Blogs

Azure Virtual Desktop is a service running in the cloud that enables your users to access the data, applications, and resources granted by the organization from any allowed and supported device,  anywhere and anytime, with just an active internet connection. Data protection has been a top priority for all organisations. Now Microsoft has enabled screen capture protection for Azure Virtual Desktop.

This feature prevents sensitive data from being captured on the client endpoints. When this feature is enabled, remote content will be automatically blocked or hidden in screenshots and screen shares. Also, the Remote Desktop client will hide content from malicious software that may be capturing the screen. This feature protects the client endpoint from functionalities such as PrtScn, Snipping Tool and third-party tools installed on it. This feature is available for all Azure Virtual Desktop customers at no additional cost.

The screen capture protection feature is configured on the session host level and enforced on the client. Only clients that support this feature can connect to the remote session. Windows Desktop client (for full Desktops only), macOS client version 10.7.0 or older (for RemoteApp and full Desktops) supports screen capture. If a user tries to connect with an unsupported client to the protected session host the connection will fail with error 0x1151.

Contact us for more information.

Azure blob storage is massively scalable and secure object storage for cloud-native workloads, archives, data lakes, high-performance computing and machine learning. It is very important to protect this data from unintentional deletion. Keeping this in mind Microsoft has recently announced Immutable storage with versioning for Blob Storage is which is now generally available. It provides the capability to store data in WORM (Write Once, Read Many) states, which means data once written becomes non-erasable and non-modifiable. Also, the retention period can be set to protect the files to protect the file from deletion within that period. It also provides the capability to apply legal holds which make data non-erasable and non-modifiable until the hold is removed.

It provides the capability to set immutable policy on account, container, or object level. Additionally, Immutable protection is allowed for all past and current versions of any blob. A previous version is always immutable meaning it cannot be modified. However, a previous version can be deleted so a time-based retention policy protects it against deletion while the policy is in effect. Immutable storage is free of charge with a versioning policy and legal hold. You just have to pay for storage and transaction like before.

Contact us for more information.

Cloud technology has been impactful in transforming business. From cost savings to easy collaboration, the usage of the Cloud has significantly increased in the past few years.

Cloud technology is so reliable when it comes to safety that 94% of businesses report significant improvements in online security after moving their data to the cloud. 91% said that the cloud makes it easier to meet government-compliant requirements. (Source: Salesforce)

Predictions show that spending for enterprise cloud platforms will increase by 14% in 2024. (Source: Gartner)

We will witness an increase in these figures in the coming years as many tech-savvy firms and industry executives have recognized the advantages of cloud-computing technology.

Let us now discuss how Cloud technology has transformed the following Industries: –

• Healthcare – The healthcare sector requires cloud solutions that enable them to deliver automation and efficiency on high-value workflows, and because they work with large volumes of data – both structured and unstructured – they require deep data analysis capabilities to turn insights into actions while adhering to strict data protection and security guidelines. The healthcare industry places a greater emphasis on improving patient’s experience, at the same time ensuring the highest level of data security, protection, and privacy.

• Financial Services – When it comes to introducing innovative technologies, the financial services industry has always been cautious. The global pandemic, however, has amplified this trend because of the paradigm change from physical to digital. To remain relevant to their clients, the industry must develop digital solutions. To deliver differentiated consumer experiences, increase staff cooperation and productivity, manage risk, and update core systems, leading cloud services providers are delivering customized solutions such as specific templates, APIs, and multi-layered security and compliance coverage. Financial services firms, such as banks, can use these capabilities to generate a holistic view of their customers with more insight and a specific plan of action, integrate digital collaboration into their process workflows, and improve insights to help prevent fraud.

• Retail – The retail business is expected to evolve at a lightning speed as customer behavior, taste, and preferences continue to evolve. Since customer data, inventory management, supply chain, and distribution network are all integral parts of this industry, they require solutions that bring together data from different sources and uniquely connect experiences across the end-to-end shopper journey, all while delivering more relevant personalized experiences and optimizing operations for long-term profitability. Retailers can provide more focused and relevant customer recommendations and notifications, increase their fulfilment options, simplify payment processing, and benefit from full fraud prevention by using industry-specific cloud solutions.

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Earlier, the spotting of malicious content in emails was quite an easy task. However, due to the rise in technology, it has become increasingly difficult to detect this malware. One of the primary reasons for it is that nowadays, these cyber-attacks are planned and executed by professionals, who make it seem like they have been sent from a known contact– might be a friend, your work colleague or from your bank.

Now, the question arises- what are the various ways to avoid such emails from infiltrating your system and threatening your data? Keep reading to learn more!

Keeping your IT security system up to date:

If someone in your organization accidentally opens a malicious email, then the chances of your data being attacked are reduced if the following layers of security are already present in your system: firewall, antivirus, spam filtering, web protection, backup, and patch management. However, it is integral to remember that these programmes need to be constantly maintained and updated. Every day, the world of cyber-security gets to witness a new malware that is attacking companies around the globe. For example, in May 2021, a group that goes by the name of ‘Nobelium’, launched a global attack in which more than 3000 email accounts across 150 organizations were affected.

Adding a Layer of Protection to Microsoft Advanced Threat Detection:

By using Microsoft Exchange Online or Office 365 for your emails, you get to add an extra layer of security on Microsoft’s inexpensive Advanced Threat Detection software. This provides real-time protection against unfamiliar attacks. All the suspicious content must go through a routine behavioural malware analysis that uses Machine Learning (ML) techniques for evaluation. Any data that seems unsafe is sandboxed in a detonation chamber before being sent to its intended recipient(s).

Overall, it is considered a very useful tool as it rules out the factor of human error.

Using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):

The MFA is a simple, yet effective method of verifying your identity. It incorporates two different methods for authentication, the first one is usually entering a password, followed by entering a code sent to your phone via text message. Many applications, like Twitter, have a two-factor authentication system which is like an additional layer of security to your Twitter account.

You can ask your IT administrator to set up an MFA for Office 365 so that all the members of your organization can utilize it.

The backup tools for your data must be of premium quality:

Imagine, if all the important apps and data of your company get affected by malware. How will you manage it? The answer to this question is, having an outstanding backup and recovery strategy.

Now, how can an organization assess that they have a well-performing backup and recovery system? The following points can be considered:

Your service must provide the provision of at least one off-site cloud backup. The company must try to make it as isolated and protected as possible.

Consider the following questions:

• Does your service provider frequently back up your critical data and applications? If yes, then is the process continuous or not? Can you afford to lose your most critical data and applications for even a brief period, without adversely affecting your company’s revenue and profitability?
• What is the threshold of productivity that you are comfortable in losing, if you are unable to access your core business applications? The duration of restoring your entire data may take anywhere between half a day to an entire week, depending solely upon the size and complexity of the backup. This means that it might take a while before you can resume your work, which could really stir up your schedule.
• Do your backups undergo regular testing? If not, then your organization is under a significant risk of having a backup that fails to restore when needed the most. Any leading backup service will always include the automated testing of your backups in its package.

The above-mentioned list might not cover all the aspects, but it certainly covers the most critical ones to protect your organization’s system and data. The rule of thumb is, the more you automate the process of handling malicious content, the better it is for your company. Contact us today to get the best assistance for protection against cyber-attacks!

A hybrid cloud can be defined as a cloud computing environment that utilizes a combination of on-premises private cloud and third-party public cloud services with instrumentation between the two. Cloud service providers offer services such as data storage, work environments & security. Businesses can customize their experience to meet their demands and objectives.

If we compare the hybrid cloud market to other cloud services in the past few years, we can notice a staggering growth in the former. This is because of the additional benefits that the hybrid cloud market provides, which any data-driven organization demands.

It permits companies to scale computing resources and assists in the eradication of investment in a massive chunk of its capital in handling short-term spikes in demand. It is also useful in cases where the organization has to free up local resources to make room for more sensitive data and/or applications.

The benefits of Hybrid cloud

Data Backup and Business Continuity

Hybrid clouds are much better in backing up and restoration of data. For IT companies, data is everything and that is why mitigating data loss is of greatest importance.

Companies can save not only money but also their time and resources, instead of employing DIY disaster management and recovery measures. And what’s more – the downtime is negligible because retrieving lost or misplaced data has never been easier and faster.

Data Privacy and Security

One of the biggest benefits of choosing a hybrid cloud is the choice of data location based on its usage. This is because in some cases, the public cloud is not suitable to store certain types of business data. On the other hand, the public cloud offers a lot of compliance offerings, making it a choice to easily achieve compliance certification.

Scalability

It is important to note that the scalability offered by private clouds is quite limited. On the other hand, the scalability offered by the Hybrid cloud is virtually unlimited. But, shifting from an in-house cloud infra to public cloud servers is not cost-effective always, however, the Return on Investment (ROI) makes up for it.

Save your money!

Cost can be an alarming factor for companies that are running private clouds on-premises. A huge chunk of the company’s IT budgeting is often spent on overhead costs, investment of the infrastructure, and maintenance. However, it doesn’t have to!

The entry of hybrid cloud solutions has clearly helped companies in significant cost savings, and because these hybrid cloud solutions are essential, a link between public and private clouds there is no compromise whatsoever when it comes to the security and sanctity of the data as well as the infrastructure.

Choice of Public Cloud

Certain companies may choose a service from Amazon Web Services due to its wide & flexible offerings; others might choose from Google Cloud Platform for its open-source support, and ease of use from Microsoft Azure. Ultimately, such flexibility allows a company to have the best services from the cloud provider that meet their needs.

Companies choose hybrid cloud over private cloud because of these great benefits! Shift to a hybrid cloud system & see it yourself. Mismo Systems helps companies to get the best hybrid cloud solution based on their needs and goals. Contact us today!

What is a Ransomware attack?

It can be defined as a malware attack that is carried out deliberately to encrypt your data and/or the whole system. In most cases, a ransom is demanded by the assailant to decrypt your data, so that you can access it again. Lately, there has been a surge in the demand for cryptocurrency as a form of payment since it is less traceable. The amount of ransom demanded can be small or large, depending on the importance of the data as well as the financial status of the victim.

How to build an effective Ransomware Data Recovery Strategy?

1) Protection of backups—Your backups are useful only if they are safe as well as accessible. It must be ensured that the backups created are as protected as your data so that data can be recovered quickly and safely.

2) Formulate your recovery plan—An efficient and effective ransomware data recovery plan for all assets and data must be formulated, with special emphasis on the mission-critical ones. Even if there is an attack, a master backup or image must be present to restore and/or rebuild all the data.

3) Create offsite copies of your data—Anyone who is dealing with data must store a copy of it either offsite, online, or in fact, both. It is an integral step in data protection as it safeguards your data even if your on-site backups are under attack. While you are storing these copies, remember to secure the data just as you would for the primary copy.

4) Categorize your data—Start by building an inventory of your data. This step is done to determine how your data should be categorized and stored. These categories might be: regulated, proprietary, critical, or valuable. Once the inventory is set up, how data needs to be protected can be finalized. Plus, data backup can also be initiated.

5) Identify the endpoints—You must be aware of all the data endpoints to identify where these ransomware infections might come from. Categorization of these endpoints can also be done to determine high-value endpoints so that they can be protected.

How can an attack be prevented?

A) Do not click on unsafe links: Most browsers display a warning if you try to open an unsafe link. Do not go forward unless and until you are sure that the given website/link is safe. In most cases, an automatic download may be initiated when you open the link, which could potentially lead to a ransomware infection.

B) Do not disclose personal information: It should be noted that personal information should never be disclosed in a text, e-mail message, or voice call from an untrusted source. Usually, these ransomware attackers try to collect personal information in advance, so that they can design customized phishing messages specifically for you.

C) Suspicious email attachments should not be opened: E-mail attachments are one of the most common forms of a Ransomware attack. You should avoid opening e-mail attachments from unknown sources. To check whether the e-mail is trustworthy, verify the sender and their e-mail address. Do not open files that prompt you to run macros to view them, because an infectious file will run a malicious macro that will give the control of your data and/or system to the attacker.

D) Don’t insert unknown USB sticks into your system: USB sticks/Hard disks/CDs from unknown sources may contain ransomware.

E) Always keep your programs and operating system up to date: Regular updates can be very useful in protecting your operating system from malware, as it contains the latest security patches.

F) Download files only from reliable sources: Never use unknown sites to download software or media files. Many people, especially youngsters tend to download free but plagiarized content from websites that often contain viruses and malware.

G) Always use a VPN if you are on a public Wi-Fi network: Public Wi-Fi should never be used for making sensitive transactions. If it is unavoidable, then remember to use a good-quality VPN service with it.

Switch to Azure Cloud & help your organization avoid any ransomware attack. Protect your progress without excessive storage costs & pay only for what you use with Azure’s PAYG (Pay-as-you-go) model. To know more about Azure cloud solutions, contact us.

PowerApps is a tool that allows you to create custom apps, leveraging many of the features of the Office 365 and Microsoft platforms. Apps can be accessed via mobile devices or via the browser.

What sets PowerApps apart from other offerings is that while it can be used by developers, it can also be used by non-technical employees such as business analysts. This means that it is quite possible for a PowerApps power user to create a custom app. Just like its Microsoft cousin Flow, PowerApps is successfully bringing the power of process automation to a non-technical audience.

Features

PowerApps comes with features and tools to help create apps that don’t require any coding. These include:

• a library of sample apps that you can work from as a starting point and then customise
• a library of over 200 connectors to integrate data and systems including those across the Office 365 universe
• an easy drag and drop interface for the creation of apps
• close integration with other Office 365 and Dynamics tools
• good support structures, including an active PowerApps community

Canvas and model-driven apps

There are two ways to develop PowerApps – via the canvas approach or the model-driven approach.  The canvas approach is a bit like working from a blank canvas where you connect data sources, add workflows and create interfaces for your app using the drag and drop interface, potentially relying on the library of standard connectors.

Leveraging the connected world of Office 365 allows you to even create canvas apps within other tools such as SharePoint as the starting point.  Using the canvas approach also gives you complete control over an app you’re creating from scratch.

How to Build an App with Microsoft PowerApps

The simplest way to build a PowerApps app is to start from the data source. This is part one in a three-part process:

1. For this example, we’ll start from a SharePoint list that stores some data:

2. Next, we’ll select the “Create an app” option in the PowerApps menu:

3. This takes us to the PowerApps Studio where we’ll find a fully functional canvas app generated by the system:

Keep in mind that these are just the default choices. They hide a much wider set of available options, configurations, and architectural choices that PowerApps provides. Without further ado, let’s take a more in-depth look!

Step 1: Select Your PowerApps Environment

There are four tools or environments that you can work within PowerApps, and they each have their own capabilities and roles.

PowerApps Website

The website is where you’ll begin your PowerApps service journey. This is where you will be able to create a new app and to manage existing ones.

Here’s a small snapshot of some of the templates that might give you some useful ideas for the app:

PowerApps Studio

Here you’ll be able to design and adapt apps that you create to your specific business needs!

PowerApps Studio contains three panes and a ribbon that help make app creation feel similar to creating a slide deck in PowerPoint. 

PowerApps Mobile App

This handy mobile app is available on both phones (iOS, Android) and tablets (Windows 10). No matter the platform, the app provides a runtime environment where you’ll be able to execute all of your PowerApps apps. This includes the ones that were shared with you as well as the ones you designed and coded yourself.

PowerApps Admin Center

Admin.powerapps.com gives you the power to create and manage environments, DLP (Data Loss Prevention) strategies and user roles. You can get a list of user licenses in the tenant.

Step 2: Select Your PowerApps Application Type

There are two main types of apps you can create with PowerApps:

• Canvas apps
• Model-driven apps

Step 3: Select Your Storage Type

Power Platform and specifically PowerApps target a world where data is king and the foundation of any business process. Thus, choosing the correct data sources is very impactful when it comes to designing an app.

Data are stored in a data source and you import them into your app by creating a connection.

Be aware that the choice of data sources will have an impact on the licenses needed to create and execute your app. If you choose or need a Premium source (like Salesforce or Common Data Service) you’ll need a PowerApps P1 or P2 license.

Let us know your questions in the comment section below. Contact us for more information!

Thanks for reading.

Microsoft 365, a world of enhanced productivity and collaboration that drives a team to achieve more together, is a complete workplace solution that provides all the apps and services a team requires to do more.

Moving forward from the times when you had to arrange services for email, internal chat or collaboration, apps for the office and the operating system for the normal functioning of a user and on top of it, the management and security tools to keep track of all the workplace service landscape. With the incoming of Microsoft 365, all of it comes under one umbrella for the seamless connectivity of all the smaller pieces that make up the workplace.

The term workplace is used to refer to a physical space where we went and got busy doing our assigned task, adding value to our organization. But there is a big shift in that definition as far as today’s work culture is concerned. the workplace is now an always-connected environment that provides access to all the tools and resources that an employee might need to get his work done.

Basically, it is a location-agnostic event that can happen at any time of day using any connected device. The digital workplace is all about how technology is transforming the type of work employees perform, as well as where and how work gets done.

If we were to list out of the benefits that a modern workplace enriches the users with, it would be as follows:

1. Creation and Co-authoring
2. Emailing and Internal Collaboration
3. Ever-availability on Cloud
4. A fully configurable Intranet
5. Device and Application Management
6. Protection Against Cyberthreats etc.

Now, why would you consider M365 as your modern workplace solution?

1. Work from Home:

We are becoming more and more mobile in our working style. Unlike before, we no longer have to be present at the office premises to start the work or to deliver the given assignments. With the increasing popularity of working from home, users need one solution that can enable them to be productive and collaborative anywhere.

• Work on any Device:

Depending on a single device to get the work done creates a lot of liability. In any event where the accessibility to the device is disrupted our working gets disrupted in turn. Microsoft 365 easily solves that problem by keeping your work online and accessible with complete security from any device. Just login on any device using your credentials and you are all set with all the required tools.

• Undisrupted work continuity:

There have been numerous incidents wherein we or one of our teammates could not work for reasons not attributed to him or her such as the device being stolen, physically damaged or attacked by cybercriminals. Microsoft 365 comes up as an absolute answer to all such highly probably scenarios. Getting ready to face any of these showstoppers is an investment with multifold returns.

We at Mismo Systems, encourage our customers to give away the responsibility of fluid workplace functioning, management and security of all devices and data. Mismo Systems supports businesses to do more to grow more without the worries of day-to-day operations. Let’s all achieve more with the modernization of our workplace! Call us to know more

In this blog, we will be discussing the various Microsoft Teams updates in the month of June.

Meeting Updates:

• Presenter Mode

During the past few months, this feature has been heavily promoted by Microsoft, finally you can start using this latest meeting feature that gives you an added advantage with respect to how you want to present your content & video feed to your viewers. The new feature gives you the ability to customize the way your content & video feed is being displayed in the meeting by utilizing layouts like “Standout” which exhibits the presenter’s video as a silhouette in front of the content being shared. As of now, this will be the only layout available for use, however, there are two additional layouts (Reporter and Side-by-side) coming soon!

Calling

• Updated calling user interface

The calling tab layout in Microsoft Teams has been updated. With this, you will get a much more streamlined view that has voicemail, contacts and even calling history all on a single screen. Before this update was rolled out, the users had to switch between several different tabs to get to the desired area.

Chat and Collaboration

• Group chat with external users

A lot of you must be aware that, Microsoft Teams lets you have a conversation with up to 250 participants within a single chat. Now, even though it is a great feature in its own right, Microsoft has decided to expand on this capability by giving its users the ability to add multiple federated/external users into chats to make collaborations easier. Earlier, you could only have a single user for federated chats which means that you had to create a Teams meeting with all federated participants for you to communicate with them all at once.

Important Reminder for all the Teams administrators- Do not forget to have a look at your external access/federation settings as it is the primary setting driving this ability to chat with federated users.

Security, Compliance, and Privacy

• Customer Key support in Teams

The Microsoft 365 Customer Keys allows an organization to meet specific compliance requirements by providing encryption keys that are used to encrypt your data in a Microsoft Datacentre. This is handled via the DEPs (Data Encryption Policies) which encrypt your data across multiple M365 workloads for all users within the tenant. Since, it is a part of Microsoft Teams, it could include:

• Teams chat messages (including 1:1 chat, group chats, meeting chats, and channel conversations).
• Teams media messages (code snippets, images, video messages, audio messages, wiki images).
• Teams call and meeting recordings stored in Teams storage.
• Teams chat notifications.
• Teams chat suggestions by Cortana.
• Teams status messages.

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For a free demo contact us here!

Thanks for reading.

Microsoft’s virtual desktop infrastructure platform has been rebranded under the Azure name and notified of new security and management capabilities that are currently under preview. Formerly known as the Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), the platform will now be known as Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Microsoft said in an official statement on the 6^th of June 2021.

The organization has also launched early access to several features in Azure Virtual Desktop – The flexible cloud VDI platform for the hybrid workplace, to enhance its security and management system, like the new and improved Azure Active directory support.

A handful of selected users of the AVD will have vastly improved support for Azure Active Directory, which is responsible for managing security controls and user access to apps and data. Soon, users will have the ability to enrol virtual machines automatically with Microsoft Endpoint Manager, thus, not only making the deployment easier but also reducing the need for a domain controller.

Another added feature that has been seen in the preview is the ability to link the AVD virtual machines to Azure Active Directory which will essentially allow its users to connect with the virtual machine from any properly approved device.

An exciting onboarding experience in the Azure portal will begin an automated deployment of a Virtual Desktop environment. Another interesting news is that now the independent software vendors can pay a monthly per-user access price to use AVD to deliver apps for customers to stream as opposed to the previous system which included just internal employees.

It is important to highlight that since last year there has been a noticeable spike in the number of Windows Virtual Desktop users due to the ongoing pandemic. To know more about it click here.

Thanks for reading!