[m365weekly] #213

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Issue #213

☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace

How to Add HTML Signature in Outlook.  You can maintain consistent email signatures across your organization in Microsoft 365 by deploying HTML signatures. Admins can use Exchange Online mail flow rules, PowerShell cmdlets, or scripts to create and enforce professional, uniform signatures. Each method has its pros and cons, from visibility to customization.

Free tool to manage Outlook delegates. A new free tool offers a user-friendly interface for managing Outlook delegate settings, designed for both admins and end users. It uses Exchange Online PowerShell cmdlets, ensuring no dependency on Outlook or EWS-based tools. With improved functionality like category management and security benefits, this tool simplifies delegation tasks while maintaining compatibility with existing permissions protocols.

Root Site vs Home Site vs Hub Site in SharePoint Online. Understanding SharePoint’s root, home, and hub sites helps you build an effective intranet. The root site anchors your tenant and can’t be deleted. A home site serves as a central landing page for news and resources, often integrated with Viva Connections. Hub sites link related sites, providing shared navigation and branding. Each plays a unique role in creating a cohesive user experience.

[FEATURED STORY] Sync passkeys for better usability and security

Source: How to Enable Synced Passkeys in Microsoft Entra Id

The big picture. Synced passkeys keep the phishing-resistant benefits of passkeys while addressing their biggest usability downside: traditional passkeys are often tied to a single device, so losing or forgetting that device can block access. Synced passkeys store and sync passkeys across a user’s devices via cloud services such as iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager, or Microsoft Password Manager, restoring them when the user signs in on a new device after unlocking their account.

Why is it important? For users, synced passkeys reduce lockouts and make passkeys much easier to adopt at scale because access is no longer dependent on having one specific phone or key available. For security teams, the risk model changes because overall assurance now also depends on the security of the syncing cloud account and—especially—on device security, making device compliance and Conditional Access essential when allowing synced passkeys in Microsoft Entra ID. The article also notes operational tradeoffs in Entra’s preview implementation, including that attestation enforcement isn’t available for synced passkeys, so it recommends testing with a limited group and keeping device-bound passkeys for privileged accounts to retain tighter control.

☁️Copilot & AI

Copilot Readiness Packages for Microsoft 365. Microsoft is introducing Copilot Readiness Packages in the Microsoft 365 admin center to simplify secure Copilot deployment. These packages offer predefined configuration settings, recommended presets, personalized readiness assessments, and step-by-step guidance. Admins can review and apply settings manually, without needing a Copilot license.

How to Get Accurate Copilot Usage Data in M365. If you’re tracking Microsoft 365 Copilot usage, the native analytics might not give you the full picture. Loryan Strant’s open-source dashboard taps into the Graph API to capture detailed usage data across apps like SharePoint, Planner, and more. It updates nightly, integrates survey feedback, and respects privacy while offering actionable insights for better adoption strategies. A must-try for meaningful data.

Copilot Studio: How do I create a delay in an agent’s action? If you need a delay in your agent’s actions beyond the 2-minute limit of the Delay tool, you can structure multiple agent flows within a topic. By triggering the topic repeatedly, you can achieve the desired delay duration. This method ensures consistent execution without skipped steps, making it effective for scenarios like waiting for document indexing.

☁️Sysadmin Stuff

How Microsoft Intune Remote Help Modernizes IT Support. Remote Help, part of the Intune Suite, simplifies remote support by enabling secure assistance without over-privileging support teams. It supports Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams with features like screen sharing, admin actions with user consent, and RBAC for access control.

Microsoft Tenant-to-Tenant Migration Orchestrator. Microsoft’s Tenant-to-Tenant Migration Orchestrator introduces a native solution for transferring mailboxes, OneDrive accounts, and Teams chats between tenants without leaving Microsoft datacenters, ensuring faster migration. It relies on PowerShell and Graph APIs, but lacks features for handling compliance data or sensitivity labels. While ISVs offer more flexibility, Microsoft’s direct approach simplifies migrations, especially for standard use cases.

☁️Security & Data Governance

New Risk Remediation Settings in Conditional Access. Microsoft Entra ID enhances security through risk-based access policies. It analyzes global sign-in data and user behavior to detect risks like impossible travel or malicious IPs. Policies automatically block high-risk logins, safeguarding sensitive systems without delays. Available in Entra ID Plan Two or Defender Suite for Business Premium, these tools integrate with Conditional Access for real-time protection.

 Why Your MFA Can Still Be Hacked (How I’d Implement MFA in 2026). Even with MFA, attackers can hijack session tokens using advanced tactics like Adversary-in-the-Middle attacks. Strengthen your security by enforcing MFA through conditional access, retiring vulnerable methods like SMS, and adopting phishing-resistant options like Windows Hello for Business or passkeys. VIDEO 

A Deep Dive into Location and Device-Based Access Control. This guide outlines a Conditional Access setup allowing specific users to access Microsoft 365 without MFA under strict conditions. It uses five policies to balance user requirements and security, focusing on trusted locations, approved devices, and session controls.

☁️Noteworthy (long)reads

Notepad Is No Longer Basic! New Windows Insider Features You Need to See. The new Windows Notepad introduces advanced features, transforming it from a basic text editor into a more versatile tool. You can now structure text with headings, apply formatting like bold or italics, create hyperlinks, and even insert and edit tables. It supports multiple tabs, dark mode, spell check, and Copilot integration for content suggestions, rewriting, and summaries. VIDEO 

DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

March 1, 2026 – Retirement of Basic Authentication for Client Submission in Exchange Online (SMTP AUTH) – source.

April 1, 2026 – Microsoft is discontinuing the grace period for CSP subscriptions – source.

September 30, 2026 – Project Online will retire – source

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

October 13, 2026 – End of Support for Office LTSC 2021 – source.

☁️On a Less Serious Note

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