security hardening

Microsoft’s 2025 Windows 11 update arrives as a quiet, operational pivot: Windows 11, version 25H2 is being shipped as a small enablement package that flips on features already staged in the 24H2 servicing stream, contains no headline-grabbing consumer features at launch, and explicitly removes...

A serious compatibility change in Windows 11’s recent updates has left many IT teams scrambling — and, according to recent reporting, a Microsoft staffer appears to have indicated the behavior may not be reverted. The issue touches DHCP, WinHTTP/WPAD behavior and a surprising dependency that can...

Microsoft has quietly pushed Windows 11, version 25H2 (Build 26200.5074) into the Release Preview channel — and unlike many headline OS releases, this one arrives as a lightweight enablement package (eKB) that flips features already staged on devices rather than replacing the whole...

Audit and Lock Down App Permissions & Privacy Settings in Windows 10/11 Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 15 minutes Introduction Apps asking for access to your camera, microphone, location, files, and other data can be convenient — but they’re also a privacy and security risk if left...

Windows 11’s next annual feature update is now moving from staged preview into its final validation ring: Microsoft has made Windows 11, version 25H2 available to Release Preview Insiders and commercial customers for targeted testing, delivered as an enablement package on top of the 24H2...

Microsoft will audit and then begin enforcing a block on NTLMv1–derived credentials in Windows 11, version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025: the change is gated by a new registry key (BlockNtlmv1SSO), exposes two new NTLM event IDs for Audit vs Enforce behavior, and will be rolled out in phases...

Microsoft is rolling a significant change to how new Windows 11 PCs are provisioned: eligible devices will now check for and install the latest quality and security updates during the out-of-box experience (OOBE) so users sign in on day one with a patched, compliant system. This shift, delivered...

Microsoft will remove support for the StrongCertificateBindingEnforcement registry key on Windows domain controllers on September 10, 2025, forcing a permanent switch to stricter, strong certificate-to-account mappings that will break legacy certificate-based authentication setups unless...

Microsoft’s latest move to automate and AI‑assist Windows Server 2025 upgrades promises to cut the friction and risk that have long dogged enterprise patch cycles, but the effort is also a reminder that automation without clear metadata and robust controls can make things worse as quickly as it...

CIQ’s hardened variant of Rocky Linux has taken a decisive step into the hyperscaler world: Rocky Linux from CIQ – Hardened (RLC‑H) is now offered through the major cloud marketplaces, giving enterprises a pre‑configured, supply‑chain‑validated Enterprise Linux image designed to reduce manual...

Windows Server 2019 has entered a new phase of its lifecycle: mainstream support ended on January 9, 2024, and Microsoft will provide security-only updates during the extended support period through January 9, 2029. After that date the product reaches full end of life (EOL) and will no longer...

Microsoft’s Exchange team has taken a decisive step toward finally letting organizations retire the last Exchange server in hybrid environments by adding cloud-managed remote mailbox support — a per-mailbox “flip-the-switch” that transfers Exchange attribute authority to Exchange Online while...

Microsoft’s Exchange team has given hybrid administrators a clear-but-urgent migration mandate: switch to the dedicated Exchange hybrid app and update on‑prem servers now, or face temporary disruptions in September and October followed by a permanent enforcement that will stop rich coexistence...

TrustedTech’s pivot from a licensing-focused reseller to a full-service Microsoft-first systems integrator is more than a new logo — it is a deliberate repositioning into the fast-growing market for Microsoft Copilot enablement, Azure tenant migrations, managed security, and onshore certified...

TrustedTech’s decision to rebrand and recast itself as a Microsoft-first cloud and AI systems integrator marks a deliberate pivot from transactional licensing to outcome-driven services aimed squarely at Copilot deployments, Azure migrations, and managed security — a move the company unveiled in...

Microsoft’s August 2025 hotfixes for Skype for Business Server introduce a security-first change that will force organizations with hybrid deployments to act quickly: a new, customer-managed Dedicated Hybrid Application model replaces the long-standing Microsoft-managed shared service principal...

TrustedTech’s move from a licensing-focused reseller to a full-spectrum Microsoft cloud and AI services partner marks a deliberate pivot into higher‑value professional services, signalling ambitions to capture demand for Copilot deployments, Azure migrations, and enterprise managed security—an...

TrustedTech’s rebrand marks a decisive pivot from licensing reseller to full-spectrum Microsoft cloud and AI partner, positioning the firm to chase larger enterprise engagements and the booming market for Microsoft Copilot, Azure migrations, and managed security services. Background / Overview...

A critical local privilege‑escalation flaw has been disclosed in Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk ViewPoint (versions 14.00 and prior) that allows an attacker with local access to escalate to SYSTEM by abusing Windows MSI repair behavior — the issue is tracked as CVE‑2025‑7973 and has been...

Microsoft has quietly but decisively reworked how Active Directory domain controllers answer certain Netlogon RPC calls — a change rolled into the July and August 2025 cumulative updates that hardens the Microsoft RPC Netlogon protocol, closes an unauthenticated resource‑exhaustion vector...