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On this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad Sams and Paul Thurrott discuss recent reports suggesting the upcoming release of cheaper Copilot+ PCs, which may use a less powerful version of Qualcomm’s ARM-based Snapdragon X Plus chip. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning that the Iranian state-sponsored Fox Kitten threat group is aggressively targeting organizations across the US and other nations. These cybercriminals are exploiting vulnerabilities in VPN and firewall devices to steal sensitive data and deploy ransomware. Fox Kitten, also…

Microsoft is notifying commercial customers that Azure classic administrator roles will be retired on August 31, 2024. On the same date, the company also plans to phase out all Azure classic resources and Azure Service Manager. Azure classic administrator roles belong to the older Azure management model and include three main types: Account Administrator, Service…

Microsoft has revealed that Exchange Server 2016 and Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation (PSA) will reach the end of their support lifecycle in 2025. While Exchange Server 2016 already reached end of mainstream support in October 2020, its extended support phase will end on October 14, 2025. Microsoft will stop providing technical support, bug fixes,…

Microsoft has released a new Defender for Identity sensor tailored for Entra Connect servers, enhancing security measures against credential theft and privilege escalation. This new offering provides organizations with advanced tools to monitor, detect, and respond to potential security threats. Microsoft Entra Connect is a tool that enables organizations to link their on-premises directories with…

Over ten years ago, Microsoft announced the EASE or Active Directory Enhanced Security Admin Environment. Otherwise known as your Active Directory Red Forest, it isolates your privileged access administrative accounts in Active Directory (AD). Over the last four years, Microsoft has accounted for the retirement of the ESAE in favor of a more modern privileged…

Microsoft is about to add a new search experience to its OneDrive web app next month. This new search results page will feature advanced filters and a clickable location column to quickly locate files across OneDrive, shared folders, and document libraries. Currently, Microsoft OneDrive users face issues while filtering search results by date or file…

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new phishing campaign using malicious QR codes to steal Office credentials, potentially luring users into fake Microsoft Sway pages. This tactic allows hackers to deceive victims with convincing, yet fraudulent, login prompts, putting sensitive information at risk. QR code phishing is a cyberattack where hackers create malicious QR codes that…

Last month, Microsoft announced plans to introduce a new admin control to restrict external access from trial-only tenants. This new Tenant Federation setting is now generally available to help organizations safeguard against malicious activities. What is a trial-only tenant? A trial-only tenant refers to a Teams service plan that includes trial subscriptions. Microsoft has discovered…

Microsoft has rolled out a couple of new features and capabilities for Intune customers to enhance device performance management and customization. The company highlighted a new resource performance report, expanded support for Microsoft Managed Home Screen, and other new features. First off, Microsoft has introduced a new resource performance report that provides visibility into the…

Microsoft is gearing up to host a summit on Windows security at its Redmond headquarters in September. The Windows Endpoint Security Ecosystem Summit will bring together government representatives and cybersecurity companies such as CrowdStrike to discuss ways to make the Windows operating system more resilient. Last month, CrowdStrike released a buggy content configuration update for…

In this episode of First Ring Daily, Brad Sams and Paul Thurrott discuss their issues with the Microsoft Authenticator app and the AI-powered Recall feature scheduled to enter public testing with Windows 11 Insiders in October.