Windows 10 News You Can Use – March 2018

Posted on March 6, 2018 Updated on March 6, 2018

Windows 10 news you can use, March 2018 edition Providing insights into Windows 10 deployment & management, security & compliance, and productivity Also see other news related to Windows 10

 

Deployment & Management

1)      Windows Analytics now helps assess Meltdown and Spectre protections. https://blogs.windows.com/business/2018/02/13/windows-analytics-now-helps-assess-meltdown-and-spectre-protections

2)      Update 1802 for Configuration Manager [Technical Preview Branch] – includes new features and functionality for Windows 10 deployment and management! https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/enterprisemobility/2018/02/13/update-1802-for-configuration-manager-technical-preview-branch-available-now

3)      Windows Update for Business offers an additional option to aid administrators in the critical pursuit of ensuring systems are kept up to date. Understanding what Windows Update for Business is and how it can be implemented either standalone or through integration with Configuration Manager is critical, so you make the best choice for your business.  Watch this easy-to-follow video tutorial on implementing and managing WUfB with SCCM. https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/configurationmgr/2018/01/22/configmgr-current-branch-windows-update-for-business-video-tutorial

4)      Express Update is a capability of WSUS and the Windows Update Agent that was added to help reduced the overall network impact of these larger updates. Configuration Manager current branch 1702 (though 1710 and higher is recommended for best performance) added full support for Express. Understanding how Express works is important so that administrators know what to expect and can plan accordingly. Watch this easy-to-follow video for details of how Express works and how supporting Express is supported in a Configuration Manager environment. https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/configurationmgr/2018/01/26/configmgr-current-branch-express-updates-video-tutorial

Security & Compliance

1)      Microsoft continues to work diligently with our industry partners to address the Spectre and Meltdown hardware-based vulnerabilities. Our top priority is clear: Help protect the safety and security of our customers’ devices and data. Today, I’d like to provide an update on some of that work, including Windows security update availability for additional devices, our role in helping distribute available Intel firmware (microcode), and progress driving anti-virus compatibility. http://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/03/01/update-on-spectre-and-meltdown-security-updates-for-windows-devices

2)      Microsoft was named a “Visionary” in the 2018 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms. According to Gartner “Visionaries deliver in the leading-edge features — such as cloud management, managed features and services, enhanced detection or protection capabilities, and strong incident response workflows — that will be significant in the next generation of products, and will give buyers early access to improved security and management.”
http://www.gartner.com/reprints/?id=1-4PY5MQU&ct=180130&st=sb

3)      Starting this summer, customers can add Windows Defender ATP Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) functionality to their Windows 7, and Windows 8.1 devices, and get a holistic view across their endpoints. https://blogs.windows.com/business/2018/02/12/announcing-windows-defender-atp-support-for-windows-7-and-windows-8-1

4)      Learn how Windows Defender Antivirus and artificial intelligence stopped an Emotet outbreak on February 3^rd with intelligent, real-time protection against modern threats.
https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/02/14/how-artificial-intelligence-stopped-an-emotet-outbreak

5)      Monthly antimalware platform updates for Windows Defender Antivirus. While keeping up-to-date with signatures and engines is a best practice, a machine that is up-to-date with both definition/engine and platform updates can have a higher protection level than a machine that is just update-to-date with definition/engine updates. https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/configurationmgr/2018/02/05/monthly-antimalware-platform-updates-for-windows-defender

6)      Fujitsu has teamed with Microsoft to build devices with Windows 10 Pro and industry-leading biometric options including Windows Hello and palm vein authentication to prevent security attacks in the modern workplace. http://blogs.windows.com/business/2018/02/08/fujitsu-microsoft-focused-advancing-security-modern-workplace

Productivity

1)      Microsoft like to provide you with the latest planning tools to help guide you to the best deployment process for your business. The Windows 10 Adoption Planning Kit includes the following resources: 1) Gartner Report: Making Critical Deployment Choices for Windows 10 Success, 2) End-User Readiness Assets, 3) Microsoft FastTrack Program Flyer, 4) Microsoft Press Article: Deploying Windows 10 e-Book. https://info.microsoft.com/Windows10AdoptionPlanningKit.html

2)      Print to corporate printers from Azure AD joined Windows 10 devices! We’ve just released Microsoft Hybrid Cloud Print, a print solution built specifically for Azure Active Directory-joined and Intune-managed devices. Now people in your organization can use Azure AD-joined devices to discover on-premise printers, and can print from work or from home or from anywhere else they can connect to the internet. https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/enterprisemobility/2018/02/01/so-cool-print-to-corporate-printers-from-azure-ad-joined-windows-10-devices

3)      Windows 10 Tip: 7 pro tips for getting started with Microsoft Edge as your PDF viewer.
http://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/02/12/windows-10-tip-7-pro-tips-getting-started-microsoft-edge-pdf-viewer

Other news related to Windows 10…

• Developing an effective cyber strategy: At Microsoft, we are continuously evaluating the current threats faced by our customers and building products and services to help CISOs execute their strategies. The design of our products not only accounts for the techniques utilized by cyber attackers, but also incorporates features that address the human dynamics within an enterprise and the staff and retention challenges faced by security teams. https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/02/07/developing-an-effective-cyber-strategy
• Learn more about how Microsoft views the importance of cyber resilience for the modern enterprise, get prescriptive guidance on building a cyber resiliency plan and roadmap, and find out what Microsoft is doing to help enterprises rapidly become resilient to commonly encountered attacks and vulnerabilities. https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/02/12/cyber-resilience-for-the-modern-enterprise
• Inside the Microsoft Security Research Center (MSRC) – How we recognize our researchers.
  https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/msrc/2018/02/02/inside-the-msrc-how-we-recognize-our-researchers
• Today, we are taking another important step forward in our ability to offer customers more choice and capability by making Intune APIs in Microsoft Graph generally available. This opens a new set of possibilities for our customers and partners to automate and integrate their workloads to reduce deployment times and improve the overall efficiency of device management.
  • Announcement:
  • https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/enterprisemobility/2018/01/31/intune-apis-in-microsoft-graph-now-generally-available
  • Thoughts and highlights from Brad Anderson: https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/enterprisemobility/2018/02/02/highlights-from-the-ga-of-the-intune-apis-in-microsoft-graph

• Microsoft has already documented the maximum supported scalability limits as well as the hardware guidelines needed to run Configuration Manager (current branch) sites in the very largest environment sizes. Now we are sharing a draft, unofficial whitepaper with supplemental performance guidance for Configuration Manager environments of all sizes. This document includes specific details and test results generated by the product team, as well as frequently asked questions for common performance issues. https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/enterprisemobility/2018/02/22/public-preview-configuration-manager-performance-guidance-for-environments-of-all-sizes
• Microsoft is pleased to announce the final release of the recommended security configuration baseline settings for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2016 and Office 365 ProPlus 2016 apps. https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/secguide/2018/02/13/security-baseline-for-office-2016-and-office-365-proplus-apps-final

• In a 3-part series, we introduce what rapid cyberattacks are and illustrate how they are different in terms of execution and outcome, and hot to mitigate them.
  • Part 1 – overview of rapid cyber attacks: https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/02/05/overview-of-petya-a-rapid-cyberattack
  • Part 2 – overview of Petya, a rapid cyber attack: https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/01/23/overview-of-rapid-cyberattacks
  • Part 3 – How to mitigate rapid cyberattacks such as Petya and WannaCrypt:
    https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2018/02/21/how-to-mitigate-rapid-cyberattacks-such-as-petya-and-wannacrypt