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This article explores the fundamentals of Group Policy Preferences, including their advantages over traditional Group Policy, common use cases, and step-by-step configuration guidance. It also addresses the ever-important security angle – we’ll provide additional guidance to ensure a safe and compliant deployment. What are Group Policy Preferences? Group Policy Preferences (GPP) are a powerful tool…

Cloud security is now a top priority for IT leaders, with AI-driven threats surpassing traditional breaches as the main concern. Ekco’s 2025 survey reveals that 81 percent of IT leaders are concerned about cloud infrastructure security. Managed cloud and security services firm Ekco conducted a survey of more than 1,000 IT decision-makers. The researchers found…

Cisco has released a security patch to address a critical vulnerability in its Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) and Session Management Edition (Unified CM SME). This security flaw could allow remote attackers to gain root access to unpatched systems. Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) is a centralized call control platform that enables voice, video,…

Microsoft has announced the general availability of workload orchestration in Azure Arc. This new feature is designed to simplify the deployment and management of Kubernetes-based applications across distributed edge environments. Workload orchestration helps organizations manage and deploy applications consistently across multiple, diverse locations, especially in edge environments like factories, retail stores, or clinics. It solves…

In this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad Sams and Paul Thurrott discuss Meta’s attempt to disrupt the AI race by aggressively hiring the best engineers on the market, as well as the AI-powered code editor Cursor, which is coming to the web and mobile.

Microsoft has acknowledged a new sign-in issue affecting Microsoft Teams-certified Android devices, including Teams Rooms on Android, Teams Phones, Teams Panels, and Teams Displays. The issue is caused by a new Conditional Access policy in Microsoft Entra ID that blocks Device Code Flow (DCF) authentication. Microsoft mentioned that this policy is a part of its…

Microsoft has released a detailed roundup of all the new features and enhancements introduced in Microsoft Entra from April to June 2025. A key highlight is the new Entra Agent ID feature, which allows organizations to better control how agents interact with data, systems, and users Security improvements In November, Microsoft will add support for…

As Azure Local and other hyper-converged solutions—such as Windows Server Hyper-Converged and Proxmox—continue to gain traction, many customers, partners, and smaller OEM resellers still struggle with sizing their clusters accurately. This challenge has persisted for years, particularly with Azure Local and Windows Server environments. During my time at Microsoft, we encountered frequent issues with both…

Microsoft is investigating a new bug in its Intune endpoint management software that causes custom security baseline settings to be lost during the update process. The Microsoft Intune support team acknowledged this issue on July 1. In Microsoft Intune, security baselines are collections of recommended security settings designed by Microsoft to help organizations quickly implement…

Microsoft has officially launched Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE) for commercial customers. This new release adopts a subscription-based model, departing from the traditional versioned approach to deliver continuous updates and long-term support. Microsoft first announced details about the Exchange Server Subscription Edition (SE) back in May 2024. This new subscription-based version of Exchange Server is…

Microsoft is strengthening passkey support in Windows 11 as part of its ongoing shift away from traditional passwords toward more secure, phishing-resistant authentication. A new partnership with 1Password allows users to seamlessly sync and manage passkeys directly within Windows 11. A passkey is a modern, secure way to log into apps and websites without using…

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 has introduced a new security feature designed to protect users from email-bombing attacks. This new capability started rolling out in late June, and it’s expected to hit general availability by the end of this month. An email bombing attack is a type of cyberattack where a target’s inbox is flooded…