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In this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad Sams and Paul Thurrott discuss Microsoft’s refreshed Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models for consumers, which now use Qualcomm’s ARM-based X2 Series chips.

I recently sat down with Brian Alvey, CTO of WordPress VIP. We chatted about how WordPress has evolved from a blogging platform into a critical piece of enterprise infrastructure, powering some of the world’s most demanding, high-traffic websites. “We host the biggest and most important WordPress websites on earth… and we have to make sure…

A sophisticated cyber‑espionage group has quietly expanded its toolkit with new Windows versions of its SprySOCKS backdoor. This malware leverages kernel-level drivers to operate in stealth, allowing attackers to maintain persistent access, conduct covert surveillance, and evade many traditional security defenses. ESET researchers identified two previously unknown Windows versions of the SprySOCKS backdoor, which had…

As identity-based cyberattacks surge, IBM and Microsoft are joining forces to close the gap between detecting threats and taking governed action. This new collaboration blends Microsoft’s advanced security platform with IBM’s deep identity expertise to help organizations respond to threats faster, smarter, and at enterprise scale. Organizations are facing a growing challenge as identity-based attacks…

Gartner has warned that organizations are facing intensifying competition for AI talent in supply chain roles, as demand surges for professionals who can combine deep domain expertise with advanced AI capabilities. This growing imbalance is putting pressure on companies to rethink how they attract and develop the skills needed to stay competitive. According to a…

Tenant-to-tenant migration is one of those projects that looks straightforward on paper and reveals its complexity about three weeks in. Migrations are often driven by mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, or rebranding initiatives, but the underlying technical complexities remain largely the same. Permissions do not cross tenant boundaries. Sharing links breaks, and guest access disappears. Teams channels…

Microsoft is facing renewed legal pressure as investors accuse the company of presenting an overly optimistic view of its Azure cloud performance. The lawsuit raises concerns that Microsoft may have understated slowing growth and the financial impact of its aggressive expansion into AI infrastructure. This lawsuit was filed by a Michigan pension fund against several…

Microsoft has announced that dynamic thresholds for log search alerts are generally available in Azure Monitor. This new feature leverages machine learning to automatically determine normal behaviour from historical log data and identify anomalies without requiring manual threshold configuration. According to Microsoft, traditional monitoring systems rely on static thresholds, which must be manually set and…

Microsoft 365 Copilot User Subscription License (USL) is a paid add-on license for users who want Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. To buy it, you need a qualifying Microsoft 365 or Office 365 base plan. It isn’t included by default in Microsoft 365 E3 or E5, and smaller organizations on Microsoft 365…

Microsoft’s Copilot Cowork, the AI-powered productivity agent first announced in March, is now generally available after completing its preview phase. The company has developed Copilot Cowork in “close collaboration” with the AI startup Anthropic. The Copilot Cowork feature works like an intelligent digital teammate that is designed to take on entire tasks from start to…

Microsoft has announced its latest Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, both powered by the new Snapdragon X2 processors, marking another step in its ARM-based Windows strategy. The 13-inch Surface Pro and 13.8-inch Surface Laptop are available starting today. Meanwhile, the business versions of these new Qualcomm-powered Surface devices are scheduled to begin shipping on July…

Microsoft has rolled out the June 2026 security updates for Exchange Server. These patches are intended to strengthen email security and compliance in on-premises environments. The June 2026 updates address various vulnerabilities, including CVE‑2026‑42897, identified through internal checks and external security reporting. CVE‑2026‑42897 is a high‑severity security flaw in Microsoft Exchange Server (2016, 2019, and…