CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts

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 CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia [email protected] CIAOPS Blog Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS AI Dojo  CIAOPS weekly news update - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Join my email list A special thanks to the CIAOPS Patron community for making this podcast possible. You can find the benefits of a subscription to the community and become a member at https://www.ciaopspatron.com   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. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-outdated-windows-devices-will-lose-security-protection-next-year/ 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/

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 CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia [email protected] CIAOPS Blog Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS AI Dojo  CIAOPS weekly news update - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Join my email list A special thanks to the CIAOPS Patron community for making this podcast possible. You can find the benefits of a subscription to the community and become a member at https://www.ciaopspatron.com   Updates Take control of your EWSAllowedAppIDs list before EWS access changes Microsoft is changing how Exchange Web Services (EWS) access is managed. Organizations should review and manage their EWSAllowedAppIDs list now to ensure approved applications retain access and to avoid disruptions when the new controls take effect. Link: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/take-control-of-your-ewsallowedappids-list-before-ews-access-changes/4553534 Understanding the new 100 GB mailbox entitlement for Microsoft 365 Business suites Microsoft explains the introduction of 100 GB mailbox storage for eligible Microsoft 365 Business plans, outlining entitlement requirements and how organizations can benefit from increased mailbox capacity. Link: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/understanding-the-new-100-gb-mailbox-entitlement-for-microsoft-365-business-suit/4548243 AI Available today: OpenAI GPT-6 Astra in Microsoft Copilot Microsoft has added OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra model to Copilot, giving users access to an advanced foundation model designed to improve reasoning, content generation, and productivity experiences across Microsoft 365. Link: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/available-today-openai-gpt-6-astra-in-microsoft-copilot/4552808 Available today: Anthropic Claude Fable 5.1 in Microsoft Copilot Anthropic's Claude Fable 5.1 model is now available in Microsoft Copilot, expanding the range of AI models users can leverage for research, analysis, content creation, and complex business tasks. Link: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/available-today-anthropic-claude-fable-5-1-in-microsoft-copilot/4551974 Expanding model choice in Copilot with Grok Access to Grok models is rolling out through the Microsoft Frontier Program in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. We are starting with a focused release to gather customer feedback and learn how customers use the model across common productivity scenarios. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/expanding-model-choice-in-copilot-with-grok/4555749 What’s New in Microsoft Copilot | August 2026 A monthly roundup of new Copilot capabilities, including model updates, workflow enhancements, productivity improvements, and new AI-powered features designed to help users work more effectively. Link: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-copilot-blog/what%25E2%2580%2599s-new-in-microsoft-copilot--august-2026/4551960 Security What’s new in Microsoft Security: August 2026 Microsoft's monthly security update covering new capabilities across Defender, Sentinel, Entra, Security Copilot, and other security products, along with recent security announcements and enhancements. Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/08/27/whats-new-in-microsoft-security-august-2026/ Passkey-themed social engineering leads to identity and cloud compromise Microsoft details a campaign where attackers used passkey-related social engineering techniques to trick users into compromising credentials and cloud identities, while also providing mitigation guidance. Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/09/09/passkey-themed-social-engineering-leads-identity-cloud-compromise/ Protecting organizations from AI-assisted executive impersonation and invoice fraud This security guidance examines how attackers are using AI to impersonate executives and conduct invoice fraud, alongside recommendations to help organizations detect and prevent these attacks. Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/09/10/protecting-organizations-ai-assisted-executive-impersonation-invoice-fraud/ Impersonating IT support: how threat actors turn a remote session into enterprise-wide access Microsoft analyzes how attackers impersonate IT support staff to gain remote access and expand their foothold within organizations, highlighting attack techniques and defensive measures. Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/09/02/impersonating-it-support-threat-actors-turn-remote-session-into-enterprise-wide-access/ From CIAOPS Image Model Comparison A practical comparison of image generation models, reviewing differences in output quality, style, and effectiveness to help users evaluate which AI image generation model best suits their needs. Link: https://directorcia.github.io/Office365/image-comparison.html   September webinar - local AI https://blog.ciaops.com/2026/09/10/ciaops-need-to-know-microsoft-365-webinar-september-5/

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.   The broader discussion focuses on how AI is changing software, security, and business productivity. I argue that cheaper open-weight AI models, Microsoft’s MAI models, and tools like GitHub Copilot make it easier for businesses to build their own dashboards, simulators, and lightweight applications instead of relying only on traditional software. He also introduces the idea of a “SharePoint gardener” to keep SharePoint information organised for AI use, and explains how AI loops can continuously test, improve, and refine code or business processes with human oversight where needed.   Resources CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia [email protected] CIAOPS Blog Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS AI Dojo  CIAOPS weekly news update - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Join my email list A special thanks to the CIAOPS Patron community for making this podcast possible. You can find the benefits of a subscription to the community and become a member at https://www.ciaopspatron.com   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 What's New in Copilot in SharePoint: August 2026 Microsoft Corporate News & Strategy Microsoft Cloud and AI strength fuels fourth quarter results CIAOPS:   Exchange Online + Defender for Office 365 Policy Flow Simulator   M365 Sign-In and Conditional Access Flow Simulator    

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 CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia [email protected] CIAOPS Blog Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS AI Dojo  CIAOPS weekly news update - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Join my email list A special thanks to the CIAOPS Patron community for making this podcast possible. You can find the benefits of a subscription to the community and become a member at https://www.ciaopspatron.com 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 Microsoft cuts 4,800 employees in new layoffs

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 CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia [email protected] CIAOPS Blog Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS AI Dojo  CIAOPS weekly news update - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Join my email list A special thanks to the CIAOPS Patron community for making this podcast possible. You can find the benefits of a subscription to the community and become a member at https://www.ciaopspatron.com   AutoJack: How a single page can RCE the host running your AI agent   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