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Regular Microsoft Cloud information featuring Azure and Office365 with Microsoft MVP Robert Crane - A mix of current Microsoft cloud news, analysis and industry expert chat.
Episodes
43 minutes ago
43 minutes ago
45 min
In this episode I cover the latest Microsoft news, including Office moving into the new Copilot app, the new Copilot with Home, Code and Autopilot, usage-based Copilot billing for partners starting 1 December (initially not available in Australia), new partner margin and a Business Premium security promotion, Entra ID blocking script injection at sign-in, Outlook blocking MSIX attachments, deepfake detection coming to Teams, an Exchange Server security update, the 2027 Windows Update certificate expiry and the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2026.
In my editorial I look at agent autopilots like Grok Bot, Microsoft Autopilot (formerly Scout) and Meta Muse, and how I'm using a team of Grok Bot bots to post to social media, monitor my Microsoft 365 tenant with a read-only global admin reader, make phone calls and even produce the intro and news segment of this episode in a clone of my voice. Did you notice? Love your feedback.
Resources
Copilot
Introducing Office in the new Microsoft Copilot app Microsoft is bringing Word, Excel and PowerPoint into the Copilot app so you can create, edit and collaborate on documents without leaving Chat or Cowork. It is rolling out to Frontier customers from 9 October, so think pilots rather than mass rollout. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/introducing-office-in-the-new-microsoft-copilot-app/4561230
Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes The latest release notes, covering 22 September to 6 October, show Copilot Search now embeds chat so users can search and then ask follow-up questions in the same place.https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/release-notes
Introducing the new Copilot with Home, Code and Autopilot Microsoft's 25 September announcement of the new Copilot: Home brings Chat and Cowork together, Code lets people build small apps and automations in a sandbox hosted in your tenant, and Autopilot (previously Scout) is a persistent agent with its own identity, in private preview. Also covers the plugin registry, Copilot Managed Runtime and spend controls in Agent 365. https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/09/25/introducing-the-new-copilot-with-home-code-and-autopilot/
Money and partners
Partner Center announcements: October 2026 Usage-based billing becomes default-on for new Microsoft 365 Copilot Business licences bought through CSP from 1 December 2026, with a default cap of 4,000 Copilot Credits per user per month. It is initially not available in Australia. Also from 1 October, a 7.5% promotional pricing offer on Defender Suite and Purview Suite for Business Premium (customers under 300 seats) and new growth margin for Copilot, Microsoft 365 E5/E7, Defender Suite, Purview Suite and Windows 365 Enterprise. Link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/announcements/2026-october
Security and admin changes
Microsoft to block Entra ID script injection attacks starting in October Entra ID browser sign-in will enforce a Content Security Policy so only scripts from trusted Microsoft CDN domains run on the sign-in page. Rolling out mid to late October, on by default. Some browser extensions and helper tools that inject code may stop working, so test now. Link: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-to-block-entra-id-script-injection-attacks-starting-october/
Microsoft Outlook to block MSIX attachments used in attacks MSIX and MSIXBUNDLE attachments are being added to the blocked file types in OWA mailbox policies, starting early November. Admins can allow them via the AllowedFileTypes property if needed. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-outlook-to-block-msix-attachments-used-in-attacks/
Microsoft Teams to add third-party deepfake detection and impersonation protection New Microsoft 365 Roadmap entries show Teams integrating third-party deepfake detection signals and impersonation protection that warns about suspicious meeting organisers or participants, targeted for November. Roadmap dates can shift and third-party providers may mean extra cost. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-teams-to-add-third-party-deepfake-detection-impersonation-protection/
MSRC October 2026 security update release notes (CVE-2026-96940) On-premises Exchange Server security update released 5 October for CVE-2026-96940, CVSS 8.8, rated Exploitation More Likely, with no workarounds listed. Read the CVE page for impact details before briefing customers. https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2026-Oct
Exchange Server SE security update KB5129955 The fix is in Exchange Server SE security update KB5129955 (SU10 V2). If you still run on-premises or hybrid Exchange, patch promptly.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/exchange/server/update/2026/5129955
Microsoft: Outdated Windows devices will lose security protection next year Certificates used to connect to Windows Update expire on 17 May 2027 and 19 June 2027. Devices on unsupported Windows versions will lose Windows Update services, so audit old PCs and servers now.
Threat landscape
Insights from the 2026 Microsoft Digital Defense Report Microsoft's 2026 report says threat actors are using AI across reconnaissance, social engineering, malware development and post-compromise activity, mostly within existing attack workflows. The fundamentals still apply: identity, least privilege and monitoring. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/10/01/insights-from-the-2026-microsoft-digital-defense-report/
Editorial: agent autopilots
Grok Bot overview The agent platform I use for my bots: persistent cloud computer per user, skills and routines. https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/overview Introducing Muse, Meta's personal AI agent Meta's consumer personal agent announced in September 2026. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/introducing-muse-personal-ai-agent/
Sep 13, 2026
Sep 13, 2026
40 min
In this episode I ask the question about whether privacy is becoming and optional and take a deep dive into creating better data structures in places like SharePoint and Teams that help users and AI generate better results. There is also the usual look at recent cloud news from Microsoft and thoughts on how even all this is become about AI. Love your feedback.
Resources
Updates
Take control of your EWSAllowedAppIDs list before EWS access changes
Understanding the new 100 GB mailbox entitlement for Microsoft 365 Business suites
AI
Available today: OpenAI GPT-6 Astra in Microsoft Copilot
Available today: Anthropic Claude Fable 5.1 in Microsoft Copilot
Expanding model choice in Copilot with Grok
What’s New in Microsoft Copilot | August 2026
Security
What’s new in Microsoft Security: August 2026
Passkey-themed social engineering leads to identity and cloud compromise
Protecting organizations from AI-assisted executive impersonation and invoice fraud
Impersonating IT support: how threat actors turn a remote session into enterprise-wide access
From CIAOPS
Image Model Comparison
September webinar - local AI
Aug 9, 2026
Aug 9, 2026
34 min
In this episode of the Need to Know Podcast, I cover recent Microsoft news, including strong financial results, continued Azure growth, rising Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption, and major security updates. Key security stories include supply chain compromise, cybercrime disruption, hotel Wi-Fi credential theft, and Project Perception, which points toward a future where security is increasingly managed by AI agents rather than manual review. The episode also highlights new Microsoft 365 Copilot capabilities, web grounding domain controls, Copilot in SharePoint improvements, plus two new CIAOPS simulators for Exchange/Defender policy flow and Microsoft 365 sign-in/Conditional Access testing.
Resources
Security & Threat Intelligence
- ChainDrop supply chain compromise: Anatomy of a self-propagating worm
- Five takedowns, one infrastructure: How Microsoft is tackling the cybercrime economy
- CaptiveCrunch: Midnight Blizzard targets travellers worldwide for malware delivery and credential theft
- Introducing Project Perception: The Next Evolution of Agentic Security
Microsoft 365 Copilot & AI
- What's New in Microsoft 365 Copilot | July 2026
- More control over web grounding with Domain Exclusion for Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Looking back on Microsoft's FY26: From AI experimentation to Frontier Transformation
SharePoint & Content Management
Microsoft Corporate News & Strategy
Jul 11, 2026
Jul 11, 2026
37 min
Latest news and updates from the Microsoft cloud from security, to copilot and beyond. I also share my thoughts on recent changes at Microsoft, Cowork costs, security challenges with agents and my experiences configuring local AI. Always keen to hear your thoughts and feedback on the content in this episode.
Resources
Security & Threat Intelligence
- GigaWiper: Anatomy of a destructive backdoor assembled from multiple malware
- Defending the Inbox Against Prompt Injection Attacks
- Chromium extension uses AI-related branding to redirect browser search
Microsoft 365 Copilot & AI
- Available today: OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 in Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Built for Business: How Microsoft 365 Copilot Connects the Tools That Power Your Business
- What’s New in Microsoft 365 Copilot | June 2026
- Microsoft Frontier Company: AI engineering that amplifies and protects your intelligence
SharePoint & Content Management
- Microsoft SharePoint site lifecycle management
- SharePoint Advanced Management overview
- Move from insight to action with the SharePoint Admin Agent
- Admins: Migrating user data during mergers and restructurings just got easier
Microsoft Corporate News
Jun 22, 2026
Jun 22, 2026
34 min
This episode ultimately reflects on how organisations must adapt to an environment where solutions are no longer neatly balanced between simplicity and capability. Instead, businesses need to reassess priorities, stay informed, and make deliberate choices about which innovations deliver real value. For SMBs, the challenge is not just keeping up—but identifying what’s truly “good enough” in an increasingly complex cloud-first world.
Resources
Azure Sets a New Performance Record for LLM Training Benchmark at Extreme Scale
Forrester names Microsoft a Leader in the 2026 Extended Detection and Response Platforms Wave report
Copilot Cowork is now generally available
Microsoft Defender email security benchmarking: Key insights from one year of data
Stay productive in new Outlook for Windows with these 5 features
What’s new in Power Platform: June 2026 feature update
What’s New in Notebooks | June 2026
Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team responds to the intensity of race weekends with Microsoft
AI brands as bait: How threat actors are using the AI hype in social engineering
Jun 7, 2026
Jun 7, 2026
28 min
Join me as I unpack the most impactful Microsoft Build 2026 announcements for SMBs, including Work IQ’s general availability, new autopilot and Scout agent features, enhanced agent security with Microsoft Execution Containers, and the latest MAI models for code, image, and voice. Discover how upcoming Work IQ APIs, OpenClaw integration with Windows, and the shift toward hybrid AI solutions are shaping the future of business technology, with practical insights on cost control, disaster recovery, and agentic security. Don’t miss this episode for actionable takeaways and expert analysis on the evolving AI landscape.
Resources
Microsoft Build 2026 blog – Be yourself at work
Developer-Tech – AI agents, Copilot, Windows developer tools
VentureBeat – AI agents and enterprise use cases
Thurrott – Scout personal work agent and AI models
VentureBeat – Data silos and Microsoft IQ
Windows Report – Securing code agents and AI models
Engadget – Build 2026 live blog
May 24, 2026
May 24, 2026
38 min
In this episode, we dig into Cowork Skills and why they represent a genuine shift from “AI as a novelty” to “AI as part of how work actually gets done.” Not more prompts. Not more tools. But fewer decisions, less friction, and more consistency across the business.
If you’ve ever thought “Copilot is interesting, but it’s not really embedded yet”, this episode is for you.
Resources
CIAOPS MSP Skills
Choose how OneNote opens Microsoft 365 file links
How Storm-2949 turned a compromised identity into a cloud-wide breach
Exposing Fox Tempest: A malware-signing service operation
A faster, more efficient Editor experience with Narrator in Word
May 10, 2026
May 10, 2026
26 min
A weekly roundup of Microsoft Cloud news with a focus on SMBs. Key topics include Microsoft's internal testing of an always-on AI assistant, major security threats such as Russian state-sponsored router hijacking and advanced phishing attacks, updates to Microsoft Teams, and a retrospective on SharePoint's evolution. Robert also discusses the challenges and strategies for adopting AI in business, emphasizing the need for a unified, collaborative approach to AI usage within organizations.
Resources
Microsoft tests 'ClawPilot' AI agent for 3,000 staff
SOHO router compromise leads to DNS hijacking and adversary-in-the-middle attacks
What’s New in Microsoft Teams | April 2026
ClickFix campaign uses fake macOS utilities lures to deliver infostealers
The Future of SharePoint
Breaking the code: Multi-stage ‘code of conduct’ phishing campaign leads to AiTM token compromise
Apr 25, 2026
Apr 25, 2026
32 min
I reflect on the significance of the day before diving into the week’s major developments, including the arrival of the Microsoft AI Tour in Sydney. The episode covers both partner and public events, with a focus on enterprise-level AI advancements and networking opportunities.
The podcast features a comprehensive weekly news roundup:
- The general availability of Copilot Agent capabilities in Microsoft 365 apps.
- New data security tools for AI in Microsoft Purview.
- Innovations in identity resilience and backup with Microsoft Entra.
- Microsoft’s $25 billion investment in Australian AI infrastructure and training.
- Practical security playbooks for tenant protection and device analytics.
- Updates on decluttering promotional mail with Microsoft Defender.
- Guidance on preventing oversharing in Copilot, deploying Defender, and enforcing data security with Purview.
I also share my workflow for automating podcast production using Copilot Cowork, including narration scripts and link management. I discuss experimenting with AI-driven voice narration and invites listener feedback on pacing and voice options.
The episode concludes with reflections on the Microsoft AI Tour’s enterprise focus, the importance of networking, and the challenges SMBs face in accessing relevant content. Listeners are encouraged to reach out with questions or feedback and to stay tuned for upcoming events like Microsoft Build and Ignite.
Resources
Microsoft 365 Insider Round-Up — April 2026
Declutter and Defend: Reducing Promotional Mail Noise with Microsoft Defender
Prevent Oversharing in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft Defender Deployment Tool
From Oversharing to Enforcement: A Practical Guide to AI Data Security with Microsoft Purview
Investing in Australia's AI Future
Copilot's Agentic Capabilities in Word, Excel and PowerPoint Are Generally Available
Predictive Shielding: Just-in-Time Tamper Protection
Threat Hunting Agent in Advanced Hunting
Bringing Transparency to AI-Generated Content with Watermarks in Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness and Resiliency with SharePoint and Microsoft 365 Backup
Introducing the Microsoft Sentinel Training Lab
A Practical Look at Device Analytics and Risk Signals with Microsoft Intune
Innovations in OneDrive for Collaboration, Intelligence and Control
Strengthening Identity Resilience: A Deep Dive Into Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery
Detection Strategies for Cloud Identities Against Infiltrating IT Workers (Jasper Sleet)
Safeguarding Sensitive Data in Microsoft 365 Copilot Interactions: DLP for Microsoft 365 Copilot
Detecting Plain-Text Password Exposure Using Custom Regex in Microsoft Purview
Cross-Tenant Helpdesk Impersonation to Data Exfiltration: A Human-Operated Intrusion Playbook
Apr 8, 2026
Apr 8, 2026
26 min
In this episode of the CIAOPS Need to Know podcast, we take an AI‑first look at what’s happening across the Microsoft Cloud and what it really means for small and medium businesses. Episode 362 cuts through the noise to focus on the practical, real‑world impact of artificial intelligence as Microsoft continues to embed AI across Microsoft 365, Azure, and everyday productivity tools.
We discuss how an AI‑first mindset is changing the way SMBs should think about security, productivity, and operational efficiency, along with what partners and IT professionals need to pay attention to right now. Expect clear explanations, informed opinions, and actionable insights designed to help you make sense of rapid change without the hype.
Resources
- What’s new in Microsoft 365 Copilot – March 2026
- Copilot Cowork now available in Frontier
- Defending the AI era: New Microsoft capabilities to protect AI
- Threat actor abuse of AI accelerates from tool to cyberattack surface
- What’s new in Microsoft Intune – March 2026
- What’s new in Power Platform – March 2026 feature update
- File‑level archiving comes to Microsoft 365 Archive (Public Preview)
- Microsoft SharePoint turns 25
- Celebrating 30 years of Microsoft Exchange