Microsoft

Bypassing Windows Administrator Protection

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TLDR: Project Zero's blog discusses Windows 11's new Administrator Protection feature, intended to enhance security over the old UAC system. Despite improvements, vulnerabilities allowing bypass of this protection were identified by security researcher James Forshaw during initial testing. He discovered multiple means to gain administrative privileges, attributing the flaws to the interrelated behaviors of Windows security mechanisms. Ultimately, a fix was issued by Microsoft to mitigate these bypasses, but the analysis suggests a more radical overhaul of Windows security measures may be needed to truly address longstanding issues.

https://projectzero.google/2026/26/windows-administrator-protection.html

New Security Baseline Available for Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise

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Microsoft enhances M365 Apps for Enterprise with new security baselines, improving defenses against cyber threats. Key updates include protections for Excel, PowerPoint, and system settings, blocking risky links, insecure protocols, and legacy automation features. Deployment can be done via Office cloud policies or Group Policy.

https://petri.com/microsoft-365-apps-enterprise-security-baseline/

How Microsoft Builds Privacy and Security to Work Hand-in-hand

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Microsoft Security focuses on integrating security and privacy. Emphasizing trust, compliance, and customer data ownership, Microsoft employs technologies like Microsoft Entra and Purview to protect data efficiently without accessing it directly. They aim for seamless security through continuous authentication and strong regulatory adherence, viewing compliance as a chance for innovative enhancement. Microsoft prioritizes privacy as a fundamental right while ensuring security measures deepen customer trust.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/01/13/how-microsoft-builds-privacy-and-security-to-work-hand-in-hand/

Microsoft May Soon Allow IT Admins to Uninstall Copilot

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Microsoft testing policy to let IT admins uninstall Copilot from managed devices. This will apply to systems within Windows 11 Insider Preview and targets unlaunched apps. The policy allows once-only uninstallation, with potential for user reinstallation. Other beta fixes included addressing File Explorer crashes and Start menu issues.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-may-soon-allow-it-admins-to-uninstall-copilot-on-managed-devices/

Building End-to-end Workflows With Microsoft 365 Copilot

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When integrated into critical workflows, Microsoft 365 Copilot delivers transformative results. Early adopters like J&Y Law and Babson College demonstrate how to build successful implementations by focusing on integration, data design, governance, and change management. These organizations emphasize the importance of structured data, AI literacy, and human oversight to ensure AI-generated materials are accurate and trustworthy.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/4110646/building-end-to-end-workflows-with-microsoft-365-copilot.html

How Microsoft Is Betting on AI Agents in Windows, Dusting Off a Winning Playbook From the Past

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Microsoft is reviving Windows as a platform for AI agents, similar to its past strategy that established dominance in the PC market. A new framework called Agent Launchers allows developers to integrate autonomous assistants into Windows, facilitating tasks like scheduling and document management. However, this initiative raises security concerns and operates in a more fragmented tech landscape compared to the past. Despite challenges, Microsoft aims to leverage these AI capabilities to boost Windows' relevance and revenue amid competition from mobile and cloud platforms.

https://www.geekwire.com/2025/how-microsoft-is-betting-on-ai-agents-in-windows-dusting-off-a-winning-playbook-from-the-past/

Microsoft Teams Strengthens Messaging Security by Default in January

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Microsoft Teams will automatically enhance messaging security in January 2026, enabling protections against malicious content for tenants with default settings. Key features include blocking dangerous file types, detecting malicious URLs, and allowing false positive reporting. Admins should review settings before the January 12 activation date to maintain custom configurations. This update is part of Microsoft’s broader initiative to improve cybersecurity measures in response to increasing threats.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-teams-strengthens-messaging-security-by-default-in-january/

Microsoft to Bundle Security Copilot in M365 Enterprise License

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Microsoft is bundling Security Copilot with M365 Enterprise licenses to encourage broader adoption among firms. Each M365 E5 user receives monthly allocations of Security Compute Units (SCUs) to facilitate usage. This initiative aims to simplify AI integration for security tasks, address current hesitations about costs, and improve the management of AI agents within organizations.

https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-operations/microsoft-bundle-security-copilot-m365-enterprise-license

Struggling to Keep Up With Microsoft’s Copilot Changes? Let’s Break It Down

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Microsoft has quickly expanded Copilot, its AI assistant, but the variety of versions and features can be confusing. Here are the main distinctions and new features:

All Windows Users

  • Free Copilot features are built into Windows, accessible from the taskbar, the Edge browser, or copilot.microsoft.com.
  • Basic use doesn’t require an M365 license and relies on web data and prompts.
  • Microsoft aims for easy, universal access to Copilot’s AI tools.

Consumer Microsoft 365 Users

  • Copilot in Personal, Family, or Premium plans can help draft or summarize documents and analyze Excel data.
  • Premium users get more AI credits and exclusive agents, such as Researcher and the upcoming Analyst.
  • New integrations include File Explorer, Notifications Center, and enhanced calendar functions.

Copilot+ PCs

  • These have a neural processing unit (NPU) for advanced local AI tasks.
  • Features include semantic search, PDF-to-Excel conversion, video enhancements, and Paint’s Cocreator.

M365 Business Users

  • Get consumer features plus enterprise-specific ones, such as Copilot Chat with enterprise data protection.
  • Shareable Copilot Pages, deeper Outlook integration, and richer interactive “agent mode” in Office apps.
  • M365 Copilot adds Work IQ, leveraging corporate knowledge to deliver personalized answers and automate tasks.

https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/161897/struggling-to-keep-up-with-microsofts-copilot-changes-lets-break-it-down

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