M365 Weekly Newsletter
Issue #115
☁️What’s on my mind
Below you can find a link to an article describing how Exchange online servers will start blocking emails coming from unsupported or unpatched Exchange servers.
Wait, what? A company bought a mail server and CAL licenses for users a few years ago. And now they will have a mail system that will easily send mail that will be accepted by virtually the whole world, with the exception of Exchange online (both the one for business use and Outlook.com for personal use).
But who is actually to blame for this mess? Who designed such a leaky mail server in the first place?
Well, Microsoft has been selling Exchange mail servers as a top-notch email solution for all these years. And I think they were absolutely right. Exchange is an excellent solution.
But with this move, they are basically saying that they have made a shitty server that is virtually impossible to use in a secure way a few years after deployment?
But wait … what about all those vulnerable Postfix, Exim, Sendmail, etc. email servers out there?
Have a really nice rest of the week,
Matic Z.
☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace
Using the Preview Version of the Loop App. The Loop is a new app, now available in preview to anyone with a Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Services account. The physical representation of Loop components are files stored in the OneDrive for Business account of the account that created the component in an app, while workspaces, pages, and components used by the Loop app are stored in hidden SharePoint Online. The Loop app works well for internal collaboration, but there are big gaps in other areas.
OneNote Shortcuts You Wished You Knew Earlier. Looking to boost your productivity and streamline your note-taking workflow? In this video, discover the best OneNote shortcuts to quickly add pages/sections, navigate your notes, create To Dos and Flags, efficiently use Search, and more.
Sending Attachments as Links in Outlook. Tired of endlessly chasing people for their input and merging multiple versions of a single document? By changing your default attachment option in Outlook to always share as links, you can eliminate the headache of duplicate content and ensure that everyone is working from the same document. Plus, this method allows you to set item-level permissions for each file, giving people who might not otherwise have access to the file location the ability to view and/or edit the document. Check out the article for step-by-step instructions and start collaborating more efficiently.
☁️Sysadmin Stuff
Immediately revoke access to Microsoft 365 applications. Are you concerned about the security of your Microsoft 365 or Azure AD account? If so, you may want to read this article which discusses how to revoke access. The article also covers new features such as Continuous Access Evaluation which can speed up the process of revoking access, but it’s important to familiarize yourself with its limitations. Don’t miss this valuable guide on how to keep your accounts secure.
A Complete Guide on How to Replace the Root Site in SharePoint Online. Looking to replace your SharePoint Online’s classic root site with a modern one? Before you initiate the swap, take note of these few things. While the root site is essential for organizing and storing SharePoint content, there might be several reasons why admins choose to swap it for a modern site. However, there are limitations to this replacement. As an admin, you need to keep these limitations in mind and follow the appropriate steps to replace the classic root site with a modern one.
More Changes in Microsoft 365 as Azure AD moves to Entra. Change is the only constant in Microsoft 365, and the recent announcement that the Microsoft Entra admin center will replace the Azure AD admin center is just one example. But with every rebranding and renaming, the wider technical community is left to adapt and update their collateral, often at great cost.
☁️Security & Data Governance
Advanced Endpoint Analytics: devices anomalies overview. Do you want to ensure your devices are functioning at their best? Introducing Endpoint Analytics devices anomalies, a tool that works as an early warning system to detect device issues. Discover how this add-on to the Intune suite plan can help you monitor the health of devices in your organization and troubleshoot issues more efficiently.
Classify information based on Teams location. Do you know how your company’s sensitive information is classified and protected? Information classification is a critical process to keep data secure, but what if you could make it even easier? Currently, the sensitivity label of a SharePoint or Team site doesn’t affect the sensitivity of the files within it. However, Microsoft has a new solution in the works: a default sensitivity label per site. This feature will automatically apply a default label to all documents created or uploaded to a site, making information classification more seamless than ever. Let’s take a closer look at how it works.
Throttling and Blocking Email from Persistently Vulnerable Exchange Servers to Exchange Online. Microsoft is enhancing the security of its cloud services by addressing the problem of emails sent to Exchange Online from unsupported and unpatched Exchange servers. This is because unsupported servers are persistently vulnerable, and any email sent from them cannot be trusted. To tackle this, Microsoft is introducing a transport-based enforcement system that has three primary functions: reporting, throttling, and blocking. The system also has throttling and blocking capabilities, so if a server is not remediated, mail flow from that server will be throttled and eventually blocked.
What is the least disruptive way to enforce MFA? Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) is an essential step toward securing your company’s accounts and data, but it can also be a disruptive process for your employees and a nightmare for IT staff. If you’re searching for some ideas about how to approach this task, then listen to this panel discussion for some tips and advice.
☁️Noteworthy (long)reads
Practical Issues Around the Implementation of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft’s new technology, Copilot, promises to revolutionize the way we use Microsoft 365 by using AI to enhance our experience in various apps like Word, Teams, and OWA. But, what does this mean for the user? In this article, you can find a deep -dive into what Copilot is and how it works.
You pay for the whole M365 license – why not use it. Are you making the most of your Microsoft Teams licensing? Many organizations are not. Although most employees are using Teams for chats and meetings, there are over 20 applications included in the Microsoft 365 license that are being underutilized. Learn tips for inspiring end-users to modernize their workday by taking advantage of all the productivity and collaboration tools that Microsoft 365 offers.
☁️Classifieds
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☁️On a Less Serious Note
☁️ Last but not least …
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