Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Whitelisting in Windows 10 has advanced quite a bit since the initial days of AppLocker.  AppLocker still exists however there is a new capability called Windows Defender Application Control that provides stronger software whitelisting:

• Windows AppLocker prevents unsigned, unapproved user applications from running on a Windows 10 PC through user/group/role specific policies.
  It does not prevent the usage/execution of unsigned drivers or non-interactive applications (services) on that PC.
• Windows Defender Application Control provides kernel-level, Enterprise-grade software whitelisting, leveraging Windows code integrity
  It can be applied to drivers, services, and user applications but sets a single, machine policy for the entire enterprise.
  It also has available to it, cloud-based whitelists generated by Microsoft based on the Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph.

The following is a video presentation of this technology and is available at the link below:

• MICROSOFT IGNITE 2017 – BRK 2080: “Deploying and managing Windows Defender Application Control in the real world  “
• VIDEO: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Microsoft-Ignite-Content-2017/Deploying-and-managing-Windows-Defender-Application-Control-in/m-p/105785
• POWERPOINT:
  https://8gportalvhdsf9v440s15hrt.blob.core.windows.net/ignite2017/session-presentations/BRK2080.PPTX

Distributed systems enable different areas of a business to build specific applications to support their needs and drive insight and innovation. While great for the business, this new normal can result in development inefficiencies when the same systems are reimplemented multiple times. This free e-book provides repeatable, generic patterns, and reusable components to make developing reliable systems easier and more efficient—so you can free your time to focus on core development of your app.

In this 160–page e-book, you’ll find:

• An introduction to distributed system concepts.
• Reusable patterns and practices for building distributed systems.
• Exploration of a platform for integrating applications, data sources, business partners, clients, mobile apps, social networks, and Internet of Things devices.
• Event-driven architectures for processing and reacting to events in real time.
• Additional resources for learning more about containers and container orchestration systems.
  

“There are more distributed systems that need to be built then there are people who know how to build them. The development and sharing of patterns for building distributed systems (especially in container orchestration technology like Kubernetes) enables both novice and veteran system builders to rapidly build and deploy reliable distributed systems.”

—Brendan Burns

• DOWNLOAD: Free eBook, “Designing Distributed Systems”
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/designing-distributed-systems/en-us/?wt.mc_id=AID627576_QSG_SCL_251431

Get Current, Stay Current on Windows 10

Windows 10 is changing the way IT manages and services enterprise computing. The time is now to take advantage of Windows 10 within your organization.

Attend this workshop to:

• Learn about the architectural changes to the Windows Deployment and Servicing model
• Participate in a roundtable discussion of Microsoft’s Operating System Deployment Strategy
• Gain hands on experience with the tools and resources you need to help deploy and support Windows as a service in your organization

Who should attend this session?

• IT Managers interested in deploying and managing Windows 10 enterprise-wide
• Business leaders looking to upgrade from previous versions of Windows

As this is an interactive session, please bring your laptop with you.

• Date/Time:
  Jun 13, 2018 — 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM PST
• Location:
  Microsoft Technology Center – Irvine
  3 Park Plaza, Suite 1600
  Irvine, California 92614
• Registration:
  https://www.microsoftevents.com/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x40705429f5a&wt.mc_id=AID700872_QSG_EML_NLTR_252123&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiT1RWak56SmlPRFUxT1RNMyIsInQiOiJIZHlMR0xjUjZHYmQyZTJvOFNiQmdVN3ZoWk52UDNTbWt5VEZFekJUUmJUZERaUHR4K09RSU9oRUxBNXpETWhaNVpHdHNTbk1TTkxqdGh5dG9qZEdBS21OVVwvclVSbHpIRUM4bWQ4MWErK1kxRXJWTkdYcXVVUUZXenRXSGhPTXIifQ%3D%3D

Join us Wednesday, June 27 for the Emerging Tech Virtual Summit: AI Unlocked, streaming live.

A revolution is coming, one that will overcome challenges we can only imagine, powered by technology we won’t even see. The next generation of life-changing technologies goes far beyond keyboards, screens, smartphones, cameras, watches, and hard drives.

If you want to be part of the next-gen digital revolution, this is the event to attend! Join us live online to hear from industry thought leaders as they explore what’s possible.

STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Norm Judah
Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Digital, Services and Success

Join Norm, our keynote speaker, for a "state of the union" on the AI landscape: where the technology is at today, where it’s headed in the future, and how it’s proving its value in the workplace.

FUNDAMENTALS OF AI
Robbee Minicola
Global Lead, Wunderman AI

Hear from Robbee, an expert in the convergence of media and technology, as she explains the fundamentals of AI. Get grounded on the concepts of BI, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, and explore the possibilities of how these technologies could revolutionize the way you do business.

We’ll also take you on a journey of exploration across several aspects of AI, including:

• The exploding world of AI: Insights and trends
• How companies are leveraging AI to transform their businesses
• How to responsibly build AI systems with an ethical foundation

The future is waiting—and you can help create it. Save the date for the Emerging Tech Virtual Summit: AI Unlocked, a can’t-miss streaming event, and follow #MSFTEmergingTech on Twitter to join the conversation before, during, and after this insightful event.

Details below:

• Date/Time:
  Wednesday, June 27, 2018
  9:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT
• Registration:
  https://onlinexperiences.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowKey=52000
  

When Microsoft rolled out Intune to all its employee’s personal devices, (all devices accessing any corporate data at Microsoft must be enrolled in Intune) folks were naturally interested in knowing what information might be collected by Microsoft IT.

Microsoft is as vigilant about it’s employee’s privacy as it is with our customer’s.  The first thing users were presented with when enrolling their personal devices was information about what information the company would see and would not see:

• Microsoft can never see:
• Call & web history
• Location
• Email and text messages
• Contacts
• Password
• Calendar
• Camera roll
• Microsoft may see:
• Model
• Serial number
• Operating system
• App names
• Owner
• Device name
• Manufacturer
• Phone number (for corporate devices only)

This is available in greater detail online for individuals with questions about the data collected via Intune when enrolled.  You can read this info through the link below.

• INFO: "What information can your company see when you enroll your device in Microsoft Intune?”
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/intune-user-help/what-info-can-your-company-see-when-you-enroll-your-device-in-intune

If you’re wondering why Microsoft needed GitHub & why GitHub needed Microsoft, there’s several reasons, but at the core of it is the fact that putting GitHub together with the power of Microsoft Azure is a 1+1=3.

Every GitHub developer has to download, compile, test, edit & post their code to the service. Doing all of this locally on one’s own development system is a waste of productivity when you can:

• keep code in GitHub
• compile code in the cloud
• orchestrate the creation of test environments (VMs & cloud services) – entirely in the cloud
• access rentable devices like iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, etc. with different OS revisions for test use in the cloud (Xamarin Test Cloud)
• test one’s code in the cloud
• edit code in the cloud
• lather rinse repeat – all online
• save revisions in GitHub

GitHub gets direct access to the world’s largest, most powerful cloud & Microsoft gets more potential users of Microsoft Azure. 

…GitHub+Microsoft means more productive developers.

For more resources around this acquisition, check out the following link:

• GitHub+Microsoft Resources:
  https://view.pointdrive.linkedin.com/presentations/963289ec-c65f-493a-9d52-30e79a7f727d?auth=69ecaf58-d8db-4ba3-880e-c417f14b00ff

Here are some great articles explaining why this acquisition is important:

• BUSINESS INSIDER: “Microsoft is buying GitHub for $7.5 billion — here’s why it’s a smart move for Microsoft in the cloud wars with Amazon”
  http://www.businessinsider.com/why-microsoft-should-buy-github-2018-6
• GEEKWIRE: “Why would Microsoft want GitHub? Developers, developers, developers ― and the cloud”
  https://www.geekwire.com/2018/microsoft-want-github-developers-developers-developers-―-cloud/
• ARS TECHNICA: “Microsoft snaps up GitHub for $7.5 billion”
  https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/microsoft-snaps-up-github-for-7-5-billion/
• ARS TECHNICA: “Everyone complaining about Microsoft buying GitHub needs to offer a better solution”
  https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/06/everyone-complaining-about-microsoft-buying-github-needs-to-offer-a-better-solution/

Join us on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 for a virtual experience to learn tips and tricks for modernizing your infrastructure and applications—regardless of whether you’re running it on-premises or in the cloud.

Windows Server 2019 Virtual Summit
(Agenda)

• Keynote
• Tracks
• Hybrid
• Security
• Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI)
• Application Platform

Details below:

• Date/Time:
  June 26, 2018
  9:00AM-1:00PM (PST)
• Save the Date:
  https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE2bymF
• Sign up for updates:
  https://info.microsoft.com/Windows-Server-Summit-Stay-Up-To-Date.html
• Registration:
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/windows-server-summit

Wanna get started developing Java apps for the cloud with tutorials, tools, and libraries?

Check out our Azure for Java Developers site.

• Get started
• InteliJ, Maven, Eclipse, and VS Code plugins
• Code samples
• Azure Libraries for Java
• “Get Started Guides”
  Learn how to use Java with Azure services
• Deploy your first web app to Azure
• Deploy to Kubernetes
• Deploy to a Spring Boot app with Maven
• Microservices with Service Fabric
• Create a Java serverless function
• CI/CD to App Services with Jenkins

Visit the resources here:

• INFO: Azure for Java Developers
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/java/azure/?WT.mc_id=docsmsft-twitter

Today we are announcing the pre-pilot phase of Microsoft Training Services, a digital, customized learning service for Office 365 and Windows 10 that helps customers transform their organizations without investing heavily in training and change management resources.

To date, 25 organizations have participated in the pre-pilot phase, helping to develop and test the service. We’ve learned that customers face key challenges with training their employees how to use Microsoft apps and services:

• Landing the business-specific reasons that new tools are beneficial
• Customizing adoption and training content to meet the needs of their environment
• Keeping training content up-to-date
• Measuring the results of their training efforts
• Keeping IT and champions up-to-date on new features

Microsoft Training Services solves these problems by delivering:

• Customizable, flexible content – Admins choose to hide or show content based on their environment or build their own custom playlists that are tailored to the unique needs of their organization. End users make their own playlists and share them with coworkers.
• Experiences sized to the customer need – Our service offers training playlist tools to be incorporated within their existing sites or the full Toolkit for Teamwork experience which can provide the end to end out of the box website for customizable adoption & training content.
• Always up-to-date content: Microsoft Training Services content is continually and automatically updated, enabling organizations to provide a library of up-to-date learning content for end users and avoid the hassle of having to make the changes themselves.
• Measurement tools – Management gains valuable insights into the training materials users consume and the types of custom playlists they create and share.

No additional training resources or package purchases are required to use either the training content or full site experience solutions. Microsoft Training Services delivers training content from an Azure-hosted content store to a Web part hosted on the customer’s SharePoint communication site. A similar package can be installed that will provide the full Toolkit for Teamwork SharePoint Online full site experience.

Microsoft Training Services will be available as a pilot in late July 2018. To be added to the pilot waitlist or to learn more register at https://aka.ms/mtspilot.

Read the original announcement here:

• BETA: Introducing Microsoft Training Services
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/SharePoint-Blog/Introducing-Microsoft-Training-Services/ba-p/195732