Matthew Pollock

I spent some time this weekend creating a quick tutorial to get started with Microsoft DSC v3.0 ☀️ Whilst Microsoft DSC v3 doesn't rely on PowerShell, it's still pretty dominant in input and output, making it easy to find what is needed. Let me know what you think! #dsc #dscv3 #configurationmanagement

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Hotpatching isn't limited to client devices; it's also available for Windows Server, whether in the cloud via Azure Update Manager, on-premises through Azure ARC, or managed through Intune. Once enabled, servers receive monthly security patches without requiring a reboot, keeping workloads secure and available. Azure handles orchestration, so updates stay on track with less effort. Learn more > https://lnkd.in/eMmQDm6K #MicrosoftIntune #Hotpatching #DidYouKnow

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In October 2025, a routine update of Microsoft Defender — one of the most trusted security tools — triggered panic across the SQL community. The alert wrongly claimed that SQL Server 2017 and SQL Server 2019 were no longer supported. 🚫Totally false! ✅ SQL Server 2019 is supported till January 2030 ✅ SQL Server 2017 till October 2027 The confusion coincided with Microsoft’s rollout of SQL Server 2025 Preview and RC1, leading many admins to hurriedly migrate. Unfortunately, this rushed upgrade caused: ⚙️ Upgrade failures 📂 Database attach errors 📉 Data consistency issues These issues likely stemmed from database corruption during or after the upgrade — pushing users to seek reliable repair and recovery solutions. That’s where tools like Stellar Repair for MS SQL come in — helping DBAs restore corrupted SQL databases quickly and with full data integrity. Read the full analysis here https://lnkd.in/gtSnD964 #SQLServer #MicrosoftDefender #DatabaseRecovery #DataProtection #StellarRepair #CyberSecurity #SQLCommunity #DataIntegrity #ITAdmins #DatabaseCorruption

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[Entra - App Administrator role] 👾 I too often see Application Administrator role handed out tenant-wide. Why is this a problem? This role often has paths to very privileged actions via Application Permissions. You do not want an Application Administrator to lay down credentials to a privileged Service Principal that has application permissions and then inherit the permissions via SP impersonation. Chances are there is a path to Global admin from App Admin in a large organization. IMO Application Admin is one of the most dangerous roles in Entra ID right after privileged role and privileged auth admin. Consider any application that has dangerous application permissions such as Mail[.]ReadWrite, Files[.]ReadWrite[.]All, RoleEligibilitySchedule[.]ReadWrite[.]Directory, Directory[.]ReadWrite[.]All etc. This can then all be inherited by the Application Administrator. This may break your compliance data boundary. Also consider your Microsoft Entra AD Synchronization Service App too! (see later note) ✅ Solution(s): - Reduce Tenant Wide Role for App Admin and move to scope via application where possible. - Use Entra Application Policies to protect secrets being added to Sensitive Service Principals (especially do this for your breakglass application if you use an application for this!). App admin cannot edit Entra application Policies unless they have Security Administrator assigned too. 💯 Benefits: - Better than app owners as easier to audit and govern all from one pane. App Owners doesn't support groups so this is a good way around this. - You can use Identity governance features such as PIM, Access Reviews etc. - Reduced paths to Global Admin and other privileges. - Because access can be granted more granularly, Active assignments can be used for low privilege applications to reduce PIM fatigue. 🤪 Downsides - Conditional Access Policy targeting App Administrator doesn't support App Admin that is non-directory wide, similar to roles applied to an Admin Unit. This issue is easily remediated by applying strong CA to admin portals / Graph & PIM authentication Contexts. <FYI Credentials can be issued to Enterprise Applications too not just application Registrations. This can only be done with Graph/PS and is not available in the GUI. This is incredibly dangerous as there is no audit for the secret existing in the portal beyond the 30 day portal logs. If you are missing audit logs you will have no audit trail that this happened. Adding a credential only affects the instance in that particular tenant and not the Application Registration (even if the application registration i.e. the definition lives in another tenant)> #Entra #Security #Audit #Govern #Identity #Cybersecurity #Microsoft #MVPBuzz

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Empower your teams with hands-on Microsoft training — at no cost. Microsoft Applied Skills Bootcamps are open for registration, designed specifically for professionals looking to build practical expertise in Security, Compliance, and Copilot innovation. Led by Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) from Skillsoft Global Knowledge, these bootcamps help your organization stay ahead with real-world skills in: 🔐 Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness 🛡️ Defender for Cloud 📁 Microsoft Purview eDiscovery 🧠 Copilot Studio Agent Creation 🗃️ SQL Server migration to Azure SQL ✅ No cost to attend ✅ Live, instructor-led sessions ✅ Designed for enterprise IT and security teams Explore the full schedule and register here: https://bit.ly/45WhyFv Microsoft Learn

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🚨 A Microsoft SharePoint RCE zero-day is being targeted in live attacks to breach servers. 🔒 Administrators are urged to apply Microsoft’s recommended mitigation measures until a patch is released. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eJ6pBEZz #cybersecurity #SharePoint #zeroday #RCE

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Still the hardest one to date 😅 Loads of stuff covered in this renewal and there's so much involved in being a quality Administrator ✨ Here's what I come across during this years renewal and could be a good place for you to refresh your knowledge or to dive into if you are taking on this exam 📚 🔹Generating Azure Backup Reports 🔹Persistent Storage for Containers 🔹Blob Auth Options 🔹Password Complexity Rules 🔹App Service SKU's And as always in the AZ-Container Administrator... I mean Azure Administrator exam 📦 Container questions right out of the gate🤢 So, make sure you have a good deep dive into containers in Azure whether that's running on VM's or Web Apps because its clear Microsoft want us to know more around this technology 🧠 Here's the formal version of what Microsoft are assessing during this retake: 🔹Host a web application with Azure App Service 🔹Build a containerized web application with Docker 🔹Secure your Azure Storage account 🔹Secure and isolate access to Azure resources by using network security groups and service endpoints 🔹Protect your virtual machines by using Azure Backup 🔹Configure virtual machine availability 🔹Manage users and groups in Microsoft Entra ID #MicrosoftLearn #AZ104 #Renewal

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Getting started with Intune and Entra managed devices may seem straight forward, but there are a lot of hidden settings which could cause you issues further down the line. In this post I've looked at the settings across M365 to help those making the jump into cloud management I've probably missed some, but will keep updating it https://lnkd.in/epUzhxd8

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Sentinel is retiring from Azure portal.... well not yet but in July 1st 2026. So if you have currently used (like I) Sentinel from Azure you could start doing at least preparations for your own and customer environments so when the time comes everything would work like in Azure. And if you / your customer is not currently using Sentinel and is planning to start using it or migrating it I recommend to find out this new experience from the start. 🔍 This is step for Unified SecOps experience – Seamless integration of SIEM (Sentinel) and XDR (Defender), offering a single pane of glass for incident management, analytics, hunting, and automation. 🔍 Efficiency & intelligence – Reduced context switching and training overhead, AI-driven detection and response, and faster MTTR (mean time to respond) thanks to enriched threat intelligence and GenAI capabilities. 🔍Optimized SOC workflows – Integrated case management, alert correlation, and exposure management support smarter threat triage and proactive security posture improvements. 🧭 What to do next: 1. Plan ahead – Engage SOC / MSSPs / other IT staff and compliance teams early to align on timing, training, and workflows. 2.Prep your environment – Validate workspace configurations, RBAC, connectors, and workspace architecture << THIS is an important phase ! 3.Take full advantage – Use advanced AI/ML features, unified hunting and incident tools, and cost and data optimization available in the Defender portal. More in microsoft tech community article > https://lnkd.in/dGMdGGJb And thanks to Jere Haavisto for lifting this! #azure #sentinel #unifiedexperience #defender #security

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Transparent Data Encryption is essential for protecting data at rest in Azure SQL, but choosing between Service-Managed Keys and Customer-Managed Keys isn’t always straightforward. Our Senior Data Platform Engineer, Ben Huxtable-Smith, has written this month's blog, breaking down what each option means, when to use them, and the key considerations you should be aware of. Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/erVHYkvM

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Windows Hotpatch Updates: How Does the Policy Actually Apply? If you’ve enabled Windows Hotpatch updates, you might be wondering how the policy gets deployed. Do you think it’s coming straight from Intune? You may want to take a closer look. In this blog, we’ll break down how Windows Hotpatch works and how the policy arrives on the device. https://lnkd.in/e2VtPUJG #Intune #MSIntune #Windows #WindowsUpdates #WindowsHotpach #Windows11 #Microsoft #Patchmypc

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Microsoft has issues with a configuration change with Azure Frontdoor which is a core network service for most SaaS services that Microsof provides like Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Azure Portal and more They are currently rolling back the change now

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