28May
20May
Updates to the CIS Controls and Free Microsoft 365 Assessment Workbook
I know my community is already familiar with the CIS Critical Security Controls, as well as the free assessment workbook that I adapted from AuditScripts to apply to Microsoft 365 environments. This week, the Center for Internet Security released updates to the framework (we are now on v8). You can...
16Apr
Choosing (and implementing) your strategy for personal devices
In a recent Microsoft blog announcing some cool new discovery features in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, there is an interesting (but hardly surprising) statistic shared: your users are 71% more likely to be infected on an unmanaged device. Now the thrust of the article is around discovering assets in your environment...
02Apr
Moving to Microsoft 365 means getting to know your data (and your business)
Through my website's contact form, I still hear about botched migrations to Microsoft 365 on a regular basis. This is usually due to exactly one problem: ignorance about the process, as well as ignorance about the datasets being migrated, as well as ignorance about the various tools that we have...
09Mar
There is no panacea, there is no silver bullet
I had a really interesting question come up during one of my recent online courses. One of the participants asked whether device management, and even MAM (application-based management) were necessary anymore, now that we have stuff like MIP and Sensitivity Labels. I was taken aback by this question and I...
02Mar
Ignite and Casual Cape Day (a big week!)
It's an exciting week. Ignite is happening, and we're looking forward to hearing some big announcements. I am especially interested in hearing about some of the work being done in Teams and SharePoint. And I hope to learn more about the Fluent framework. We will see what news comes out...
09Feb
The realities and limitations of managing personal (BYOD) devices in Microsoft 365 and Endpoint Manager
These days, I am willing to bet that I get asked about BYOD endpoints over corporate endpoints 10 to 1. Personal devices (even personal Windows devices) are creeping into the workplace more and more, especially with so many working from home. And this does present a few challenges for those...
05Feb
The most important tool in Microsoft 365 that you can adopt in 2021
I get it. The universe is expanding so rapidly these days that it can be difficult to know where you should focus your efforts. If you are having trouble "catching up," do not worry, you are not alone. The IT industry is working on this issue collectively as we move...
29Jan
Devices or Users: When to target which policy type in Microsoft Endpoint Manager (Intune)
A new reader question came across my desk the other day. In truth, it is not the first time I have answered this question, but I realized that I could probably repeat myself less if I simply write an article and publish it. The question is: When working in Microsoft Endpoint...
12Jan