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.

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Resources

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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/