Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Ransomware attacks deliberately encrypt or erase data and systems to force your organization to pay money to attackers. These attacks target your data, your backups, and also key documentation required for you to recover without paying the attackers (as a means to increase the chances your organization will pay).

This article addresses what to do before an attack to protect your critical business systems and during an attack to ensure a rapid recovery of business operations.

• Backup and restore plan to protect against ransomware
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/backup-plan-to-protect-against-ransomware

Also review:

• Human-Operated Ransomware Mitigation Project Plan (PowerPoint)
  https://download.microsoft.com/download/7/5/1/751682ca-5aae-405b-afa0-e4832138e436/RansomwareRecommendations.pptx

Hey you. We’re getting rid of Azure MFA Server.  Get off of it. You know who you are.  Learn how to Migrate from Azure MFA Server to Azure multi-factor authentication – Azure Active Directory.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is important to securing your infrastructure and assets from bad actors. Azure MFA Server isn’t available for new deployments and will be deprecated. Customers who are using MFA Server should move to using cloud-based Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) multi-factor authentication.

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Read how here:

• Migrate from Azure MFA Server to Azure multi-factor authentication – Azure Active Directory
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/how-to-migrate-mfa-server-to-azure-mfa

Learn to unify and simplify your data management at this free digital event.

Get a holistic, up-to-date map of all your on-premises, multicloud, and software as a service (SaaS) data with Azure Purview, a unified data governance solution. Join Microsoft Corporate Vice President Rohan Kumar at this free digital event for demos and deep dives—and be among the first to hear major product announcements.

Register now to:

• Learn to create a comprehensive, automated map of all your data.
• See how Azure Purview works with Azure Synapse Analytics, Power BI, and the rest of your data estate to deliver timely, reliable insights.
• Watch in-depth demos of product features including Azure Purview Data Map and Data Catalog.
• Ask Azure experts your data governance questions in the live Q&A.

Details below:

• Date/Time:
  Tuesday, September 28, 2021 | 9:00 AM-10:00 AM
• Registration:
  https://azuredatagovernance.eventcore.com/auth/login

Microsoft has been named a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Magic Quadrant. Gartner recognized several of Power Automate’s strengths.

We have continued to make significant investments in RPA capabilities with the acquisition of Softomotive in 2020, which resulted in the general availability of Power Automate Desktop. This evolution continued as we added the powerful process advisor capability, and offered Power Automate Desktop for Windows 10 at no additional cost.

For more information & to see the new Gartner Report, visit:

• Microsoft named a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation
  https://flow.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-named-a-leader-in-the-2021-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-robotic-process-automation/

Today, we are excited to announce the preview of a core set of our industry leading prevention and protection capabilities for client endpoints running Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. This new solution will make it easier for more security teams across the globe to buy and adopt the best of breed fundamentals of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.

Microsoft is committed to delivering best of breed, multi-platform, and multi-cloud security for all organizations across the globe. Our aim is to offer simplified, comprehensive protection that prevents breaches and enables our customers to innovate and grow. As part of that commitment, we’re excited to offer a foundational set of our market leading endpoint security capabilities for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS at a lower price in a new solution to be named Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 (P1).

With Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P1, customers will get the following core capabilities:

• Industry leading antimalware that is cloud-based with built-in AI that helps to stop ransomware, known and unknown malware, and other threats in their tracks.
• Attack surface reduction capabilities that harden the device, prevent zero days, and offer granular control over access and behaviors on the endpoint.
• Device based conditional access that offers an additional layer of data protection and breach prevention and enables a Zero Trust approach.

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During this public preview, organizations can try out Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P1 for free. General availability is estimated to be later this year. Once generally available, Plan 1 will be offered in two ways:

1. As a standalone SKU licensed per user. Eligible licensed users will be able to use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 on up to five concurrent devices.
2. Included as part of Microsoft 365 E3/A3 with the same per user model and device entitlements as stated above.

For those customers that already have Microsoft 365 E3/A3, you will automatically get Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P1 capabilities when they become generally available. There will be a few steps you will have to take to enable this – we will share that information in detail closer to general availability.

Read more about this great new addition to Microsoft 365 E3 here:

• Introducing Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-defender-for-endpoint/introducing-microsoft-defender-for-endpoint-plan-1/ba-p/2636641

In today’s changing business world, where flexibility is more crucial than ever, we’re honored that Gartner has again recognized Microsoft as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) Tools¹.

Over the last 18 months, millions of employees worldwide have had to shift their work from the office to the home, and millions more continue to deal with dramatically reconfigured workplaces. Whether it’s hybrid or remote work, the one common aspect is the endpoint-as-conduit through which people remain connected and participate in today’s workplace. Throughout this massive shift, it’s become clear that digital endpoints—PCs, phones, operating systems, and essential apps—are the new workplace.

It’s the need for this ubiquitous connectivity that underpins the significance of endpoint management and security as vital for organizational success.

Learn more here:

• Gartner 2021 Magic Quadrant™ for Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
  https://aka.ms/GartnerUEM2021

Microsoft Security is having an event around how & why to implement Passwordless security.  And they’re bringing an all-star cast of speakers.

Passwords are leaving organizations increasingly more vulnerable and quickly becoming a relic of the past. Bring your organization into the future by adopting a passwordless authentication strategy. Attend this event to see how Microsoft solutions such as Azure Active Directory and Microsoft Authenticator are allowing users to forget their passwords while staying protected.

Register for the event to learn how to:

• Strengthen security and improve efficiency by moving to passwordless authentication.
• Combat the misconceptions of going passwordless.
• Educate employees about adopting passwordless authentication methods.
• Use the multiple methods that are available through Microsoft for passwordless sign-in.
• Replace passwords as the primary authentication method with more secure alternatives and manage at scale with Azure Active Directory.

Register today!

• Date/Time:
  Wednesday, October 13, 2021
  10:00 – 11:30 AM Pacific Time (UTC-7)
• Registration:
  https://passwordlessfuturedigitalevent.eventcore.com/

Microsoft & Valimail have a special free offer for Office 365 customer to provide visibility into DMARC enforcement around their domains.

Phishing and email spoofing not only erode brand trust but also leave recipients vulnerable to financial loss and serious invasions of privacy. These tactics have been around for years, but their breadth and sophistication today pose a formidable threat. According to the FBI, fraudulent emails sent under the guise of their own domains cost companies over $13 billion between 2016 and 2020.¹

Microsoft has industry-leading solutions for protecting customers from such attacks. Recently, Microsoft was named a leader in the 2021 Enterprise Email Security Wave², with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 receiving the highest possible scores in categories like incident response, threat intelligence, endpoint detection and response (EDR) integration, product strategy, and customer success. This acknowledgment is the latest testament to Microsoft’s continued innovation as a best-of-breed solution for email and collaboration security.

Valimail joined the Microsoft Intelligence Security Association³ (MISA) to transform Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC), one of the most reliable—yet often incredibly complex—ways to successfully strengthen email security. Valimail Authenticate, the first true DMARC-as-a-service offering, gives Microsoft Office 365 users free visibility into every service sending emails under their domains, plus additional tools to achieve DMARC enforcement faster than with any other solution.

Instead of struggling to set up DMARC or hiring expensive consultants to reach enforcement, Microsoft customers can use Valimail Authenticate to automate the process of DMARC enforcement using simple, guided workflows.

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Read more about this offer here:

• Get free DMARC visibility with Valimail Authenticate and Microsoft Office 365
  https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/09/01/get-free-dmarc-visibility-with-valimail-authenticate-and-microsoft-office-365/

Like many of you, we’ve been navigating the complexities of hybrid work one step at a time. Now we’re bringing together an incredible lineup of our executives to share what we’ve learned along the way.

You will also hear from industry experts and authors, including Forrester Research, as they share the latest thinking around hybrid work, the challenges we’re all facing, and how we can thrive in this new world of work.

Event highlights will include:

• Key trends every business leader needs to know about the shift to hybrid work
• Insights to reimagine your organization with a new operating model designed for hybrid work
• What’s next in the evolution of hybrid work

Join us on September 29 for the Microsoft US Hybrid Work Summit to gain a deeper understanding of this pivotal moment to rethink everything from the way we work, do business, and meet customers’ needs.

• Date/Time:
  Wednesday, September 29, 2021
  Morning session (PST) 9:30am – 11:00am
  Afternoon session (PST) 12:30pm – 2:00pm
• Register:
  Microsoft US Hybrid Work Summit – September 29, 2021
  https://mktoevents.com/Microsoft+Event/288772/157-GQE-382?trk=public_post_share-update_update-text

Microsoft & Rubrik announced a strategic agreement to help customers protect themselves against ransomware attacks.

Rubrik, the Zero Trust Data Management Company™️, today announced a strategic agreement with Microsoft that includes a Microsoft equity investment in Rubrik to drive go to market activities and co-engineering projects to deliver integrated Zero Trust data protection solutions built on Microsoft Azure. This work will address rising customer needs to protect against surging ransomware attacks, which are growing 150% annually. Together, Rubrik and Microsoft will provide Microsoft 365 and hybrid cloud data protection and integrated cloud services on Microsoft Azure.

Rubrik is addressing the most pressing data challenges for enterprises: rapid recovery from ransomware, automation of data operations, and the transition of data to the cloud. The Rubrik and Microsoft collaboration bring these offerings to the next level, providing Zero Trust data protection for hybrid cloud environments spanning data center, edge and cloud, including Microsoft 365.

Rubrik data management was designed for the cloud from day one. As part of this collaboration, customers and partners gain additional data protection, so that critical Microsoft 365 data is secure, easily discoverable, and always accessible in the case of a malicious attack, ransomware attack, accidental deletion, or corruption. Rubrik also offers additional support and protection for Microsoft 365 including instant search and restore and policy-based management at scale. Additionally, Rubrik and Microsoft provide long-term archival of Microsoft 365 data for the purposes of regulatory compliance.

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Read more about the new agreement here;

• Rubrik Announces Strategic Agreement with Microsoft to Mitigate Ransomware Threats and Tightly Integrate Cloud Services
  https://www.rubrik.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/21/strategic-agreement-with-microsoft-to-mitigate-ransomware-threats