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Aug 2026

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Regular Microsoft Cloud information featuring Azure and Office365 with Microsoft MVP Robert Crane - A mix of current Microsoft cloud news, analysis and industry expert chat.

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August 8, 2026Episode 36734 min

Episode 369 - Developing

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 director@ciaops.com 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

July 11, 2026Episode 36637 min

Episode 368 - Memory loss

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 director@ciaops.com 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

June 21, 2026Episode 36534 min

Episode 367 - Goldilocks gone

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 director@ciaops.com 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

June 7, 2026Episode 36428 min

Episode 366 - Build 2026

Join me as I unpack the most impactful Microsoft Build 2026 announcements for SMBs, including Work IQ’s general availability, new autopilot and Scout agent features, enhanced agent security with Microsoft Execution Containers, and the latest MAI models for code, image, and voice. Discover how upcoming Work IQ APIs, OpenClaw integration with Windows, and the shift toward hybrid AI solutions are shaping the future of business technology, with practical insights on cost control, disaster recovery, and agentic security. Don’t miss this episode for actionable takeaways and expert analysis on the evolving AI landscape. Resources CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia director@ciaops.com 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 Microsoft Build 2026 blog – Be yourself at work Developer-Tech – AI agents, Copilot, Windows developer tools VentureBeat – AI agents and enterprise use cases Thurrott – Scout personal work agent and AI models VentureBeat – Data silos and Microsoft IQ Windows Report – Securing code agents and AI models Engadget – Build 2026 live blog Microsoft Learn – Work IQ in Azure Foundry Firstpost – MXC, OpenClaw, and OpenShell

May 24, 2026Episode 36338 min

Episode 365 - Skills not apps

In this episode, we dig into Cowork Skills and why they represent a genuine shift from “AI as a novelty” to “AI as part of how work actually gets done.” Not more prompts. Not more tools. But fewer decisions, less friction, and more consistency across the business. If you’ve ever thought “Copilot is interesting, but it’s not really embedded yet”, this episode is for you. Resources CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia director@ciaops.com CIAOPS Blog - CIAOPS – Information about SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Azure, Mobility and Productivity from the Computer Information Agency Join my Teams shared channel - Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron - CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS Brief - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs - CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS - Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Please fill out this form 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 CIAOPS MSP Skills Microsoft Build Choose how OneNote opens Microsoft 365 file links How Storm-2949 turned a compromised identity into a cloud-wide breach Disrupting Fox Tempest: A cybercrime service that turned “verified” software into a pathway for ransomware Exposing Fox Tempest: A malware-signing service operation A faster, more efficient Editor experience with Narrator in Word Launched: Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption Hub Redesign

May 9, 2026Episode 36226 min

Episode 364 - Siloed AI

A weekly roundup of Microsoft Cloud news with a focus on SMBs. Key topics include Microsoft's internal testing of an always-on AI assistant, major security threats such as Russian state-sponsored router hijacking and advanced phishing attacks, updates to Microsoft Teams, and a retrospective on SharePoint's evolution. Robert also discusses the challenges and strategies for adopting AI in business, emphasizing the need for a unified, collaborative approach to AI usage within organizations. Resources CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia director@ciaops.com CIAOPS Blog - CIAOPS – Information about SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Azure, Mobility and Productivity from the Computer Information Agency Join my Teams shared channel - Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron - CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS Brief - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs - CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS - Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Please fill out this form 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 Microsoft tests 'ClawPilot' AI agent for 3,000 staff SOHO router compromise leads to DNS hijacking and adversary-in-the-middle attacks What’s New in Microsoft Teams | April 2026 ClickFix campaign uses fake macOS utilities lures to deliver infostealers The Future of SharePoint Breaking the code: Multi-stage ‘code of conduct’ phishing campaign leads to AiTM token compromise

April 24, 2026Episode 36132 min

Episode 363 - Hello Cowork

I reflect on the significance of the day before diving into the week’s major developments, including the arrival of the Microsoft AI Tour in Sydney. The episode covers both partner and public events, with a focus on enterprise-level AI advancements and networking opportunities. The podcast features a comprehensive weekly news roundup: The general availability of Copilot Agent capabilities in Microsoft 365 apps. New data security tools for AI in Microsoft Purview. Innovations in identity resilience and backup with Microsoft Entra. Microsoft’s $25 billion investment in Australian AI infrastructure and training. Practical security playbooks for tenant protection and device analytics. Updates on decluttering promotional mail with Microsoft Defender. Guidance on preventing oversharing in Copilot, deploying Defender, and enforcing data security with Purview. I also share my workflow for automating podcast production using Copilot Cowork, including narration scripts and link management. I discuss experimenting with AI-driven voice narration and invites listener feedback on pacing and voice options. The episode concludes with reflections on the Microsoft AI Tour’s enterprise focus, the importance of networking, and the challenges SMBs face in accessing relevant content. Listeners are encouraged to reach out with questions or feedback and to stay tuned for upcoming events like Microsoft Build and Ignite. Resources CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia director@ciaops.com CIAOPS Blog - CIAOPS – Information about SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Azure, Mobility and Productivity from the Computer Information Agency Join my Teams shared channel - Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron - CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS Brief - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs - CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS - Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Please fill out this form 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 Microsoft 365 Insider Round-Up — April 2026 Declutter and Defend: Reducing Promotional Mail Noise with Microsoft Defender Prevent Oversharing in Microsoft 365 Copilot Microsoft Defender Deployment Tool From Oversharing to Enforcement: A Practical Guide to AI Data Security with Microsoft Purview Investing in Australia's AI Future Copilot's Agentic Capabilities in Word, Excel and PowerPoint Are Generally Available Predictive Shielding: Just-in-Time Tamper Protection Threat Hunting Agent in Advanced Hunting Bringing Transparency to AI-Generated Content with Watermarks in Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness and Resiliency with SharePoint and Microsoft 365 Backup Introducing the Microsoft Sentinel Training Lab A Practical Look at Device Analytics and Risk Signals with Microsoft Intune Innovations in OneDrive for Collaboration, Intelligence and Control Strengthening Identity Resilience: A Deep Dive Into Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery Detection Strategies for Cloud Identities Against Infiltrating IT Workers (Jasper Sleet) Safeguarding Sensitive Data in Microsoft 365 Copilot Interactions: DLP for Microsoft 365 Copilot Detecting Plain-Text Password Exposure Using Custom Regex in Microsoft Purview Cross-Tenant Helpdesk Impersonation to Data Exfiltration: A Human-Operated Intrusion Playbook

April 8, 2026Episode 36026 min

Episode 362 - AI first

In this episode of the CIAOPS Need to Know podcast, we take an AI‑first look at what’s happening across the Microsoft Cloud and what it really means for small and medium businesses. Episode 362 cuts through the noise to focus on the practical, real‑world impact of artificial intelligence as Microsoft continues to embed AI across Microsoft 365, Azure, and everyday productivity tools. We discuss how an AI‑first mindset is changing the way SMBs should think about security, productivity, and operational efficiency, along with what partners and IT professionals need to pay attention to right now. Expect clear explanations, informed opinions, and actionable insights designed to help you make sense of rapid change without the hype. Resources CIAOPS Need to Know podcast - CIAOPS - Need to Know podcasts | CIAOPS X - https://www.twitter.com/directorcia director@ciaops.com CIAOPS Blog - CIAOPS – Information about SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Azure, Mobility and Productivity from the Computer Information Agency Join my Teams shared channel - Join my Teams Shared Channel – CIAOPS CIAOPS Merch store - CIAOPS Become a CIAOPS Patron - CIAOPS Patron CIAOPS Brief - CIA Brief – CIAOPS CIAOPS Labs - CIAOPS Labs – The Special Activities Division of the CIAOPS Support CIAOPS - Support CIAOPS Get your M365 questions answered via email Please fill out this form 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 🔹 Microsoft 365 Copilot & AI in the Workplace Product updates and new Copilot experiences What’s new in Microsoft 365 Copilot – March 2026 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-365-copilot--march-2026/4506322 Copilot Cowork now available in Frontier https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2026/03/30/copilot-cowork-now-available-in-frontier/ https://playground.microsoft.ai/chat 🔹 AI Security, Threats & Protection How Microsoft is addressing AI as both a tool and an attack surface Defending the AI era: New Microsoft capabilities to protect AI https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/MicrosoftDefenderCloudBlog/defending-the-ai-era-new-microsoft-capabilities-to-protect-ai/4503885 Threat actor abuse of AI accelerates from tool to cyberattack surface https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/04/02/threat-actor-abuse-of-ai-accelerates-from-tool-to-cyberattack-surface/ 🔹 Endpoint & Device Management (Intune) Modern management platform updates What’s new in Microsoft Intune – March 2026 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftintuneblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-intune-%E2%80%93-march/4493136 🔹 Power Platform Low‑code and automation platform updates What’s new in Power Platform – March 2026 feature update https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/blog/power-apps/whats-new-in-power-platform-march-2026-feature-update/ 🔹 Microsoft 365 Data, Storage & Compliance Archiving and information lifecycle management File‑level archiving comes to Microsoft 365 Archive (Public Preview) https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365blog/file-level-archiving-comes-to-microsoft-365-archive-public-preview/4506886 🔹 Microsoft 365 Platform Milestones Product anniversaries and platform evolution Microsoft SharePoint turns 25 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/microsoft-sharepoint-turns-25/4505368 Celebrating 30 years of Microsoft Exchange https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/celebrating-30-years-of-microsoft-exchange/4503439

February 17, 2026Episode 3591 hr 0 min

Episode 361 - Phil Meyer

In this episode I speak with Phil Meyer about the current state and future of the technical community in SMB around the Microsoft products and services. Things are changing, demographics, technology as well as customers are impacting the concept of 'community'. Phil and I dive deep and share our opinions. Plenty of news and update from the Microsoft Cloud as well to dig into for you. Resources Explore the tools, communities, and content mentioned in this episode: CIAOPS Need to Know Podcast: https://ciaops.podbean.com/ CIAOPS Blog: https://blog.ciaops.com/ CIAOPS Labs: https://blog.ciaopslabs.com/ CIAOPS Brief: https://blog.ciaops.com/tag/cia-brief/ Join the Teams Shared Channel: https://blog.ciaops.com/2022/07/29/join-my-teams-shared-channel/ CIAOPS Merch Store: https://my-store-c5d877-2.creator-spring.com/ CIAOPS Publications: https://directorcia.gumroad.com Become a Patron: https://www.ciaopspatron.com/ Direct Support: https://ko-fi.com/ciaops Get Your M365 Questions Answered: https://blog.ciaops.com/2025/06/11/get-your-m365-questions-answered-via-email-2/ Test Your Microsoft 365 Speed: https://blog.ciaops.com/2025/07/21/test-your-microsoft-365-speed-in-seconds-for-free/ CIAOPS Email list - https://bit.ly/cia-email Achieving SMB1001 publication - https://directorcia.gumroad.com/l/smb10012006 Show Notes Email philme@catalyst345.com to receive the invitation to Phil’s online meetings Security, AI & Cloud Updates Introducing Security Dashboard for AI (Public Preview) https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-security-blog/introducing-security-dashboard-for-ai-now-in-public-preview/4494637 Your Data, Your Choices: Microsoft’s Privacy Commitments https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/your-data-your-choices-understanding-microsoft%E2%80%99s-privacy-commitments/4489814 Manipulating AI Memory for Profit: AI Recommendation Poisoning https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/02/10/ai-recommendation-poisoning/ What’s New in Microsoft Sentinel – February 2026 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftsentinelblog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-sentinel-february-2026/4494218 Closing Attack Paths with Identity Intelligence https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftthreatprotectionblog/from-signal-to-strategy-closing-attack-paths-with-identity-intelligence/4491856 ] Exchange Online EWS – End of Life Reminder https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/exchange-online-ews-your-time-is-almost-up/4492361 What’s New in Microsoft Intune — January 2026 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftintuneblog/whats-new-in-microsoft-intune-%E2%80%93-january-2026/4476487 Real‑time Defense: Securing AI Agents https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/01/23/runtime-risk-realtime-defense-securing-ai-agents/ Detecting Backdoored Language Models at Scale https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/02/04/detecting-backdoored-language-models-at-scale/

February 4, 2026Episode 35851 min

Episode 360 - Shervin Shaffie

In this episode I'm joined by Shervin Shaffie from Microsoft to do a deep dive into Copilot Studio. That's the service from Microsoft that allows you to create agents in a 'low-code' manner right inside the M365 environment. Shervin has some great Youtube content I highly recommend and provides some great insights and tips and tricks in this episode when working with agents in Microsoft 365. I'll also brin you up to date with the latest Microsoft Cloud news. Listen along. Resources Explore the tools, communities, and content mentioned in this episode: CIAOPS Need to Know Podcast: https://ciaops.podbean.com/ CIAOPS Blog: https://blog.ciaops.com/ CIAOPS Labs: https://blog.ciaopslabs.com/ CIAOPS Brief: https://blog.ciaops.com/tag/cia-brief/ Join the Teams Shared Channel: https://blog.ciaops.com/2022/07/29/join-my-teams-shared-channel/ CIAOPS Merch Store: https://my-store-c5d877-2.creator-spring.com/ CIAOPS Publications: https://directorcia.gumroad.com Become a Patron: https://www.ciaopspatron.com/ Direct Support: https://ko-fi.com/ciaops Get Your M365 Questions Answered: https://blog.ciaops.com/2025/06/11/get-your-m365-questions-answered-via-email-2/ Test Your Microsoft 365 Speed: https://blog.ciaops.com/2025/07/21/test-your-microsoft-365-speed-in-seconds-for-free/ CIAOPS Email list - https://bit.ly/cia-email Show Notes Shervin Shaffie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherv/ Principal Copilot Engineer at Microsoft Collaboration Simplified YouTube: https://youtube.com/@collaborationsimplified All About AI Podcast: https://cosi.pro/aipodcast FY26 Q2 - Press Releases - Investor Relations - Microsoft The Microsoft Copilot Data Connector for Microsoft Sentinel is Now in Public Preview | Microsoft Community Hub Secure Boot playbook for certificates expiring in 2026 SharePoint Showcase highlights: Copilot and agents governance and security essentials for admins What’s New in Microsoft 365 Copilot | January 2026 | Microsoft Community Hub Upcoming Conditional Access change: Improved enforcement for policies with resource exclusions