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#153 | 2-hour Copilot for Microsoft 365 crash course inside

#153 | 2-hour Copilot for Microsoft 365 crash course inside

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Issue #153

☁️What's on my mind

Securing and protecting information in the cloud is not a piece of cake. Legislation worldwide protects individuals' data through regulation in more or less restrictive ways.

It is also because of all these regulations that Microsoft is not allowed to work any magic when, for example, it comes to resetting the password of a global administrator in a tenant.

It is true, however, that the procedures for obtaining lost administrative access are extremely complex and, for this very reason, time-consuming.

Good practices are clear. Two global admins and a maximum of 2 break-glass accounts that are excluded from MFA and are cloud-only.

This way you minimize the chances of locking yourself out of your own tenant.

Have a nice week,
Matic Z.

[FEATURED STORY] Strengthening Security Measures for Copilot in Microsoft 365

Microsoft's Copilot for Microsoft 365 comes with some challenges for administrators when it comes to protecting sensitive information. To ensure its safe usage, it's essential to understand how Copilot handles protected content and interacts with Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels.

Securing Copilot for Microsoft 365. Discover how to safeguard sensitive information in Microsoft 365 by understanding Copilot's interaction with protected content and using suitable encryption methods

Introducing Restricted SharePoint Search to help you get started with Copilot for Microsoft 365. The bare minimum you can do to secure your data when implementing Copilot for Microsoft 365. This feature will be available from April 1st.

Are you looking for IT talent?

Maybe she or he is hidden among the readers of this newsletter. Many cyber security experts and outstanding sysadmins read it.

Post your job listing here on M365 Weekly Newsletter and get noticed!

☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace

4 Elements of Microsoft Loop. Get to know Microsoft Loop, the new addition to Microsoft 365, with its unique structure and features. Uncover the four main elements: Loop Workspaces, Loop Pages, Loop Applications, and Loop Components, and learn how they differ from SharePoint Sites. Understand how they function as containers and work together to allow seamless collaboration on content. 

Copilot Crash Course: Tips, Tricks & More. Dive into the world of Copilot for Microsoft 365 with John and Andy as they reveal their personal experiences and top tips from the past six months. This video offers valuable guidance for both beginners and experienced users alike, covering everything from advanced features to practical advice on harnessing the full potential of Copilot. 2-hour long video.

☁️ Sysadmin Stuff

Deploy Office 365 , LTSC 2021 , Office 2019 using ODT. Easily deploy Microsoft 365 Apps, LTSC 2021, and Office 2019 using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT). With a few simple steps, you'll be able to download and configure the appropriate XML files, customize your deployment settings, and install the desired Office suite on client computers.

Tenant Consolidation and Turning Off the Lights. Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) can bring about complex IT challenges, especially when it comes to managing cloud services like Microsoft 365. To ensure a smooth transition, it's crucial to create a break-glass account, document settings, clean up tenant dependencies, and consolidate domain usage. This process requires careful planning, effective tools, and collaboration among stakeholders to avoid data loss and ensure success.

☁️Security & Data Governance

How to Create Sensitivity Labels in Microsoft 365. Handling sensitive data in your day-to-day work can be challenging, but Microsoft 365 has a solution for that. By setting up simple sensitivity labels, you can guide your team on email and document usage, and even implement technical controls for monitoring or restricting access.

Block Personal Computers with Conditional Access in Microsoft 365. Take control of your Microsoft 365 environment by blocking access from personal computers, and ensuring data security and compliance on company-owned devices. In this helpful video tutorial, you'll be guided through the process of setting up a conditional access policy, from basic to advanced configurations.

Entra Identity Secure Score and Expiring App Credentials. Did you know that you can automate the analysis of credentials for Entra ID registered apps and report expired credentials using the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK? This can save administrators time by avoiding manual checks of individual applications in the Entra admin center. Additionally, the Identity Secure Score blade, which Microsoft recently overhauled, can help you track your tenant's secure score and improve it by renewing expiring credentials for applications.

☁️Noteworthy (long)reads

Entra ID Multifactor Authentication Reaches 38% of All User Accounts. Microsoft Security recently revealed that 38% of Entra ID users have adopted multifactor authentication (MFA). While this number is a step towards their goal of 80% MFA adoption, there's still work to be done. To measure your tenant's MFA usage, you can follow the outlined process in the article.

Getting started with plugin development for Copilot for Microsoft 365. Diving into the world of Copilot plugins for Microsoft 365 can be a bit complex, but it's worth the effort as it can greatly enhance the power of your system.

DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

March 31, 2024 - Classic Teams retirement. You'll have to deploy the new Teams client.

April 15, 2024 - Microsoft Stream (Classic) retirement. Final stage. All data on Stream Classic will be deleted. Migrate to the new Stream (on Sharepoint).

By September 30, 2024 - Business Connectivity Services (BCS) retirement in Microsoft 365. (Timeline and alternative solution)

December 16, 2024 - Retiring of Delve application.

End of 2024 - Mail and Calendar Apps in Windows will be retired. The new Outlook will be installed on new Windows 11 devices.

October 2026 - Retirement of Microsoft Publisher app which has been a part of Office Suite for years.

☁️ Classifieds

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☁️On a Less Serious Note

funny

☁️ Last but not least ...

Here are a few things you can do if you enjoyed reading this newsletter:

  • Become a subscriber: m365 Weekly Newsletter Subscribe
  • Explore past issues: m365 Weekly Newsletter Archive.
  • Get in touch / Share cool M365 or other stuff: matic@m365weekly.com

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