Kurt Shintaku's Blog

SAP is one of the largest providers of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software in the market today, handling an enterprise’s business applications like accounting, sales, payroll, finance, production, human resources, etc. We are happy to announce the public preview of a new SAP ERP connector for Power Apps and Power Automate. The SAP ERP connector allows you to connect your flows and apps to an SAP ERP system – either SAP ECC or SAP S/4HANA.

It has the following functionality:

• Allows you to create a connection to an SAP ECC or S/4HANA Server using either SAP authentication or Windows authentication
• Allows you to invoke any BAPI and custom RFCs
• Provides dynamic schemas for the input and output parameters for an RFC or BAPI

The SAP ERP connector can be used from a flow. You can also use it from a Power Apps canvas app, where you can invoke your flows. This abstraction helps in maintaining separation of concern between the complexities for connecting to SAP data, and the app development by Makers in Power Apps.

Check out this post by Sameer on the Power Apps blog to walk through how to get started with this new connector.

Now more than 300 connectors!

Besides SAP ERP, in the past two months we have added 18 new connectors – bringing the total to 315 connectors. We have achieved this milestone thanks to the great set of partners that have been contributing connectors for their services — and look forward to the next 300 connectors!

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For a list of additional connectors, visit:

• Now more than 300 connectors and other updates!
  https://flow.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/now-more-than-300-connectors-and-other-updates/

The Microsoft Defender ATP team is thrilled to announce public preview of Microsoft Defender ATP for Linux and a sneak peek into our mobile threat defense capabilities for Android and iOS!

Ten months ago, when we first announced our plans for macOS, we made a promise of building security solutions not only for Microsoft, but from Microsoft. Many of our customers have time and again shared with us their difficulties in managing multiple security solutions to protect their unique range of platforms and products against multiple attack vectors. Their challenging reality of having to protect and manage heterogenous environments resonated with us. We heard feedback loud and clear that our customers are looking for complete cross-platform coverage from a single security vendor on an integrated platform.

Over the last year, we released preventive and EDR capabilities for macOS. Our macOS investments have been met with positive feedback from customers and a desire to learn more about our cross-platform roadmap. We’re extremely proud to share with you our Linux news and to give you a glimpse into where we’re going next.

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Read more at:

• PREVIEW: Microsoft Defender ATP for Linux
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-defender-atp/microsoft-defender-atp-for-linux-is-coming-and-a-sneak-peek-into/ba-p/1192251?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Most organizations are profoundly challenged by the emergence of all types and sizes of disruptive actors in their markets and are forced to transform to survive. Improving agility and developing a culture of continuous change to become able to continuously redefine what is possible and be able to deploy new optimized operating models, is vital for those organizations. Those are the indispensable foundations to become able to better understand the customer expectations, to improve existing and create new customer experiences, to invent new business models and, ultimately, to generate new sources of revenue.

Digital transformation is therefore a key factor of growth, innovation and differentiation in a market with heightened competition. In this context, the increasing usage of the cloud by these organizations, the use of more and more varied types of device, and more and more mobility scenarios, present new challenges to provide adequate security, as part of the processing and data, that are now, de facto, outside the reassuring boundaries of the firewalls.

In light of the above, this white paper proposes to:

• Revisit the term "Zero Trust" and what it covers in its structuring principles,
• Describe how these principles apply to a computer environment to improve end-to-end security,
• Discuss how to translate these principles concretely with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and Microsoft security services, products and technologies.

Download the whitepaper here:

• WHITEPAPER: “Implementing a Zero Trust approach with Azure Active Directory” (.PDF, 69pg)
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=58366

Protect against increasingly sophisticated threats with a security information event management (SIEM) solution that brings intelligent analytics to your entire enterprise. AI and machine learning capabilities are built into Azure Sentinel, giving your security analysts the advanced tools they need to detect and respond to threats rapidly.

Read the e-book, Azure Sentinel: 3 Use Cases for Threat Detection and Investigation, to learn how to:

• Use machine learning models to detect anomalies and attacks that traditional SIEMs might miss.
• Easily identify significant issues among a sea of alerts using intelligent correlation.
• Equip your security team with intuitive tools for investigating and responding to threats.

Download the eBook here:

• DOWNLOAD: eBook, “Azure Sentinel: 3 Use Cases for Threat Detection and Investigation”
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/azure-sentinel-3-use-cases-for-threat-detection-and-investigation/

Using Azure Active Directory authentication? Two factor authentication using FIDO2 keys is now in preview.

I’m excited to announce the public preview of Azure AD support for FIDO2 security keys in hybrid environments. Users can now use FIDO2 security keys to sign in to their Hybrid Azure AD joined Windows 10 devices and get seamless sign-in to their on-premises and cloud resources.  Since the launch of the public preview of FIDO2 support for Azure AD joined devices and browser sign ins, this has been the top most requested feature from our passwordless customers.

Learn more here:

• Public preview of Azure AD support for FIDO2 security keys in hybrid environments
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-active-directory-identity/public-preview-of-azure-ad-support-for-fido2-security-keys-in/ba-p/1187929

Today, we are making a free 6-month Office 365 E1 Trial, including Microsoft Teams, available. Microsoft is making this special E1 Trial license available in response to the increased need for employees to work from home (WFH) in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

This is available to all Microsoft managed customers with no limit to the number of trial licenses that can be requested in order to ensure Microsoft is helping our customers maintain business continuity during this situation.

Read the following for FAQs:

• OFFER: 6-month Office 365 E1 trial (Microsoft Teams) for customers affected by COVID-19
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/MicrosoftTeams/e1-trial-license

Are you an IT professional or a developer looking to skill-up on the latest technologies, add to your toolbox, or help drive change in your organization? Microsoft Technical Trainings are the must-attend events to help you achieve your goals.

Microsoft Technical Trainings are in-person events hosted frequently in a city near you—and they’re free to attend. You’ll have the opportunity to expand your skillset, get hands-on with the latest technologies, connect with Microsoft experts, and network with your peers.

Save your seat at an upcoming event and get ready to explore Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and more. Find out how Microsoft is your trusted partner in envisioning the future—and watch your organization transform.

Here’s a sampling of the topics:

• Securing Your Organization
• Developers Guide to AI
• Azure Fundamentals
• Power Platform: Overview
• Fundamentals for Education
• Migrating Server Infrastructure to Azure
• Dynamics 365 Training Day

Events go out to May 28th.  Check out the list & register for the events you’re interested in:

• TRAINING: Microsoft Technical Trainings
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trainingdays

Last week, the Office 365 product group responsible for Government Community Cloud (GCC), GCC High and DoD service updated the service description on these platforms. If you leverage these regulated cloud instances, please check the links below:

• OneDrive for government: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/office-365-platform-service-description/office-365-us-government/onedrive
• SharePoint for government: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/office-365-platform-service-description/office-365-us-government/sharepoint
• Office 365 GCC High and DoD (significantly updated for file sharing): https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/office-365-platform-service-description/office-365-us-government/gcc-high-and-dod

There are 3 major changes happening to Software Assurance beginning in 2020 that all SAB Administrators should be aware of that affect both EA renewals as well as existing benefits in February 2020: (Read the summary or the FAQ for details)

• Planning Services
  We’re retiring Planning Services & making additional future investments in Microsoft FastTrack to assist with the adoption of cloud services.
• Training Vouchers
  We’re retiring Training Vouchers benefit & instead investing in new future training/certification offerings. (Nothing announced yet)
• Support
  We’re replacing 24/7 Problem Resolution Support incidents with credit toward Premier Unified Support contracts.

The timeline is documented in the following written .PDF summary of these changes. Please download it for details:

• Software Assurance 2020 Benefit Update Summary: (PDF)
  https://download.microsoft.com/download/5/c/7/5c727885-ec15-4920-818b-4d140ec6c38a/Software-Assurance-2020-benefit-update-summary.pdf
• Software Assurance FAQ:
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Licensing/licensing-programs/FAQ-Software-Assurance

Looking for a solution to detect, remediate, & obtain insights/trends around communication compliance violations within Microsoft 365, including:

• Targeted harassment
• Profanity
• Threats
• Source code links
• Improper resume distribution
• Customer privacy violations/breaches
• Offensive language

Enter “Communication Compliance for Microsoft 365 E5”.

At Ignite last November, we announced the preview of Communication Compliance, part of the new Insider Risk Management solution set in Microsoft 365.

Since Ignite, we’ve been hard at work developing the ability to scale and deliver a solution that leverages machine learning to quickly identify and take action on code of conduct policy violations in company communications channels. This builds upon the investments we have made in helping regulated organizations meet specific supervisory compliance requirements.

Feedback from customers during the preview has been phenomenal. Key delighters are the ability to:

• Leverage built-in machine learning classifiers to detect code of conduct violation (harassment, threat, profanities)
• Conversation threading, keyword highlighting, exact & near duplicates, filters for efficient review
• Built-in remediation workflows to quickly act on violations
• Support for multiple company communications channels, including Microsoft Teams messages, Exchange email, Skype for Business Online, and third parties such as Instant Bloomberg

Today, we move to the next phase and are excited to announce the general availability of Communication Compliance. Now, all multi-tenant customers worldwide can access this solution. Communication Compliance helps your organization identify and take action on code of conduct policy violations with:

• Machine learning at scale to intelligently detect violations in company communications channels
• Flexible remediation workflows to quickly act on violations in collaboration across your organization
• Actionable insights through an interactive dashboard with policy violations, actions and trends

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Read the announcement here:

• ANNOUNCEMENT: Announcing the general availability of Communication Compliance
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-privacy-and-compliance/announcing-the-general-availability-of-communication-compliance/ba-p/1167989
• VIDEO: “Communication Compliance: Solution tutorial to identify inappropriate communications”
  https://youtu.be/z33ji7a7Zho
• DOCS: Communication Compliance for Microsoft 365 E5
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/communication-compliance-configure?view=o365-worldwide