As we navigate unprecedented times, Microsoft has been working tirelessly to improve all of their products and services. From supporting the bandwidth of Teams as the usage increased over 200% in a single month* to enhancing innovations for video calls and improving the remote capabilities of Azure, May has been a busy month for testing and rolling out new features.
You can always find the complete archive of Azure updates on the Microsoft Azure website, but we also try to pick out some of the most impactful pieces each month to help your work teams take advantage of them and learn more about all that Azure has to offer.
Some of the most notable updates this month have been:
- Learn TV
Right now, many people are taking time during their remote work to focus on increasing their competencies and learning new things. Right now, in preview, Microsoft has launched Learn TV, a daily live program that features forum-style discussions, hackathons, technical video content and more that will help developers and engineers to learn and grow. With the cancellation of all in-person learning events for the time being, Learn TV will act as a great space for thought leaders to remain sharp and expand their skill sets. You can find Learn TV here, and watch for it to be rolled out into a generally available status soon.
- Azure Security Center Updates
If your organization has some or all employees functioning remotely. It’s important to understand and utilize all the security features that Azure provides and the administration capabilities through Azure Security Center. You can find all the release notes for May on the Microsoft Azure blog, but here are a couple that are specifically useful for a work from home (WFH) scenario:
- Azure Security Center standard tier subscription now includes a built-in vulnerability assessment for all your virtual machines (VMs) at no additional fee. The extension is powered by Qualys but reports directly back to Azure Security Center, so you don’t need a new license or account. This seamless upgrade to your monitoring portfolio is an easy way to provide additional security for all data within your VMs.
- One option you have when reviewing your Secure Scores is to set your Azure controls to “implement best security practices”. Some of those controls within the best security practices that have been added are related to guest configuration and visibility of guests to VMs, as well as the automatic enablement of Windows Defender Exploit Guard to block common malware attack behaviors.
During this time, we are experiencing a lot of changes to our technologies and how we use them. If your leaders need managed services support so that you can focus more on your business, New Signature experts are here to help. Reach out or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
