imageWe’re pleased to announce a new free ebook: Microsoft Platform and Tools for Mobile App Development (ISBN 9781509304134), by Cesar de la Torre and Simon Calvert.

Understanding and creating a mobile app development strategy is an important process for today’s development decision-makers who aim to open up new business opportunities or to empower employees to be more productive with new capabilities.

Microsoft defines an end-to-end (E2E) platform for the agile creation of mobile apps that can target any platform (iOS, Android, or Windows), provides easy consumption of services in the cloud or on-premises, spans the requirements for consumer or employee scenarios, offers development teams DevOps tools to improve quality and to achieve faster time to market, and allows for integration with existing enterprise systems.

This book outlines the E2E platform from Microsoft that forms the critical capabilities for organizations selecting technologies and tools for a Mobile Application Development Platform (MADP) and Rapid Mobile Application Development (RMAD). It also describes the core decision factors that organizations should consider, and it outlines the technical capabilities available within Microsoft solutions and products.

Download the eBooks here:

Download standard PDF

Download mobile PDF

Download ePub

Download Mobi for Kindle

Read more at the announcement page here:

imageConnected cloud and mobile technologies present immense business opportunity, but there is potential for increased risk as organizations increase their exposure to cybersecurity threats. The digital world requires new approaches to protect against, detect, and respond to security threats.

Join speakers Julia White, General Manager in the Cloud + Enterprise, and Ann Johnson, Vice President of the Enterprise Cybersecurity Group, for our webinar: Top 5 security threats facing your business—and how to respond. You’ll discover our unique approach to security and how to benefit imagefrom the insight into the threat landscape that Microsoft derives from trillions of signals from billions of sources.

During this webinar you’ll learn about:

  • Protecting against identity compromise and identify breaches before they cause damage
  • Ensuring device security while enabling mobile work for your users
  • The unique perspective Microsoft brings to cybersecurity

Register for this online webcast below:

Posted by: kurtsh | June 22, 2016

BETA: Microsoft Azure Information Protection

Today we are announcing “Microsoft Azure Information Protection”, preview.

Azure Information Protection is a new service that makes it simpler to classify and protect information, even as it travels outside of your organization. It combines Secure Islands’ classification and labeling technology with Azure Rights Management. It enables customers to enable a protection process including these steps:

  1. Classify
  2. Label
  3. Protect
  4. Monitor
  5. Respond
An Introduction to Microsoft Azure Information Protection

In the above demo, you’ll see the new options that let you define how your users can classify their documents and emails during the normal course of their work. Find out how you can define the labels, protections, and visual markings appropriate for your organization. And finally, track where sensitive documents are traveling and how to stop them in their tracks.

A public preview of Azure Information Protection will be available next month.

For more information, visit the announcement post at:

imageAre you a global company?  Are you looking to understand which cloud services are available in the language of the country that your business or your business segment resides in?
Each service has different country and language availability, as outlined below:
  • Office 365, Exchange Online Protection, and Power BI
  • Skype for Business PSTN Conferencing
  • Skype for Business PSTN Calling
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Microsoft Intune
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online
  • Microsoft Social Engagement
  • Microsoft Dynamics Marketing
  • Parature, from Microsoft
  • System Center Advisor
  • System Center Endpoint Protection
  • System Center Global Service Monitor
  • Live Meeting

(All Microsoft Online Services are unavailable in Cuba, Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Sudan, and Syria.)

imageGartner has released a research document around how Windows 10 addresses the needs of end users around cloud, mobile and device-type experiences.

Summary:

“Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system has a surprising number of elements that can be incorporated into digital workplace strategies. Digital workplace planners can use these to promote a more cloud-connected, user-centric and self-service environment.”

– Analyst: Stephen Kleynhans

To view the entire research document for free, visit:

Posted by: kurtsh | June 22, 2016

INFO: Office 365 & Ransomware Preparedness

imageI was recently asked a couple questions about Ransomware & Office 365 that I thought might be useful for others interested in the same topic.

————

Re: Are there any specific things customers should consider re: Ransomware between onprem vs cloud?

The Office 365 Security blog has a specific post that talks about this topic.  Please review the following post from Office 365 Security:

————

Re: Anything to be said about ransomware preparedness?

Please review the following:

MICROSOFT MALWARE PROTECTION CENTER
We have specific guidance on the Ransomware prepared on the Microsoft Malware Protection Center, specifically a LIVING page summarizing our Threat Intelligence Reports which has specific areas that address:

  • Ransomware statistics
  • Ransomware characteristics
  • Ransomware analysis
  • Ransomware mitigateion
  • Ransomware prevalent threats

Again, this content is living and is constantly updated. Notifications are available via RSS.  Please review this content here:

We also have a dedicated page to Ransomware on the MMPC site:

CYBERTRUST BLOG RANSOMWARE SERIES
There is also an initial post on our CyberTrust blog kicking off a special series of articles about the Ransomware threat entitled, “Understanding the Risk” written by Tim Rains, our Director of Security at Microsoft.  It touches on everything from tactics to coming threats and he specifically closes with guidance around what to do to prepare:

“I asked some of the experts in Microsoft’s Enterprise Cybersecurity Group to provide some guidance based on the work they are doing to help enterprise customers protect, detect and respond to ransomware cases. The Enterprise Cybersecurity Group has unique, industry-leading cybersecurity expertise from client to cloud that I’m excited to tap. They have helped numerous enterprise customers protect, detect and respond to some of the most sophisticated ransomware attacks to date. This experience informs their approach, something partially summarized in the table below.”

Again, this is just the first article in the series.  Read more at :

THREAT RESEARCH & RESPONSE BLOG
Recently a post was made on the MMPC Threat Research & Response blog around Ransomware.  It has guidance toward the end that specifically recommends, “Enable Microsoft Active Protection Service (MAPS) to get the latest cloud-based ransomware detection and blocking.” (https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/mmpc/2015/01/14/maps-in-the-cloud-how-can-it-help-your-enterprise/)

Please review this post for more:

MCS CYBERSECURITY & RANSOMWARE
Finally, I have an introductory 50-slide deck from Microsoft Consulting Service’s Cybersecurity team (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftservices/campaigns/cybersecurity-protection.aspx) which provides some insight as to how our Cybersecurity approaches ransomware as well as an overview of the services that Microsoft has available to address the matter as well as the guidance we have specifically around Ransomware.  They have a very thorough approach to ransomware and are brought in on contract to help customers prepare for the threat, or address ransomware once it’s landed.

If you’re a customer of mine that is interested in this deck, please let me know.

Update 1606 for Configuration Manager Technical Preview has been released.

Taken from the announcement post:

imageUpdate 1606 for Configuration Manager Technical Preview has been released. New and improved features in this update include:

  • ConfigMgr as a managed installer for easier application whitelisting on Windows10: You can now configure clients so that ConfigMgr-deployed software is automatically trusted, but software from other sources is not. Read more in this blog post.
  • Cloud Proxy Service: This technical preview provides a simple way to manage ConfigMgr clients on the Internet. The Cloud Proxy Service, which is deployed to Microsoft Azure and requires an Azure subscription, connects to your on-premises ConfigMgr infrastructure using a new role called the cloud proxy connector point. You can use the ConfigMgr console to deploy the service to Azure and configure the supported roles to allow cloud proxy traffic.
  • Grace period for application and software update deployments: You are now able to give users a grace period to install required applications or software updates beyond any deadlines you configured. This can be useful for when a computer has been turned off for an extended period of time like when an end user has just returned from vacation.
  • Multiple device management points for Windows 10 Anniversary Edition devices: On-premises Mobile Device Management (MDM) supports a new capability in Windows 10 Anniversary Edition that automatically configures an enrolled device to have more than one device management point available for use. This capability allows the device to fall back to another device management point when the one it was using is not available.

This release also includes the following new feature for customers using System Center Configuration Manager connected with Microsoft Intune to manage mobile devices:

  • Device categories: You can create device categories, which can be used to automatically place devices in device collections when used in hybrid environments. Users are then required to choose a device category when they enroll a device in Intune.

Read more here:

Two new Technology Adoption Programs (Beta) have been announced.

imageBizTalk Server 2016 Technology Adoption Program (TAP) is now open for nominations!
We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for the BizTalk Server 2016 TAP program. The goal of the TAP is to get critical feedback on feature capabilities and product quality that will be used to determine when BizTalk Server 2016 is ready to ship as well as giving customers the opportunity to take BizTalk Server 2016 to production as soon as possible.

imageMicrosoft Host Integration Server 2016
Technology Adoption Program Nomination
Microsoft HIS product team is accepting nominations for the HIS 2016 TAP. The program is intended to enable the HIS product team to obtain critical feedback on HIS 2016 technologies and tools, with which to improve quality and supportability prior to retail release of the software. The program enables enterprise IT organizations to develop and deploy new host integration solutions using pre-release copies of HIS 2016, obtaining support from the HIS product team. The HIS product team will select TAP sites that best enable the team to achieve these goals.

imageAre you an Azure customer?  Are you investigating solutions for Disaster Recovery as a Service?

Check out what you already have with Azure DRaaS.  Gartner’s new DRaaS magic quadrant highlights the availability of Azure Site Recovery, which incorporates:

  • a cloud hosting service
  • a cloud migration & disaster recovery tool
  • management through Operations Management Suite

They also highlight Azure’s DRaaS GLOBAL availability relative to other solutions and cross-platform hybrid approach , which makes recovery suitable from VMware & Hyper-V.

Read the Magic Quadrant document here:

imageFree employees to work from anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Today’s employees are calling for more freedom and flexibility from their work environments. They want to be able to work when, where, and how they choose, which creates unique challenges for modern IT departments.
Fortunately, with The Innovator’s Guide to Uncompromised Freedom, flexibility and adaptation is easier than ever. The authority on achieving the freedom employees desire and the protection IT departments require, this eBook demonstrates how Microsoft’s Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) helps businesses create a more secure and productive work environment from virtually anywhere by:

  • Encrypting nearly any type of file on almost any device
  • Centrally managing identities across data centers and the cloud
  • Providing easy and intuitive device enrollment
  • And much more

For more information on how employees and businesses can achieve unprecedented flexibility and freedom, download The Innovator’s Guide to Uncompromised Freedom today.

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