[m365weekly] #119

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Issue #119

☁️What’s on my mind

One of the things that has been at the top of my thoughts for the last few weeks is definitely AI. If I just look around on technology portals, blogs and social media groups, I can see that there are a lot of us who are interested in this topic.

Being a person who writes and, thanks to Microsoft 365, also interested in modern work or productivity, I am, of course, much more interested in AI models that deal with text generation.

I am really looking forward to the CoPilot services that Microsoft will be integrating into products throughout this year.

What about you? Have you taken the time to experiment with generative AI services?

Have a really nice rest of the week,
Matic Z.

[FEATURED] Addressing the issue of old and unpatched Exchange servers

Microsoft will soon be blocking email from persistently vulnerable Exchange servers to Exchange Online. A transport-based enforcement system with three primary functions will be enabled: reporting, throttling, and blocking. This will help protect Exchange Online recipients from potentially malicious messages sent from persistently vulnerable Exchange servers. The system is designed to alert admins about unsupported or unpatched Exchange servers in their on-premises environment that need remediation. If a server is not remediated, mail flow from that server will be throttled (delayed) and eventually blocked.

Throttling and Blocking Email from Persistently Vulnerable Exchange Servers to Exchange Online.

☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace

Using the Word Send to Kindle Option. Say goodbye to the hassle of transferring documents to your Kindle device with Word’s new Send to Kindle feature – and yes, it works on antique Kindles too.

Introducing cloud.microsoft: a unified domain for Microsoft 365 apps and services. Microsoft is beginning to simplify the navigation and administrative simplicity of their cloud services by bringing them onto a single domain: cloud.microsoft. This new development will enhance customer experience by streamlining cross-app experiences while laying a foundation for better integration within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

How to use ChatGPT to create PowerPoint (PPT). It’s so simple, it couldn’t be more so. I hadn’t even thought of that possibility.

Teams Breakout Rooms participant shuffle. Tired of manually assigning participants to breakout rooms during online meetings? Microsoft has got you covered with the upcoming Breakout Rooms Participant Shuffle feature, which allows meeting organizers and co-organizers to randomly reassign participants before and during a meeting.

☁️Sysadmin Stuff

Free Intune LAB Setup Trial Tenant Forever. Want to learn about Intune and test it thoroughly? Are you tired of limited Intune trials that only last a month? Here’s how you create an Intune trial version forever, with options to get Renewable Intune Tenant with 25 Microsoft E5 Licenses for Free.

Microsoft 365 Naming Conventions. Consistent naming conventions can make all the difference in the ease of management of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Learn how naming conventions can benefit your organization from distribution groups to SharePoint sites and even meeting rooms. Choose the right naming convention and avoid common pitfalls.

Export Microsoft 365 mailbox to PST file. You can do that in just a few easy steps. The article provides a detailed guide on using the Microsoft Purview compliance portal and eDiscovery tool to export your old email data, along with instructions on changing the PST file size export limit. This tip can come in really handy.

☁️Security & Data Governance

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint – Beginners Guide. Get ready to ace the new Microsoft MS-102 certification exam with this video guide. The video delves into the topic of Email & collaboration protection for Microsoft Defender for Office 365, giving you a step-by-step tutorial on how to configure settings, onboard devices, and utilize Vulnerability Management.

The Evolution of Business Email Compromise. The latest Tactics, Techniques & Procedures (TTPs) of Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks in a Microsoft 365 environment in this informative blog showcased on a real compromise.

☁️Noteworthy (long)reads

What is Microsoft Syntex? Drowning in a sea of unorganized data? Microsoft Syntex is here to save the day or so Microsoft says. This AI-powered service uses natural language processing to understand and manage unstructured data, automatically extracting relevant information and classifying content.

White House challenges hackers to break top AI models at DEF CON 31. Top AI developers, including Google and Microsoft, are to participate in a public evaluation of their generative AI systems, hosted by AI Village at DEF CON 31 in Las Vegas this August.

DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

July 18-19, 2023 – Microsoft Inspire 2023

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, 2023 – Microsoft Ignite 2023

☁️Classifieds

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☁️On a Less Serious Note

☁️ Last but not least …

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