As most of us know, cyber threats are on the rise due to the many uncertainties in our world. To combat the imminent risk, last week, we began our three-part Cybersecurity Readiness series. Part one of the series covered the necessary groundwork for a successful cybersecurity readiness plan. Without a multi-dimensional plan, the flaws and holes will be prevalent in your security. With the right foundation in place, we can move on to part two, which includes the steps we need to take daily to sustain a robust security strategy.

Part-two of our cybersecurity readiness series includes the daily steps needed to help prevent a malicious cyberattack.

As we have discussed many times before, there are not enough hours in the day to complete all of the tasks we and others put on our plates. We commit to so many things that unfortunately many fall through the cracks or get put on the back burner. Microsoft has come out with a solution to help us manage our tasks and time management. This new tool is called “Briefing Emails” and will be released later this summer.

COVID-19 changed a great deal for our world. Our world, as we knew it, was turned upside-down and inside-out in a matter of days. There was the apparent change in where we were working. Although, how we were working from home and functioning differently as an organization had us intrigued. We luckily can analyze these differences through Microsoft MyAnalytics. Last October, we dug into what Microsoft MyAnalytics is and how it works. It was fascinating to dig back into our “how I work” data and see how our work habits have changed throughout our work from home stent.

Last month, we announced, with elated excitement, that Microsoft Teams would be releasing an update that will include an even more interactive virtual meeting experience. With our love for all things Teams, this was the news we were waiting to hear. With the ability to view nine participants on a Teams call, this enabled even more secure and efficient collaboration during our “Work from Home” stent. We were and still are jumping with joy over this announcement. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the announcement to be fulfilled.

As states start to reopen, we are positive that we will never forget these “Stay at Home” times we are experiencing. We were almost instantly thrust into this unknown situation where our work and home are entirely intertwined. With "Stay at Home" orders in place, we are experiencing more enforced restrictions than we have ever known in the United States. It is an interesting time to reflect on how work has changed and learn from these changes. It is essential to understand how these adaptations allowed us to continue to collaborate and what seemed to keep our teams positive and efficient.

Virtual meetings are our new ordinary. Most of us are spending our entire days in front of our computers with colleagues, vendors, and clients. To keep these meetings fresh and exciting, some of us have tried changing our backgrounds or even invited a llama. Virtual meetings are helping us manage our business with face-to-face experiences without health risks. Unfortunately, the meeting experiences are still leaving a bit to be desired, with security issues and functionality not what we hoped. This is why we are pumped about the upcoming updates from Microsoft Teams and news from Zoom.

We have spent a significant portion of this year breaking down the differences between Office 365 and Microsoft 365. The similar names are confusing, and it is challenging to decipher the differences between the applications. Thankfully, Microsoft was aware of the confusion and is gearing up for a grand rebrand on April 21st. Now, these products will have the same encompassing Microsoft 365 umbrella. The hope is that this rebrand will ease the confusion and simplify the choice of which application is right for you. Active with this rebrand are not just name changes, but additional tools. These tools will be brought to you by Microsoft’s smart and intuitive Artificial Intelligence (AI).