Information about SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Azure, Mobility and Productivity from the Computer Information Agency
I recently detailed a way to use Endpoint Manager and Intune to onboard Windows 10 devices to Microsoft Defender for Business:
Onboarding Windows 10 devices to Microsoft Defender for Business
I’ve now extended that to include this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM-WZjHgy88
that shows that method plus using a local script. Using a local script is a good backup method to use if you are in a hurry or have issues with a device in your environment not receiving the policy.
One of the big benefits of Windows 10 devices when it comes to onboarding them to Microsoft Defender for Business is that they already have the ‘client’ software installed. That being Windows Defender. All the onboarding process needs to do is connect up the ‘backend plumbing’ so that Windows 10 also sends security information to the Microsoft 365 Security portal.
The first step in this onboarding process is to ensure that your Windows 10 devices are already Azure AD joined. You’ll also need to have a license for Intune/Endpoint Manager to enable this process from a centralised location.
Next, visit the Microsoft Endpoint Manager portal at:
https://endpoint.microsoft.com
As shown above, here, navigate to Endpoint Security, then Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Ensure that the option Connection status is enabled. If it isn’t then open a new browser tab and navigate to:
https://security.microsoft.com
You should see the screen above. Scroll down this page.
Select Settings as shown above and then Endpoints from the options that appear on the right.
Scroll through the options presented and select Advanced features as shown. Location the Microsoft Intune connection option and set it to On. You may also want to have a look through the list of all the other available settings and also turn these on if desired.
You may need to wait a little while until connection status back in Endpoint Manager reports as being enabled.
You can always use the Refresh button at the top of the page, but be prepared for a short wait while the connection is made.
While you are on this Endpoint Manager page you will also probably want to turn all the settings available here.
Still in Endpoint Manager, you’ll now need to select Devices, then Configuration Policies, then Create profile as shown above.
Select Windows 10 and later for the Platform and Templates from the Profile type.
Scroll through the list of templates and select Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (desktop devices running Windows 10 or later).
Give this new policy a meaningful name and select the Next button at the bottom of the page to continue.
You don’t have to make any changes on the Configuration settings page but I like to Enable the option for Expedite telemetry reporting frequency. Select the Next button at bottom of the page to continue.
On the Assignments page you need to configure which groups this policy will include and exclude. Generally, you want to select All devices as shown above, but you can select whatever suits your configuration needs.
Continue through the remaining policy configuration pages and Create the new policy.
If you go back and look at the properties of the policy as shown above, you note an additional Configuration setting that wasn’t displayed when the policy was created – Microsoft Defender for configuration package type is set to Onboard. This is what effectively will onboard the Windows 10 devices for you automatically.
You can now use the Device Status option to monitor when this policy is applied to each device. Note that this status may take a while to change and the policy to be applied as it is dependent on when the devices ‘check in’ for policy updates.
Once the devices ‘check in’ and receive the policy, their status should be displayed as shown above with the Deployment status field now reporting as Succeeded.
You can see which devices have been successfully onboarded to Defender for Endpoint by selecting the Device inventory option in the Microsoft 365 Security Center as shown above. Until machines have their ‘plumbing’ connected back to this console via the onboarding process they will not appear.
Once that onboarding process is complete on the device, it should appear in the Device inventory as shown above.
If you return to Endpoint Manager and scroll to the bottom of the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint screen, as shown above, you’ll see a summary of the devices onboarded.
The great thing is that you only need to do all this once, because once the Intune connection and Device configuration policy is in place, all Windows 10 machines will automatically be onboarded to Defender for Endpoint and all the options the Microsoft Security Center.
Tech is as much a lifestyle choice these days as it is a career. The geeks and nerds have risen to rule the world. Don’t believe me? Ask Bill Gates and Elon Musk! Sometimes it is good to step back and take a wide look at how technology has changed the world we live in – for better and worse.
My selections below, both fiction and non fiction, I have found to be enjoyable and thought provoking in many different ways and I recommend them to everyone who is interested in tech.
Notable mentions from 2021
You can follow all the books, tech, business, non-fiction I read and want to read over at Goodreads where I have an account. You can also view my activity via:
https://www.goodreads.com/director_cia
1. Daemon – Daniel Suarez [Fiction]
A glimpse into the future of where drones and augmented reality may take us. That may not necessarily be a good place either.
2. Freedom TM – Daniel Suarez [Fiction]
A follow up to Daemon. What happens when technology dominates the world? Who benefits?
3. Ready Player One – Ernest Cline [Fiction]
Much like the Matrix. What is life like if you live inside the machine? You can be just about anyone you choose. I also love this book for all the retro technology that was part of my life. TRS-80 anyone? This book has become so popular that there is now a movie. Believe me, the book is better.
4. Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers – Andy Greenberg [Non-Fiction]
This is a great book if you are interested in IT security. It is also a very current book which makes it even more engrossing. It is easy to read and quite comprehensive in its approach, not only dealing with the technology of security attack but also the geopolitical reasons and consequences.
It reveals that shadow world of nation state cyber attacks and illustrates how they are happening today and likely to increase in the future. The connected world of the Internet has brought us many benefits but it is now increasing risks as our dependencies increase to the point that there are few manual backups that don’t depend on technology.
I think this book is a real glimpse into the future and what we may be in store for in the even of rising global conflicts. If you like tech, you’ll love this!
5. Future Crimes: Inside the Digital Underground and the Battle for our Connected World – Marc Goodman [Non-fiction]
Technology will ultimately doom us all I believe because we are building our world on stuff that unfortunately places a low regard for security and privacy. This book will show you why that is a road to ruination.
6. Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon – Kim Zetter [Non-Fiction]
If you don’t believe cyber warfare is real then read this book to understand how software is now a weapon as potentially devastating as any nuclear device.
7. Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly about Security in an Uncertain World – Bruce Schneier [Non-Fiction]
Security is important but it is important in context. We need to be rational when we consider our security not emotional. A great level headed approach to how we need to be secure.
8. American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt or the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road – Nick Bilton [Non-Fiction]
An amazingly detailed book on the rise and fall of Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road web site. In here are asked to think about whether technology plays something more than a neutral role in today’s world.
9. The Cuckoos Egg – Clifford Stoll [Non-Fiction]
Before the Internet was in the public sphere it existed in the world of academia. This is the story of how one man’s search for the source of an accounting error uncovered something are more sinister.
10. This how they tell me the world ends: The cyberweapons arms race – Nicole Perlroth [Non-Fiction]
Highlights the challenges that society has created, mainly from its’ own doing and questions of how we go about fixing this so we don’t end causing infinite harm to both intended targets and unintended victims.
I’m joined by Shiva Ford from Microsoft to talk about the importance of community and how it has formed a major part of the success of many people in the industry.
Take a listen and let us know what you think – feedback@needtoknow.cloud
You can listen directly to this episode at:
https://ciaops.podbean.com/e/episode-282-shiva-ford/
Subscribe via iTunes at:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/ciaops-need-to-know-podcasts/id406891445?mt=2
The podcast is also available on Stitcher at:
http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ciaops/need-to-know-podcast?refid=stpr
Don’t forget to give the show a rating as well as send me any feedback or suggestions you may have for the show.
This episode was recorded using Microsoft Teams and produced with Camtasia 2021.
Brought to you by www.ciaopspatron.com
Resources
Shiva Ford – Twitter
You can find the previous year’s selection here:
I do spend a lot of time listening to podcasts, generally in between things, like travelling. However, there is a limit to how many you can consume in a week and that’s why I need to be very discerning about what I listen to.
Regulars
These podcasts are ones that I generally won’t miss an episode of.
The latest Microsoft news with some fun and entertainment along the way. Paul Thurrott’s musing make this podcast alone something worth listening to.
Some really great advice, business insights and strategy. Also lots of life lessons that I have found work really well for me. A weekly must listen for me.
These tend to be quite long, like reading a book, but a very good and very interesting. Luckily, they are not that frequent, so it can make a nice change from all the tech stuff
All the latest news and information about SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, Teams and more directly from Microsoft.
A podcast focused on the Microsoft files experience around OneDrive from Microsoft.
Mary Joe Foley interviewing someone in the technology field. What I really like about these are they are short and to the point. Makes it much easier to listen to on a regular basis.
Really well produced cybersecurity focused podcast. Has a nice variety of topics and the content is good and well researched. If you enjoy the security side of IT you’ll love these episodes.
Largely focuses on Microsoft security and people inside Microsoft working on security. There are plenty of super smart people there but can be a little narrow at times, however, it does give you insight into the investments Microsoft are making around IT security.
Currently evaluating
These podcasts I listen to frequently, but maybe not every episode. Some of these may eventually get cut from the roster. Anything here has to provide real business value for it to remain long term.
I tend to only listen to the news and updates section, the sponsored content not so much. It has lots of good information across the general IT security landscape but also comes with a fair amount of unsolicited opinion and bias.
Tends to be somewhat developer focused and this means that stuff outside that wheel house can be quite wrong. You also get an amount of opinion and bias in the commentary, which again can, at times, be based on incorrect or irrelevant information. Regularly, loses focus to cover topics which may not be of interest to many.
Another Kevin Rose project that looks at the latest developments in blockchain, cryptocurrency, web 3.0 and more. Kevin’s superpower is spotting trends early, that’s why I listen.
Once off podcasts
Think of these more of a book you’d read or a TV show you’d watch.
Another well produced podcast from the BBC that follows the trails of and attempt to steal and launder billions of dollars. Apparently, additional episodes are coming later this year. If you like Darknet Diaries, you’ll like this.
I churn through these mostly at 2x speed to allow me to get through as much content as possible. I do have a few other podcasts on my current podcasting app. I am always on the lookout for good podcasts business, technology, history, whatever. So if you can recommend something you like, I’m all ears. These days, if you have a topic of interested, you’ll find many podcasts you can listen to. Don;t be shy to try them and throw away ones that don’t suit you until you find what you like.
Finally, of course, there is my own podcasting effort:
which covers the Microsoft Cloud (typically Microsoft 365 and Azure) as well as business topics. I encourage you to have a listen and me know what you think. 2022 will be the twelfth year that it has been available.
Hopefully, there is something of interest to you in what I listen to. Feel free to let me know as well as any recommendations you may have, as I said, I’m all ears!
My list for last year:
Documentaries
Movies
Check out my recommendations from last year:
Honourable mentions that I read last year:
– The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win – Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
– Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance – Angela Duckworth
– Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals – Oliver Burkeman
You can follow all the books I read and want to read over at Goodreads where I have an account. You can also view my activity via:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/708903-robert?shelf=read
Here’s my current top business books in order:
1. The Art of War – Sun Tzu
The all time classic on strategy. As relevant today as it ever was. A very short read but very deep.
2. The Millionaire Fastlane – M.J. DeMarco
I love the brutal honesty of this book. It doesn’t mince words about what it takes to shift from a pay check to actually living the life you want.
3. The Tipping Point – Malcolm Gladwell
The world is all about not what you know but who you know. This book explains exactly how this works and how to use it to your advantage.
4. The Four Hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss
Many people believe this book is about shirking responsibility. It is in fact a blueprint for how to free up your time to do things you want and enjoy. It will challenge the way you look at your career.
5. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth – T. Harv Eker
The successful are defined by a different mindset. This mindset can be learned. It can be trained. This is a great book to show you how to do just that.
6. Talent is over rated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everyone Else – Geoff Colvin
Demonstrates that the best comes from implementing a system. Having a system allows you to focus on the right thing and do that work that is required. If you want to take yourself to an elite level, beyond just good, then read this book.
7. Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even If You Hate Marketing and Selling – Michael Port, Tim Sanders
You can’t survive in business without a steady flow of customers. Selling to people is the wrong approach, you instead need to attract them to your business. This book helps you achieve exactly that.
8. Profit First: A Simple System To Transform Any Business From A Cash-Eating Monster To A Money-Making Machine – Mike Michalowicz
Business is about making a profit. This then gives you the freedom to do what you want with that profit. This book helps you focus on profit and setting up systems to make the most of the profit you generate.
9. Barking Up the Wrong Tree – Eric Barker
Conventional wisdom does not always apply and in some case can actually be detrimental. Challenging what is taken for granted should be in the play book of everyone who wants to achieve at the highest level. Important lessons can be learned in the strangest places and form the strangest people. Have an open mind and you might be surprised at what you have believed to be bad in fact turns out to get just what you need.
10. Unbeatable Mind: Forge Resiliency and Mental Toughness to Succeed at an Elite Level – Mark Divine
Another mindset book. Business is not always going to be easy or take the intended route. This is when you need to have the determination to see your plans through to success. This book shows you how to develop the mental toughness to make this happen.
11. Mastery – Robert Green
Excellent read with lots of great strategies to take away. Excellence is not a talent it is a skill. That means that it takes hard work to achieve, but hard work is available to everyone, yet few choose the path. There is no secret to Excellence, it is something only time and effort will reward you with and iof you choose that path you’ll be one of the few.
12. Tools of Titans – Tim Ferriss
There are few books that take the learnings for so many exceptional people and puts them at your fingertips. This is one such book that packs a lot of business and life learnings between the covers.
13. Predictably irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape our Decisions – Dan Ariley
Although we like to think logic and rationality rule our world emotion is by far the more powerful influence. Understand this in the context of business and you are well on your way to understanding why people make the decisions they do and how to best profit from them.
14. Extreme Ownership – Jocko Willink and Lief Babin
Moving beyond blame is tough. This book illustrates the ownership of the problem and the environment is a key to success in the military or in business. It is a path few will elect to take voluntarily, however more may do so after reading this.
15. Peak Performance: Elevate your game, avoid burnout and thrive with the science of success – Brad Stulberg
Success is largely about developing a winning system. This book show you how to approach that pragmatically. If you want to see results use this book to help you build the system.
16. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking – Malcolm Gladwell
The older you get the more experience you get. This experience is aggregated in your ‘gut feel’. Trusting your ‘gut’ may not appear rational but this book will help you understand why it is in fact your best option in many cases.
17. The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play – Neil A. Fiore
Plenty of great productivity learnings in here that help you take action. It shows you how to focus on the right stuff in the right priority. Even if you are not a major procrastinator there is plenty in this book that you can take away.
18. The One Thing – Gary Keller
Multi-tasking is a myth. Focus is the key to success to bringing all your resources to bear in unison makes a hell of a lot of difference. Most people can’t do it, so those that can stand a much greater chance of success.
19. Deep Work – Cal Newport
Distractions are wasted energy and time that you’ll never get back. You’d be amazed at how distracting the modern world is. If you can minimise these distractions you can focus more and be far more productive.
20. The E-Myth – Michael Gerber
The classic on ‘procedurising’ your business and creating a structure that doesn’t need you to survive. The simple secrets inside this book can transform any business from hardship to joy.
Let me know what you think. Do these work for you? What’s your top business reads? I’d love to hear.
I remain a low volume mobile app user. I very selectively install apps on my device. Less is definitely more for me.
To see what I was using at the beginning of last year check out the article:
My daily driver when it comes to a phone is an upgraded iPhone 12 pro Max currently but I also have a Surface Duo 2 as a backup. The other device that I use apps on is my iPad mini.
My most used apps on mobile devices over the last year were:
Castro on iOS to listen to all my podcasts on iOS.
Lastpass password manager and authenticator. for general password management.
Microsoft Authenticator – I use this for a number of select web sites as well as Microsoft 365.
Car Play – Connects to my daily drive to provide the ability to listen to podcasts as well as use Waze for navigation.
OneNote – is a must on every device I own. Syncs all my notes to every device. Allows me to not only truly have my information everywhere I am but also capture information quickly and easily.
OneDrive – This mobile app now not only allows me to manage my Microsoft 365 files but it also incorporates the more advanced Office Lens technology that scans and uploads, documents, whiteboards, etc.
Tripview – One of the few apps that I have happily paid for. I use this to let me know the Sydney train schedule to help me get around when I need to negotiate the ‘real world’. Although not much travel is happening at the moment, this app is super handy for negotiating local public transport.
Audible – If I can’t read my Kindle then I can normally always listen. This app allows me to listen to my audio books where ever I am. This and Castro on iOS are probably the most used applications on my devices.
Amazon Kindle – If I don’t have access to my Kindle then I can still read my books. In my case that will most likely be on my iPad. I also use the Kindle app on the iPad when the ebook has a lot of images that sometime don’t display well or are too small for the Kindle device.
The following as currently only iOS:
Oak – For mindfulness, breathing and meditation.
Rode Reporter – which I use for recording many of my presentations when I am out on the road, which ain’t so much these days but still a handy app to have.
Of course I have all the social media apps, such as Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook on my devices.
I also have all the Microsoft/Office 365 apps. The ones I use the most are probably To-Do, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams and Yammer, although Word and Excel also get used regularly. Just about every Microsoft Office 365 service has an app that you should have on your mobile device. On my Android I am also using Edge as the primary browser along with the new Edge Insider. I also have the Brave browser on my devices as do not use Chrome at all.
I’ve also added the Intune app to all my devices so they can be better managed.
Some occasional ones I use include:
– Duolingo
– Uber
– Amazon music
I use the normal personal apps for things like Internet banking and so on. I also use Blockfolio for monitoring cryptocurrency.
One my iPad, which also serves as a personal entertainment device, I have the streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The above are my used apps across my various mobile devices. My aim to try and keep the app standard across all the devices and as few as possible. I try and standardise as on the Microsoft apps on all platforms. I certainly use a wide variety of apps on my devices by prefer the desktop versions if available.
CIAOPS 