[m365weekly] #191

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Issue #191

☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace

How to edit your display name in Microsoft Teams meetings. Microsoft Teams now allows participants to edit display names during meetings, a long-requested feature that’s useful for external participants, role clarification, or organization visibility. Admins can enable it via PowerShell, while organizers manage it through meeting options. Participants can update names directly in the People panel. This flexibility, however, requires thoughtful implementation to avoid misuse or confusion in formal or sensitive settings.

Embed Office Documents on SharePoint Page using File and Media Web Part. You can now effortlessly embed Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and even PDFs or videos on modern SharePoint pages using the File and Media web part. Uploaded files are stored in the Site Assets library and can be tailored for better readability, like hiding Excel headers or starting with specific Word pages. Ideal for one- or two-column layouts, this feature enhances document accessibility.

8 ways to create a checklist in SharePoint and Microsoft 365. Creating checklists in SharePoint and Microsoft 365 offers eight distinct approaches, each with its strengths and limitations. From using Microsoft Lists for structured task tracking to Planner for task management and Loop components for real-time collaboration, you have various options tailored to your needs. Even OneNote provides a simpler alternative. Each method suits different complexities, formats, and collaborative requirements.

[FEATURED STORY] Your AI’s memory problem just became a security nightmare

Source: Jailbreaking is (mostly) simpler than you think

The Big Picture. A new, simple jailbreak method called the Context Compliance Attack (CCA) can bypass safeguards in most leading AI systems by exploiting a common design flaw: reliance on client-supplied conversation history. Unlike complex prompt engineering, CCA manipulates this history with a fake assistant response, tricking the AI into providing restricted content. Systems like Copilot and ChatGPT, which store conversation state server-side, are immune, but many open-source models are vulnerable. Microsoft’s research, shared via its PyRIT toolkit, reveals CCA’s effectiveness across models like Claude, GPT, and Llama for tasks from bomb-making manuals to hate speech.

Why is it important? AI safety isn’t just about blocking bad prompts – it’s about securing the whole system. CCA exposes how a basic architectural choice, meant for scalability, can leave AI open to manipulation, posing risks for misuse in generating harmful content. As AI grows more powerful, this underscores the need for robust defenses like server-side history or cryptographic signatures, especially for open-source models where mitigation is trickier.

☁️Copilot & AI

GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot and CodeWhisperer’s place. GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot cater to distinct needs. GitHub Copilot excels at assisting developers with real-time code completions and debugging, integrating seamlessly into IDEs like Visual Studio Code. Microsoft Copilot, tailored for business users, enhances productivity across apps like Word, Excel, and Teams by automating tasks, analyzing data, and optimizing workflows. Both are powered by AI but serve different audiences effectively.

Coming soon: Microsoft 365 Copilot Actions. Microsoft 365 Copilot Actions, arriving in early March 2025, use AI to automate tasks with prompts, triggers, and rules. Access categorized templates like Catch Up and Gather for personal productivity within the Microsoft 365 web app. Initially available in English, it includes limited individual actions per user for streamlined use.

Ask Copilot questions about images in OneDrive. With Microsoft 365 Copilot, you’ll soon be able to interact with images stored in your OneDrive in a whole new way. You can select up to five images and have Copilot explain their content or extract text and concepts, such as turning whiteboard images into organized notes. This feature will require a Copilot license and is set to roll out between February and April 2025.

How to Make Copilot Sound More Human Like in Microsoft Copilot Studio. To make your Microsoft Copilot sound more human-like, focus on reducing rigid question and message nodes, which can make it feel robotic. Use topic inputs and generative AI to interpret multi-part user responses naturally. Include quick replies to standardize interactions and set detailed descriptions for variables to enhance context. These adjustments create a smoother, more conversational user experience.

☁️Sysadmin Stuff

Controlling Access to Microsoft 365 for Entra ID Apps. Entra ID, previously Azure AD, centralizes identity and resource management in Microsoft 365. With 118 built-in roles, you can efficiently manage permissions across services like Exchange Online and SharePoint Online.

Remove Domains Might Mean You Need to Update Email Addresses. Removing unwanted domains in Microsoft 365 is straightforward via the Admin Center. You can easily identify affected mail-enabled objects and adjust proxy addresses as needed. While PowerShell offers flexibility, it requires caution, as skipping address adjustments can cause errors. Using the Admin Center ensures a smoother cleanup process, leveraging built-in checks to avoid manual troubleshooting.

☁️Security & Data Governance

Microsoft vs Proofpoint. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 now integrates large language models to enhance email and collaboration security, achieving 99.995% accuracy in detecting attacker intent. Blocking 140,000 business email compromise attempts daily, it’s rapidly gaining market share, capturing 13 new Fortune 500 clients in 10 months.

3 Essential Security Alerts You Should Enable. Microsoft’s security defaults provide a solid baseline, but as an admin, you need to go further. Set up critical alerts for unusual email activity, suspicious inbox rules, and risky sign-in locations to catch potential threats early. To ensure effectiveness, fine-tune alerts, document response plans, and regularly review settings. Proactive oversight keeps your tenant safer.

Why buy E5 Security for Business Premium? Microsoft 365 Business Premium now supports the E5 Security add-on, offering advanced protection for small businesses. For $12/user/month, you get tools like Microsoft Entra ID Plan 2, Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, and Defender for Cloud Apps, addressing critical security gaps. This bundle simplifies cybersecurity management while enhancing identity protection, shadow IT discovery, and conditional access, making it an ideal solution for modern small business networks.

☁️Noteworthy (long)reads

Protecting the public from abusive AI-generated content across the EU. Microsoft underscores its commitment to ensuring AI benefits Europe responsibly, balancing innovation with safeguarding rights.

DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

May 5, 2025 – Microsoft is shutting down Skype forever – source.

October 14, 2025 – Windows 10 (Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise) end of support – source

October 14, 2025 – Office 2016, Office 2019, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 end of support – source

October 2026 – Retirement of Microsoft Publisher app which has been a part of Office Suite for years.

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☁️On a Less Serious Note

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