Blog

Microsoft has been developing two separate experiences within Windows Admin Center, including Administration Mode (aMode) for general server management and Virtualization Mode (vMode) for managing Hyper-V and virtualization infrastructure. Having separate installation experiences created additional complexity for IT teams evaluating or deploying the platform, particularly those interested in trying the newer virtualization-focused capabilities. This separate…

Organizations using Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) face an urgent security risk after a critical vulnerability was disclosed that could let attackers access management functions without valid credentials. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-76460, stems from insufficient authentication checks on a vulnerable API endpoint. According to Cisco, a remote attacker could send specially crafted requests to…

PowerShell Restart-Computer allows you to restart local and remote computers by using the Restart-Computer command. This cmdlet can be entered directly at the command prompt or it can be included in a PowerShell script. It is worth noting however, that in order to use this command to remotely shut down a machine that is running…

In this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad Sams and Paul Thurrott discuss Microsoft’s upcoming Windows and Surface event on October 7, where we should hear more about the Surface Laptop Ultra powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark chip, as well as recent efforts to make Windows 11 a better platform for local AI.

Service accounts rarely attract much attention until a password change, server migration, or security issue breaks a workload. That’s why it’s worth choosing the right identity from the get-go because your decision affects not only security, but also the ongoing management of the service. Service Account vs User Account If you’re deciding which identity to…

A recent Windows security update is creating unexpected authentication problems for some organizations that use on-premises Active Directory. After installing the September 2026 security update KB5124008, certain domain-joined Windows 11 devices can lose their secure trust relationship with the domain, which prevents users from signing in with valid domain credentials. This issue affects Windows 11…

As organizations deploy more AI agents across different platforms, IT teams often lack a centralized way to track, secure, and manage them. Agents built in different environments can operate with varying permissions, data access levels, and compliance controls, making oversight more complex. Microsoft warns that this fragmented approach can increase the risk of security gaps,…

Organizations are increasingly deploying passkeys and phishing-resistant authentication to strengthen identity security. However, Microsoft Security Research has found that attackers are exploiting employees’ familiarity with these technologies by using passkey-themed social engineering campaigns to gain access to cloud accounts and sensitive corporate data. According to Microsoft, the attacks typically begin with phone calls, text messages,…

Organizations running Windows Server 2022 are approaching a critical milestone as the platform reaches the end of mainstream support on October 13, 2026. The operating system will continue receiving security updates under extended support until October 2031, but Microsoft will no longer provide the full range of mainstream support capabilities that many IT teams rely…

Cyberattacks are becoming a routine cost of doing business rather than an occasional crisis. According to the Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2026, nearly one-third of organizations experienced a cyberattack in the past year. Organizations that suffer cyber incidents lose an average of 32 hours of operational productivity per attack and face annual cyber-related costs of…

Organizations running VMware vCenter face growing risk from a critical remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2026-59310) that ransomware operators are now actively exploiting. This flaw, which was patched by Broadcom in July, allows unauthenticated attackers to execute code on vulnerable systems, which makes exposed vCenter deployments a high-value target. VMware vCenter is a centralized management platform…

Organizations are rushing to deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot, but in doing so, many are discovering that their biggest challenge isn’t AI adoption but years of unmanaged SharePoint content, inactive sites, and excessive permissions. SharePoint Advanced Management aims to solve those issues before they become Copilot problems. What is SharePoint Advanced Management? SharePoint Advanced Management (SAM)…