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Organizations frequently need to evaluate how database changes will affect performance, but creating realistic test workloads and reproducing production scenarios can be difficult with older tools. As SQL environments become more complex, traditional testing approaches may not provide the flexibility or visibility needed to accurately assess performance before making significant changes. The result is that…

As Linux desktops become more common among developers, they are increasingly attracting attackers. These devices often store privileged credentials, source code, cloud access tokens, and other sensitive assets, yet many organizations focus their endpoint security efforts on Windows devices and Linux servers, which leaves developer workstations with weaker protection and visibility. This gap can create…

Microsoft’s security architecture increasingly relies on Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) enclaves to protect sensitive data from compromise. While these enclaves are designed to isolate secrets even from highly privileged processes, new research from Adrian Denkiewicz at Doyensec shows that vulnerabilities in one of Microsoft’s enclave components can potentially be abused to gain control of the protected…

Microsoft has released the October 2026 Patch Tuesday Updates for all supported versions of Windows 11. This month, the company has addressed 1415 new CVEs in Windows, Office, SharePoint, Linux kernel, SQL Server and Dynamics, Azure and cloud services, and Exchange Server. Microsoft has also announced that Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro, and…

Microsoft experienced an outage affecting the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) on October 12 after a configuration change caused administrators to receive “Internal Server Error” messages when attempting to access the web-based management console. This issue prevented admins from managing Exchange Online resources such as mailboxes and groups, with no workaround available during the disruption. According…

Organizations are under pressure to secure identities, manage external users, and provide access to corporate resources without creating additional complexity. As identity attacks continue to rise and hybrid work remains the norm, IT teams need stronger authentication controls and more flexible access management. Microsoft’s October 2026 roundup highlights several new and updated capabilities across Microsoft…

Enterprise end-user computing (EUC) is undergoing a major shift as organizations move away from traditional desktop virtualization environments toward cloud-based services such as Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop. However, the transition is not happening as a clean one-for-one migration. Most organizations now operate multiple EUC platforms simultaneously, which creates hybrid environments that combine legacy…

Microsoft has alerted IT administrators that the certificates used to establish trusted connections between Windows devices and Windows Update servers will expire in May and June 2027. Devices that do not receive replacement certificates before those deadlines may no longer be able to validate Windows Update services. Microsoft is distributing the new certificates through Windows…

Until recently, conversations about enterprise AI have focused on models, infrastructure, and computing power. But according to Karthik Sj, who leads Generative AI at LogicMonitor, many organisations are discovering that the real challenge isn’t the technology itself. It’s whether the business is prepared to use it effectively. The timing could hardly be more significant. AI…

In this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad Sams and Paul Thurrott look back at everything Microsoft announced during its Windows and Surface event this week, including how the company is building Windows for “hybrid intelligence.”

Cybercriminals are increasingly combining phishing attacks with legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) software such as AnyDesk to gain persistent access to victims’ devices. Phishing campaigns that incorporate RMM tools surged by 475% during the first nine months of 2026 compared to all of 2025. These attacks have primarily targeted North American financial institutions and…

Microsoft’s Windows App has supported cloud-based services such as Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Microsoft Dev Box for some time, but users who needed direct access to traditional Windows PCs still had to rely on separate remote access tools. That created a fragmented experience, especially for organizations managing both cloud and on-premises environments. As…