is not available. By default, when files are synced using OneDrive, they are not physically present on the computer, but only appear as file and folder names.

Unique Slide Design Ideas to Spice Up Your Presentations. Are your presentations feeling a little lackluster? Want to add some flair but don’t know where to start? In this video, you’ll go through an exciting slide design idea that’s sure to captivate your audience.

How to build a simple CRM in SharePoint Online. Are you looking for an easy way to create a CRM system without spending a fortune on third-party software? While it may not have all the bells and whistles of a sophisticated CRM, with a bit of configuration, SharePoint can get the job done. In this tutorial, you’ll find the process of setting up a CRM in SharePoint Online using just the out-of-the-box features.

Multitask smarter with Microsoft 365 and Edge. Multitasking is an illusion. But at least you will have a better experience living in that illusion soon. Do you ever feel like you’re constantly juggling multiple apps at once, struggling to keep your focus? With a new feature coming soon for Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscribers, the Outlook app on Windows and the Microsoft Edge web browser will work seamlessly together.


☁️Sysadmin Stuff

Script to generate a report of all group owners in Microsoft 365. This script will generate a report of all Owners in Microsoft 365, including their details from both Azure AD and Exchange Online. Get your copy of the script from GitHub.

Migrate Email to Office 365 – The Step-by-Step Guide. One good reason to migrate email to Microsoft 365 is to benefit from the advanced security features offered by Microsoft, such as multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and advanced threat protection. But migration can be quite complex. Here’s what you need to consider before you start migrating.

Getting started with Azure OpenAI and PowerShell. This post provides an introduction and guide to using Azure OpenAI, Microsoft’s recently invested in AI service. It covers how to set up an Azure OpenAI resource, authenticate with an API key, authenticate with an Azure AD user, and authenticate with an Azure Automation-managed identity. It also provides sample code that can be used to interact with Azure OpenAI in PowerShell.

Configure Office App Policy In Intune. Are you looking to optimize your device management strategy? With Intune, you can configure Office App Policies to ensure employees have a secure and efficient experience while using Office apps on their mobile devices.


☁️Security & Data Governance

Five Things Microsoft 365 Security Administrators Should Do in 2023. Among the most important for me is increasing MFA usage and ditching SMS challenges, but Tony lists a few more. A must-read for any security professional or sysadmin.

A Guide to Manage Named Locations in Conditional Access Policies. The use of named locations in Conditional Access policies can ensure that only authorized users, devices, and applications can access sensitive data from trusted locations, by enforcing granular access controls based on the user’s location.

Revoking access with sensitivity labels. Have you ever thought about what happens when you set an expiration date on sensitive content? With Microsoft Purview Information Protection, you can configure a sensitivity label to use encryption and set an expiration date for content. But what happens when the expiration date is reached? Will the content simply disappear?


☁️Noteworthy (long)reads

Benchmarking your cybersecurity budget in 2023. If you are a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) looking to advance your career and drive revenue gains for your company, then knowing how to strategically allocate your cybersecurity budget is a must-have skill, according to industry experts.

How Mesh Avatars Improve Your Presence in Teams Meetings. Sooner or later, avatars will be in general availability and we will all be able to use them. It is possible that Avatars will only be available in the Teams Premium version. Fine with me since I’m not a big fan of the avatar idea anyway.


DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

April 11, 2023 – Microsoft Office 2013 – End of support. You might experience performance or reliability issues if you continue to use Office 2013 with Microsoft 365 services because it will no longer be a supported client to connect to M365. MC357842 

April 11, 2023 – Exchange Server 2013 – End of support.

August 31, 2023 – Microsoft will retire Kaizala. After the retirement date, access to and support for Kaizala will be discontinued. 

October 10, 2023 – Office 2016 and Office 2019 will no longer be supported when connecting to Microsoft 365. While these versions may still be able to connect to Microsoft 365, their connections will not be supported and may experience performance or reliability issues in the future. Official documentation here.

November 15-16, 2023Microsoft Ignite 2023


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☁️On a Less Serious Note


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