Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Do you work in Operational Tech (OT) Security?

We are currently working on expanding Sentinel to address the needs of the OT/ ICS (Industrial Control System) security environment.

Our first goal is to understand the needs and challenges of SIEM users for OT security (ICS environments include manufacturing plants, chemical processing plants, food production plants, SCADA systems eg: oil and gas industry pipelines, water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, power plants, transport industry control systems etc.)

This would work in conjunction with D4IoT sensors which only analyze east-west network traffic. We would ideally like to expand this coverage to include, north – south traffic, firewall information, badge in badge out information, Application data from servers, log in-out info from workstations and more to gauge a more holistic look into the environment.

If you work in this space and would be willing to share more about your needs, please use our form at:

• Help us Understand Challenges of SIEM users for OT (Operational Tech) Security In ICS
  https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=v4j5cvGGr0GRqy180BHbR9bwacli-s5PpITonWQsE35UQldZRVE1RkRXSzRKNDBKMThIV0dJMlpPNy4u

Check out this Microsoft webinar in partnership with the SANS Institute recorded on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. This session was led by Microsoft experts, Dana Baril, Senior Security Research Lead, Roberto Rodriguez, Principal Threat Researcher, and Mor Rubin, Senior Security Researcher. We provide insights and recommendations to protect your organization against AD FS attacks in hybrid cloud environments. In this session we cover:

• How defenders can analyze an AD FS attack once compromise is suspected
• Walk through a demo of common AD FS attacks such as the forging of SAML tokens
• Guidance on how to perform forensics and develop detections

Register to watch the webinar: Defending your cloud against AD FS attacks here!

• Webinar: Defending your cloud against AD FS attacks
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/webinar-defending-your-cloud-against-ad-fs-attacks/ba-p/2998853

Looking for the new version of the Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architectures (MCRA)?

Updated slide deck includes latest product names, visual journey of Zero Trust (from an access/ network/ segmentation perspective), SASE, and more.

The Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architectures (MCRA) describe Microsoft’s cybersecurity capabilities. The diagrams describe how Microsoft security capabilities integrate with Microsoft platforms and 3rd party platforms like Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, 3rd party apps like ServiceNow and salesforce, and 3rd party platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Get the updated MCRA (December 2021) here:

• DOWNLOAD: Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architectures – Security documentation
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/cybersecurity-reference-architecture/mcra

Over 25 sessions & 100s of speakers. Register for the Power BI Summit 2022!

Power BI Summit is the biggest Power BI conference. It is a multi-day event bringing speakers from the Microsoft Power BI team’s product group and community experts and MVPs from all around the world. This conference is run virtually, and you can attend from anywhere, all you need is an internet connection and a computer.

There will be more than 100 sessions at this conference. All Power BI topics are covered in this conference, from beginner to advance. We will have sessions for Power Query, DAX, Dataflow, Visualization, Power BI Desktop, Power BI report server, Mobile experience, Embedded, Power BI Premium, Architecture, governance. There will also be some discussion table talks.

This conference would be an opportunity to learn and network online. This is a virtual conference, connecting speakers and attendees around the globe.

The conference will be in one week. It will run for 4-5-hours a day in two or three different time zones. In each block of 4-5-hours, there will be multiple tracks of sessions to choose from. You can attend live, or watch the recordings afterward.

Register below:

• Date/Time:
  March 7-11, 2022
• Power BI Summit 2022
  https://globalpowerbisummit.com/ 

This report provides guidance around when & why to transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11, specifically highlighting the need for mainstream users to begin their move in H2 2022, while early adopters should begin in early 2022.

The announcement of Windows 11 has raised questions like when and why to deploy in the minds of I&O leaders responsible for Windows PCs. This research defines Windows 11 and offers guidance based on what is currently known about the product.

Get the licensed 8 page report here:

• GARTNER: Positioning Windows 11 Preparing to Deploy
  https://www.gartner.com/doc/reprints?id=1-27HTXVOD&ct=210920&st=sb&culture=en-us&country=US

Microsoft Teams general manager Nicole Herskowitz will discuss the platform’s role in enterprise collaboration at Enterprise Connect 2022 on March 21-24.

Use code RECORD22 to save $200 off an ‘Entire Event’ or ‘Tues-Thurs Orlando’ pass, or get an ‘Entire Event Virtual’ pass for $199. Free Expo Plus Orlando and Expo Plus Virtual passes are also available. 

https:/www.enterpriseconnect.com/orlando

Read more here:

• NEWS: Enterprise Connect 2022 expands conference with Microsoft keynote
  https://www.technologyrecord.com/Article/enterprise-connect-2022-expands-conference-with-microsoft-keynote-128326

In a world that runs on data and cloud, a Microsoft datacenter is more than just a place to store data. Amid the changing nature of work, education and innovation, datacenters are a crucial component of infrastructure. This infographic provides an at-a-glance of the Microsoft datacenter.

View it to get a snapshot of how Microsoft datacenters deliver worldwide physical and digital security, reliability, sustainable design and pioneering innovation.

• DOWNLOAD: Inside a Microsoft Datacenter
  https://itontology.lll-ll.com/?i=2521710

ATTENTION AZURE CONTRACT MANAGERS & AZURE ADMINISTRATORS:

If you’re interested in the answers to the following Azure questions:

• How do I create a new Azure subscription for a project?
• How do I assign administrative roles to a user?
• How do I provide billing / cost reporting access to a user?
• How do I get a usage summary of Azure?

Check out the Enterprise Azure channel on YouTube. In the channel, you’ll find key videos to learn how to support your Azure

• Managing Consumption & Invoices
• Managing Subscriptions as an Account Owner
• Managing Departments
• Managing Accounts
• Managing Enrollments
• Onboarding & Setting up Billing Accounts
• A 40min Complete Onboarding Session for Microsoft Azure Enterprise Portal, or excepts specifically for:
  • User Management
  • Usage Summaries
  • Downloading Usage

Visit the YouTube channel here:

• Enterprise Azure – Contract Management, Roles Administration & Subscription Usage
  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMQGYWHJgkyKGp6JsAMMFNw/featured

We are excited to share this great news with you – Microsoft is named as a Leader in the 2022 Gartner Enterprise Information Archiving (EIA) Magic Quadrant.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Microsoft has been recognized as a leader in this critical space. This recognition reinforces our ability to offer best-in-class and innovative information governance, data connectors/archiving, eDiscovery, communication compliance, and other compliance solutions.

Read the announcement here & download the report at this link:

• DOWNLOAD: Gartner® names Microsoft a Leader in the 2022 Magic Quadrant™ for Enterprise Information Archiving – Microsoft Security Blog
  https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/01/28/gartner-names-microsoft-a-leader-in-the-2022-magic-quadrant-for-enterprise-information-archiving/

Learn about the cost savings and business benefits that companies experienced by using Azure Virtual Desktop—previously called Windows Virtual Desktop—for their virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). This 2021 Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Microsoft and Intel provides a detailed analysis of the return on investment and other outcomes experienced by real customers.

The analysis shows that potential benefits include:

• A three-year 210 percent return on investment and payback on the initial investment in as little as three months.
• Reduced IT costs for maintenance, deployment, and management by 59 percent.
• Reduced VDI licensing and infrastructure costs by up to 34 percent.
• Increased productivity by up to 22 person-hours through improved security response, connectivity, and user onboarding.

Download the report here:

• DOWNLOAD: The Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop—a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/the-total-economic-impact-of-microsoft-azure-virtual-desktop-a-commissioned-study-conducted-by-forrester-consulting/