#itadvent — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #itadvent, aggregated by home.social.
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Day 24 of #ITAdvent. And this concludes yet another run. I hope you found some usefull tips, I had a nasty cold so that might have had an impact. In any case, happy holidays and see you in the next year! And yes, I haven't forgotten that #MSExchange and Start-of-authority blog post ;-)
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Day 24 of #ITAdvent. And this concludes yet another run. I hope you found some usefull tips, I had a nasty cold so that might have had an impact. In any case, happy holidays and see you in the next year! And yes, I haven't forgotten that #MSExchange and Start-of-authority blog post ;-)
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Day 24 of #ITAdvent. And this concludes yet another run. I hope you found some usefull tips, I had a nasty cold so that might have had an impact. In any case, happy holidays and see you in the next year! And yes, I haven't forgotten that #MSExchange and Start-of-authority blog post ;-)
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Day 24 of #ITAdvent. And this concludes yet another run. I hope you found some usefull tips, I had a nasty cold so that might have had an impact. In any case, happy holidays and see you in the next year! And yes, I haven't forgotten that #MSExchange and Start-of-authority blog post ;-)
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Day 23 of #ITAdvent. When I design, licensing is an important part of it. Knowing what capability or #license is present in which bundle or add-on is important for cost estimates. One big help is the #Microsoft365 Enterprise plan comparison table, which is updated frequently. Download the PDF here: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=2139145&clcid=0x409&culture=en-us&country=us?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976
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Day 22 of #ITAdvent. In February 2026 #MicrosoftTeams will rollout Express Voice Enrollment and prompt users to opt-in. When the user choses to enroll the features enables improved voice isolation, speaker attribution in meetings rooms etc., this is probably something that organizations explain to their users. Especially when there are #privacy concerns on biometric data. See #Microsoft365 roadmap ID #537269 https://www.microsoft.com/nl-nl/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=537269
and the Learn article https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/rooms/voice-and-face-recognition?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976 -
Day 21 of #ITAdvent. From February 2026, #MicrosoftTeams will remove #EXIF #metadata from shared photo's, which can include location data. This is a good move as #Purview #DLP (as far as I know) cannot use EXIF data in it's policies.
Currently on the #Microsoft365 Roadmap #542795 under https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?&searchterms=542795 -
Day 21 of #ITAdvent. From February 2026, #MicrosoftTeams will remove #EXIF #metadata from shared photo's, which can include location data. This is a good move as #Purview #DLP (as far as I know) cannot use EXIF data in it's policies.
Currently on the #Microsoft365 Roadmap #542795 under https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?&searchterms=542795 -
Day 21 of #ITAdvent. From February 2026, #MicrosoftTeams will remove #EXIF #metadata from shared photo's, which can include location data. This is a good move as #Purview #DLP (as far as I know) cannot use EXIF data in it's policies.
Currently on the #Microsoft365 Roadmap #542795 under https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?&searchterms=542795 -
Day 20 of #ITAdvent. Unfortunatly too often I encounter environments that do not follow proper #security best practices with #Microsoft365 administrative accounts. Too often privileged roles are assigned to normal workforce identities, with the argument that the separation of duty is ensured with Privileged Identity Management (or Just-in-time admin).
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Day 19 of #ITAdvent. One other consideration of using Automatic Certificate Management Environment or #ACME is that you also need to update your #TLSA #DNS record for #DANE. This record contains the #certificate thumbprint, binding that certificate to that specific URI enabling clients to check authenticity.
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Day 18 of #ITAdvent. While I like #Microsoft365 #Copilot and use it in my #MVPAward tenant, it also enables me to use some capabilities in other tenants even if I do not have a Copilot license there. For instance: my tenant A has Copilot, tenant B does not. I am signed into Word with tenant A and B, now Word has some Copilot capabilities for documents opened from B.
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Day 17 of #ITAdvent: One thing to put on your 2026 to-do list is getting acquainted with Automatic Certificate Management Environment or #ACME. This is due to coming changes in #certificate lifetime eventually be reduced to 47 days in 2029. I know orgs already struggle with 1yr... Let's also hope that software vendors requiring certificates are prepared for this as well.
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Day 16 of #ITAdvent. In the coming months #Microsoft will roll-out Baseline Security Mode in #Microsoft365 (see #MC1193689 ). It's goal is to increase #security in a more admin friendly way. It can apply recommended settings or evaluate your current settings and whether they are at risk.
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Day 15 of #ITAdvent: I like improving the #security of my personal devices and I like guides\frameworks and such. Recently I came across the Electronic Frontier Foundation (#EFF) Surveillance Self-Defense, a set of tips, tools and guide to help protect yourself from whatever threatens your security and #privacy.
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Day 14 of #ITAdvent. It's Sunday, so another more contemplative "tip". This time a theory that resonated with me: Pratchett’s Vimes Theory of Boots explains why poverty is expensive: cheap boots cost less upfront but wear out quickly, forcing repeated purchases. Wealthier people buy durable boots once, saving money in the long run.
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Day 13 of #ITAdvent. #Microsoft365 and #MicrosoftTeams admins will be able to customize the recording and transcript notification from January 2026. This is a long awaited feature by many organization. I whish I had this 5 years ago and didn't have to use Terms of Use Conditional Access policy to achieve something similar.
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Day 12 of #ITAdvent. Short low effort self-plug as I'm a bit under the weather: I'll be speaking (in English) at the excellent in-person event Exchange Summit 2026 in Würzburg, Germany on 24/25 February 2026.
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Day 12 of #ITAdvent. Short low effort self-plug as I'm a bit under the weather: I'll be speaking (in English) at the excellent in-person event Exchange Summit 2026 in Würzburg, Germany on 24/25 February 2026.
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Day 12 of #ITAdvent. Short low effort self-plug as I'm a bit under the weather: I'll be speaking (in English) at the excellent in-person event Exchange Summit 2026 in Würzburg, Germany on 24/25 February 2026.
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Day 12 of #ITAdvent. Short low effort self-plug as I'm a bit under the weather: I'll be speaking (in English) at the excellent in-person event Exchange Summit 2026 in Würzburg, Germany on 24/25 February 2026.
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Day 11 of #ITAdvent. Starting January 7, 2026 #Microsoft will switch root #certificate in their #EntraID services. If you use certificate pinning, you should update this configuration. See more on #Azure and certificates here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-ca-details?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976 and more on #MC1193408 here https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1193408
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Day 11 of #ITAdvent. Starting January 7, 2026 #Microsoft will switch root #certificate in their #EntraID services. If you use certificate pinning, you should update this configuration. See more on #Azure and certificates here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-ca-details?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976 and more on #MC1193408 here https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1193408
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Day 11 of #ITAdvent. Starting January 7, 2026 #Microsoft will switch root #certificate in their #EntraID services. If you use certificate pinning, you should update this configuration. See more on #Azure and certificates here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-ca-details?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976 and more on #MC1193408 here https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1193408
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Day 11 of #ITAdvent. Starting January 7, 2026 #Microsoft will switch root #certificate in their #EntraID services. If you use certificate pinning, you should update this configuration. See more on #Azure and certificates here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-ca-details?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976 and more on #MC1193408 here https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1193408
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Day 10 of #ITAdvent There is now a v6 of the #Microsoft365 Foundations CIS benchmark available since November 2025! The Center for Internet Security (#CIS) is a non-profit org that publishes resources to harden your IT environments.
In almost all of my projects their best-practice recommendations are required and they are a very solid basis for your #security design. I haven't checked it for significant changes yet. Did you find anything that stood out? Let me know! -
Day 9 of #ITAdvent. This is an interesting change for #Microsoft365 #Copilot. In #MC1193290 Microsoft announces that per 7 jan 2026 #Anthropic will be the default model for many Copilot experiences instead of #OpenAI. More on Anthropic in Copilot: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/connect-to-ai-subprocessor?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976
For the Message Center admin link: https://admin.cloud.microsoft/?ref=MessageCenter/:/messages/MC1193290 or via Merril MC Archive https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1193290 (was not yet synced as of this writing).
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Day 8 of #ITAdvent. Previous week #Microsoft announced pricing and feature changes in #Microsoft365. Yes, price increases but current plans also get new features, such as AI, Intune capabilities to E3\E5 and Security Copilot to E5 plans. You can read the announcement here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/12/04/advancing-microsoft-365-new-capabilities-and-pricing-update?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976
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Day 7 of #ITAdvent. For this Sunday a more contemplative tip. Recently, I had an unpleasant experience in my private life. Fortunately , I recognized what was happening, which which helped me drastically reduce its emotional impact. The specifics aren't important, but the tactic used (consciously or not) is called DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.
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Day 6 of #ITAdvent. I recently learned the value of the simple but powerfull #Microsoft #Entra #Lifecycle workflow features. It supports your #IAM Joiner\Mover\Leaver processes. For instance, it can detect any membership changes and perform additional tasks when triggered. Combined with for instance Access Reviews you can automate almost anything. More: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/id-governance/what-are-lifecycle-workflows?WT.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976
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Day 5 of #ITAdvent. I've renewed my Microsoft Certified Trainer or #MCT certification! While this is not my primary line of work, I always liked sharing knowledge and real-world experiences. Giving a little more insight beyond the #Microsoft #MOC curriculum. I'm not sure how my trainer future will look like, but if you are interested in a training we can always discuss options. #Learning
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Day 5 of #ITAdvent. I've renewed my Microsoft Certified Trainer or #MCT certification! While this is not my primary line of work, I always liked sharing knowledge and real-world experiences. Giving a little more insight beyond the #Microsoft #MOC curriculum. I'm not sure how my trainer future will look like, but if you are interested in a training we can always discuss options. #Learning
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Day 5 of #ITAdvent. I've renewed my Microsoft Certified Trainer or #MCT certification! While this is not my primary line of work, I always liked sharing knowledge and real-world experiences. Giving a little more insight beyond the #Microsoft #MOC curriculum. I'm not sure how my trainer future will look like, but if you are interested in a training we can always discuss options. #Learning
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Day 5 of #ITAdvent. I've renewed my Microsoft Certified Trainer or #MCT certification! While this is not my primary line of work, I always liked sharing knowledge and real-world experiences. Giving a little more insight beyond the #Microsoft #MOC curriculum. I'm not sure how my trainer future will look like, but if you are interested in a training we can always discuss options. #Learning
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Day 5 of #ITAdvent. I've renewed my Microsoft Certified Trainer or #MCT certification! While this is not my primary line of work, I always liked sharing knowledge and real-world experiences. Giving a little more insight beyond the #Microsoft #MOC curriculum. I'm not sure how my trainer future will look like, but if you are interested in a training we can always discuss options. #Learning
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Day 4 of #ITAdvent. I always appreciated the idea of Zero-Hour Auto-Purge (ZAP): removing malicious retroactively increasing #security. It works for #MSExchange and #MicrosoftTeams messages, but you needed Defender for O365 Plan 2, but that changes with #MC1187837 https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1187837
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Day 4 of #ITAdvent. I always appreciated the idea of Zero-Hour Auto-Purge (ZAP): removing malicious retroactively increasing #security. It works for #MSExchange and #MicrosoftTeams messages, but you needed Defender for O365 Plan 2, but that changes with #MC1187837 https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1187837
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Day 3 of #ITAdvent. Whatever you think of #AI, as a #Microsoft365 specialist you will get into contact with #Copilot. There is now a beta exam #AB900 "Copilot & Agent Administration Fundamentals" which looks interesting & I will probably take. See the study guide: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/ab-900?wt.mc_id=M365-MVP-5000976 and John Saville already has a study cram: https://youtu.be/DUydgD7SkEo?si=rX8jNsMZ2MTlyGnh #exam #learning
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Day 2 of #ITAdvent. Months ago #Microsoft posted #MC1155427 indicating #Microsoft365 will deprecate legacy #TLS #cipher suites lacking forward secrecy from October 20, 2025. Especially old devices or software might have issues. See more: https://mc.merill.net/message/MC1155427
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#ITAdvent again! For day 1 a discount on a subscription on the 2026 edition of the "Office 365 for IT Pros" eBook written by MVPs and industry experts. Updated frequently, always usefull
Go here for the Black Friday discount (valid until tomorrow!): https://o365itpros.gumroad.com/l/O365IT/BlackFriday2025 #Microsoft365 #ebook -
Last day of #ITAdvent! I made it! The last tip is more of a summarized strategy for 2025 when you are responsible for #Microsoft #MSExchange & #Outlook. There are a lot of (breaking) changes on the way you need to prepare & plan ahead.
Obviously #MSExchange Server 2016 & 2019 End of support in October 2025. Prepare by getting all servers to 2019 CU15 (eventually) & then in-place upgrade to Subscription Edition. Do note that the OS can be #Windows2022 with 2019CU15, but not #Windows2025
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Day 22 of #ITAdvent. There is no #Microsoft #MSExchange specific #certification available. Which unfortunately also means that there is less training offered, as they are based on Microsoft Official Courseware or #MOC. So, I sometimes see the question what options there are.
Obviously, #MicrosoftLearn sites were already a replacement for any books used during those MOCs. However, there is no Learning Path/Modules available that covers everything. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/browse/?expanded=m365&products=office-exchange-server%2Coffice-exchange-online
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Day 22 of #ITAdvent. There is no #Microsoft #MSExchange specific #certification available. Which unfortunately also means that there is less training offered, as they are based on Microsoft Official Courseware or #MOC. So, I sometimes see the question what options there are.
Obviously, #MicrosoftLearn sites were already a replacement for any books used during those MOCs. However, there is no Learning Path/Modules available that covers everything. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/browse/?expanded=m365&products=office-exchange-server%2Coffice-exchange-online
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Day 21 of #ITAdvent. A reminder that #Microsoft will remove the #MSExchange Online RBAC ApplicationImpersonation role. It means that applications that rely on this role will stop working starting February 2025.
You might have had a #Microsoft365 Message Center post #MC724116 if your tenant uses that role, but it can mis things so check your environment and change to keep your apps operational.
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Day 20 of #ITAdvent. This week #Microsoft announced changes in the #MSExchange Online Message Trace capabilities. This is the tool you use to verify mail flow events; i.e. what happened to incoming or outgoing mail.
Previously you couldn't go further back then 10 days without the need of a downloadable report (which took time to process). Now you still have a max range of 10, but within the last 90 days. This is a very welcome change as this can speed up troubleshooting!
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Day 19 of #ITAdvent. The Dutch Forum Standarisatie is a Dutch Advisory commity on IT open standards in order to easily and safeliy exchange data between government bodies, companies, non-profits and citizens. They maintain lists of mandatory and recommended protocols for at least governmental bodies. But IMHO every organization should adopt these.
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Day 16 of #ITAdvent. Let's talk about #SPF or Sender Policy Framework! Especially the most common mistakes I see happening, be sure to check those periodically (but during the holiday period you also might have time to do this):
- Forgotten sub domains: SPF does not inherit to subdomains
- Not having a correct syntax: typos or linefeeds where they shouldn't. -
Day 14 of #ITAdvent. In 2024 #Microsoft reported in their Digital Defense Report 2024 that #Phishing is still the greatest threat from #mail. So, it's good to periodically review your orgs #security preparedness on this.
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Day 13 of #ITADvent. Administrating #Microsoft365 comes with a lot of #PowerShell work, requiring to install and update lots of different modules. The ones I have to use frequently I know by heart. Others, not so much...