Rabia Noureen

Microsoft is introducing a significant change to Azure that will impact how virtual machines (VMs) connect to the Internet. Starting in September 2025, default outbound access for new VMs will no longer include unrestricted Internet access. In Microsoft Azure, outbound Internet access is enabled by default for resources within a virtual network (VNet). This default…

Microsoft has released a new security feature, Multi-User Authorization (MUA), for Azure Backup vaults. Azure Backup is a cloud-based service that allows users to perform backup and restore data, from various Azure services and on-premises Windows Server, in the Azure cloud. MUA enhances protection by providing an additional layer of security, a Resource Guard, to…

Microsoft has revealed that a Chinese-backed threat group, known as Storm-0062, is currently exploiting a critical zero-day vulnerability in Atlassian Confluence Server and Confluence Data Center. The proof-of-concept exploits for this vulnerability are now publicly available, raising the alarming possibility of mass exploitation. Last week, Atlassian acknowledged the remotely exploitable privilege-escalation vulnerability (CVE-2023-22515) that affects…

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is getting a security feature designed to thwart human-operated attacks automatically. The introduction of new “contain user disruption” capabilities empowers organizations to swiftly isolate compromised user accounts and put a stop to lateral movement during hands-on keyboard attacks. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a security solution that enables customers to detect,…

Microsoft is getting ready to say goodbye to NT LAN Manager (NTLM), a long-standing authentication support system, in favor of the more robust and secure Kerberos protocol. This transition is also bringing two new fallback mechanisms into play, aimed at addressing existing limitations within the protocol. What is NTLM? NT LAN Manager (NTLM) is a…

VBScript, once the go-to tool for Windows enthusiasts and IT professionals, is gradually inching towards its sunset. Microsoft has quietly updated its list of deprecated features to indicate that it’s planning to completely remove the scripting language in future versions of Windows. VBScript (also called Visual Basic Scripting Edition) is a scripting language that allows…

Microsoft announced the release of the October 2023 Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 yesterday. This month, the company has addressed 103 security vulnerabilities, including three actively exploited zero-day flaws affecting Microsoft WordPad, Skype for Business, and the HTTP/2 protocol. October 2023 Patch Tuesday updates fix over 100 vulnerabilities In October, Microsoft…

Microsoft has started rolling out a new home page for its Search and intelligence admin portal. The new homepage provides a centralized hub to help enterprise customers access all search capabilities, including user feedback and Graph connectors. Microsoft Search is a unified search experience that allows enterprise customers to search across Microsoft 365 apps and…

Last week, Google made headlines with its announcement of new requirements for bulk email senders, signalling a renewed commitment to safeguarding Gmail users from the deluge of unwanted emails. In a similar vein, Microsoft has now chimed in, urging administrators to authenticate outbound messages to ensure continuous email delivery. Google explained that the new policies…

Microsoft has released new Azure management capabilities tailored for Azure Arc-enabled System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM). This latest update enables customers to oversee their virtualized workloads operating on-premises or cloud environments. Azure Arc-enabled System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) is a solution that allows organizations to manage virtualized workloads running on on-premises or cloud…

Microsoft has recently announced the release of the Windows Server Insider Preview build 25951. The new build introduces several enhancements for Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and Active Directory Lightweight Domain Services (AD LDS), including support for a new forest and domain functional level. What are Windows Server Active Directory functional levels? Functional levels…

Microsoft has announced the public preview of its Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty solution tailored specifically for the public sector. The new offering marks a significant step towards empowering government entities to navigate the complex landscape of data compliance and security requirements with confidence. Microsoft first unveiled Cloud for Sovereignty at its annual Inspire partner conference…