A new look for threat analytics

A new look for threat analytics

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

With threat analytics, you get a quick overview of the most relevant threats and how they impact your organization. For each threat we cover, you can conveniently read through detailed analyst reports and review relevant vulnerability patches and configuration recommendations. To make your threat analytics experience even better, we’ve delivered some exciting look-and-feel enhancements that you can now access on in public preview in the Microsoft Defender Security Center.

 

With the new design, you can easily locate and read through the information you need in three separate tabs: Overview, Analyst report, and Mitigations.

 

The Overview tab provides a quick preview of the detailed report as well as enhanced charts that highlight threat impact and organizational exposure through misconfigured and unpatched devices.

 

overview.png

 

Go to the Analyst report tab to read through the detailed expert write-up. In this new tab, you’re not limited to a constrained view and can fully appreciate the coverage of threat behaviors, exhaustive lists of recommendations, and powerful hunting guidance.

 

report.png

 

To get a detailed picture of your defenses and exposures, go to the Mitigations tab where we’ve provided the full list of tracked mitigations and the status of your devices.

 

mitigations.png

 

Check it out now

 

These enhancements are now available to customers who have public preview features turned on. If you haven’t opted in yet, start getting the latest enhancements across all the capabilities by turning on preview features.

 

To learn more about threat analytics in Microsoft Defender ATP, please read our documentation.

If you’re not yet taking advantage of Microsoft’s industry leading security optics and detection capabilities for endpoints, sign up for a free trial of Microsoft Defender ATP today.

 

Your feedback counts! Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Try the new Migrate to AKS feature in Azure Migrate

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

We are excited to announce a new modernization feature in Azure Migrate and are looking for pilot customers. The Migrate apps to Azure Kubernetes Service(AKS) preview lets you containerize applications and run them on Azure Kubernetes Service(AKS).

 

In the current preview, the tool helps you containerize ASP.NET applications and run them as Windows containers on AKS. The tool uses the running state of the application to package the application into a container image, and doesn’t require code changes or access to the application codebase.

 

If this scenario interests you (or your customer) and you’d like to try out the preview and provide feedback, sign up here: https://aka.ms/appcontainerizationpreview

Improve remote learning with speech-enabled apps powered by Azure Cognitive Services

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

Online learning has grown rapidly over the last couple of months as schools and organizations adapt to new ways of connecting and methods of education. Speech technology can play a significant role in making distance learning more engaging and accessible to students of all backgrounds. With Azure Cognitive Services, developers can quickly add speech capabilities to applications, bringing online learning to life.

 

 

Developing interactive courses with Text to Speech

 

One way that Speech technology can support better online learning experiences is through Text to Speech, a Speech service feature that converts text to lifelike speech. Educators can create interactive materials with highly expressive and humanlike voices using Neural Text to Speech (Neural TTS), now available in 36 voices with 31 languages. (Learn about our most recent languages here.)

 

With Neural TTS, developers can add natural-sounding voice to learning materials, for scenarios like slide narration. Neural TTS can also be used for reading aloud any content, facilitating new ways for students to interact with material as well as increasing accessibility for students with learning differences. Educational organizations can also use Neural TTS to create AI-powered virtual “teachers” that interact with students to make online courses more engaging.

 

With the Custom Neural Voice capability, online learning solution providers can further create interactive learning experiences for their students in a voice that represents their brand, or develop unique voices for different characters. For example, Tomorrow Advancing Life (TAL) Education Group is building different AI teachers’ voices for their online courses. Duolingo, one of the world’s most popular language learning apps, is creating unique voices for different characters used in the lessons.  

 

Using SSML or the Audio Content Creation tool, users can further finetune audio characteristics like voice style, rate, pitch, and pronunciation to fit their scenarios—no code required. Text to Speech also supports different speaking styles—like cheerfulness and empathy—making it easier to bring audiobooks to life.

 

To learn more about Audio Content Creation, watch the video tutorial.

 

Get started today

 

To learn more and get started adding speech to your educational applications, check out our resources below:

 

Text to Speech

 

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It’s time to celebrate – The Tech Community has just passed half-million members!

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

The Microsoft Tech Community has officially reached half a million members! We’re so excited to be able to celebrate another milestone with you all.

We asked some of our fellow members to share with us how The Microsoft Tech Community has impacted them. Here’s what they had to say: 

 

During milestones like this, it can be good to look back at the highlights and what we’ve been able to achieve! Let’s take a  look at some of our top moments on our journey so far:

 

To celebrate – we’re hosting a sweepstakes contest!! 
As you all saw above, we went to our fellow community members with Microsoft to hear about how the Microsoft Tech Community has impacted them. Now, we would like to hear from you!

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER 

No Purchase Necessary.

To enter, you must do all of the following:

  1. Create a video of yourself answering the question “How has the Microsoft Tech Community helped you grow as a professional?”. The video should be 30-90 seconds in length in English.
  2. Provide your Tech Community username and submit your video for our sweepstakes here.

PRIZES 

10 submissions will be chosen at random after the submission period has closed. Each winner will receive a grand-prize swag package outlined in detail below.

Be sure to read our sweepstakes rules in-depth below before entering:

MICROSOFT MICROSOFT TECH COMMUNITY CELEBRATES 500K MEMBERS! SWEEPSTAKES

OFFICIAL RULES

 

  1. SPONSOR

These Official Rules (“Rules”) govern the operation of the Microsoft Microsoft Tech Community Celebrates 500K Members! Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”). Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA, 98052, USA, is the Sweepstakes sponsor (“Sponsor”).

 

  1. DEFINITIONS

In these Rules, “Microsoft”, “we”, “our”, and “us” refer to Sponsor and “you” and “yourself” refers to a Sweepstakes participant, or the parent/legal guardian of any Sweepstakes entrant who has not reached the age of majority to contractually obligate themselves in their legal place of residence. By entering you (your parent/legal guardian if you are not the age of majority in your legal place of residence) agree to be bound by these Rules. 

  1. ENTRY PERIOD

 The Sweepstakes starts at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on August 25, 2020, and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on September 8, 2020.

  1. ELIGIBILITY

 To enter, you must be 18 years of age or older and a member of the Microsoft Tech Community. If you are 18 years of age or older but have not reached the age of majority in your legal place of residence, then you must have the consent of a parent/legal guardian.

Employees and directors of Microsoft Corporation and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising agencies, and Sweepstakes Parties are not eligible, nor are persons involved in the execution or administration of this promotion, or the family members of each above (parents, children, siblings, spouse/domestic partners, or individuals residing in the same household). Void in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Region of Crimea, and where prohibited.

 

  1. HOW TO ENTER

 No Purchase Necessary.

To enter, you must do all of the following:

 

  1. Create a video of yourself answering the question “How has the Microsoft Tech Community helped you grow as a professional?”. The video should be 30-90 seconds in length in English.
  2. Provide your Tech Community username and submit your video for our sweepstakes here.

The entry limit is one per person overall.

Any attempt by any you to obtain more than the stated number of entries by using multiple/different accounts, identities, registrations, logins, or any other methods will void your entries and you may be disqualified. Use of any automated system to participate is prohibited. 

We are not responsible for excess, lost, late, or incomplete entries. If disputed, entries will be deemed submitted by the “authorized account holder” of the email address, social media account, or other method used to enter. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned to an email address by the internet or online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses.

 

  1. ELIGIBLE ENTRY

 To be eligible, an entry must meet the following content/technical requirements:

 

  • Your entry must be your own original work; and
  • Your entry cannot have been selected as a winner in any other contest; and
  • You must have obtained any and all consents, approvals, or licenses required for you to submit your entry; and
  • To the extent that entry requires the submission of user-generated content such as software, photos, videos, music, artwork, essays, etc., entrants warrant that their entry is their original work, has not been copied from others without permission or apparent rights, and does not violate the privacy, intellectual property rights, or other rights of any other person or entity. You may include Microsoft trademarks, logos, and designs, for which Microsoft grants you a limited license to use for the sole purposes of submitting an entry into this Contest; and
  • Your entry may NOT contain, as determined by us in our sole and absolute discretion, any content that is obscene or offensive, violent, defamatory, disparaging or illegal, or that promotes alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco or a particular political agenda, or that communicates messages that may reflect negatively on the goodwill of Microsoft.

 

  1. USE OF YOUR ENTRY

We are not claiming ownership rights to your Submission. However, by submitting an entry, you grant us an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to use, review, assess, test and otherwise analyze your entry and all its content in connection with this Contest and use your entry in any media whatsoever now known or later invented for any non-commercial or commercial purpose, including, but not limited to, the marketing, sale or promotion of Microsoft products or services, without further permission from you. You will not receive any compensation or credit for use of your entry, other than what is described in these Official Rules.

By entering you acknowledge that we may have developed or commissioned materials similar or identical to your entry and you waive any claims resulting from any similarities to your entry. Further, you understand that we will not restrict work assignments of representatives who have had access to your entry and you agree that use of information in our representatives’ unaided memories in the development or deployment of our products or services does not create liability for us under this agreement or copyright or trade secret law.

Your entry may be posted on a public website. We are not responsible for any unauthorized use of your entry by visitors to this website. We are not obligated to use your entry for any purpose, even if it has been selected as a winning entry.

 

  1. WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION

Pending confirmation of eligibility, potential prize winners will be selected by Microsoft or their Agent in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received within 7 days following the Entry Period.

Winners will be notified via the contact information provided during entry no more than 7 days following the drawing with prize claim instructions, including submission deadlines. If a selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim a prize or fails to return any forms, the selected winner will forfeit their prize and an alternate winner will be selected time allowing. If you are a potential winner and you are 18 or older, but have not reached the age of majority in your legal place of residence, we may require your parent/legal guardian to sign all required forms on your behalf. Only three alternate winners will be selected, after which unclaimed prizes will remain unawarded. 

 

  1. PRIZES 

The following prizes will be awarded:

 

Ten (10) Grand Prizes. A Prize Package consisting of the following items:

A Diversity&Techj Samsonite backpacks. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $54.00.

A Diversity&Tech Bento Box. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $20.00.

A S’well Tumbler. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $35.00.

A Humans of IT Laptop Sticker. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $0.50.

A Humans of IT Bracelet. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $12.00.

A Humans of IT Keychain. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $4.55.

A Humans of IT Card. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $0.50.

A Bamboo Pen. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $1.60.

A Popsocket. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $9.75.

An Embossed Journal. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $9.95.

An Eco Journal. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $4.60.

A Qi Mousepad. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $17.35.

The total Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of this Package is $169.80.

The ARV of electronic prizes is subject to price fluctuations in the consumer marketplace based on, among other things, any gap in time between the date the ARV is estimated for purposes of these Official Rules and the date the prize is awarded or redeemed. We will determine the value of the prize to be the fair market value at the time of prize award.

The total Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of all prizes: $1,698

 We will only award one (1) prize per person/company during the Entry Period. No more than the stated number of prizes will be awarded.  No substitution, transfer, or assignment of prize permitted, except that Microsoft reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event the offered prize is unavailable. Prizes are awarded “AS IS” with no warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties or merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Prizes will be sent no later than 28 days after winner selection. Prize winners may be required to complete and return prize claim and/or tax forms (“Forms”) within the deadline stated in the winner notification. Taxes on the prize, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winner, who is advised to seek independent counsel regarding the tax implications of accepting a prize. By accepting a prize, you agree that Microsoft may use your entry, name, image and hometown online and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this Sweepstakes without payment or compensation to you, except where prohibited by law.

 

  1. ODDS

 The odds of winning are based on the number of eligible entries received.

 

  1. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY

 To the extent allowed by law, by entering you agree to release and hold harmless Microsoft and its respective parents, partners, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss, or damage of any kind arising in connection with this Sweepstakes or any prize won.

All local laws apply. The decisions of Microsoft are final and binding.

We reserve the right to cancel, change, or suspend this Sweepstakes for any reason, including cheating, technology failure, catastrophe, war, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that affects the integrity of this Sweepstakes, whether human or mechanical. If the integrity of the Sweepstakes cannot be restored, we may select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had to cancel, change, or suspend the Sweepstakes.

If you attempt or we have strong reason to believe that you have compromised the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking, creating a bot or other automated program, or by committing fraud in any way, we may seek damages from you to the full extent of the law and you may be banned from participation in future Microsoft promotions. 

 

  1. USE OF YOUR ENTRY

 Personal data you provide while entering this Sweepstakes will be used by Microsoft and/or its agents and prize fulfillers acting on Microsoft’s behalf only for the administration and operation of this Sweepstakes and in accordance with the Microsoft Privacy Statement.

 

  1. GOVERNING LAW

 This Sweepstakes will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Sweepstakes.  

 

  1. WINNERS LIST

 Send an email to Techcommunity@microsoft.com with the subject line “Microsoft Tech Community Celebrates 500K Members! Sweepstakes winners” within 30 days of END DATE to receive a list of winners that received a prize worth $25.00 or more.

Azure PowerShell releases demystified

This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.

Have you ever wondered why Az.Compute has a different version than the Az module or why a module had documentation but is not available in Cloud Shell?

 

The following describes our versioning principles, upgrade policies, and preview process for the PowerShell modules for Azure.

 

Versioning

We follow the semantic versioning principles (https://semver.org/) for all the Azure modules. Essentially this means:

  • Major version change for releases with breaking changes.
  • Minor version change for functionality with backward compatibility.
  • Patch version change for bug fixes or improvements with backward compatibility.

We apply this policy for each module that we own. For example, Az.Storage had one version upgrade that had a breaking change since the initial version and is currently in version 2.4.0. Az.Network had two major upgrades and is now in version 3.3.0.

The Az wrapper module’s goal is to facilitate the acquisition of the different Azure modules. It comprises several modules with different versions like Az.Storage and Az.Network from the previous example.

From the semver rule definition, if a major version upgrade happens for an underlying module, Az will undergo a major version upgrade as well.

 

Breaking changes

A breaking change is a change in a PowerShell module that can break a script written with a previous version.

The breaking changes fall into two main categories:

  • Changes in the modules: cmdlet or parameter deprecated, parameter name change, change from optional to required, returned type change.
  • Changes in the default behaviors. For example, soft delete turned on by default for Azure KeyVault.

Upgrading to a new major version of Az will require script validation with this version and implement the necessary changes.

 

To allow customers to plan for this, we have two policies in place:

Breaking change releases are identified with “Major Release” in the title and have an exclamation mark in the description on GitHub: https://github.com/Azure/azure-powershell/milestones.

 

Preview

We have two types of preview modules:

  • Modules with a 0.X.X version: new modules potentially calling Azure APIs that are not stable. Hence breaking changes may happen at any time, and issues can occur. Modules will remain at least six weeks in preview to allow customer feedback before considering moving the modules to GA.
    Preview modules can be found in the reference documentation (https://docs.microsoft.com/powershell/module/) but are not included in the Az wrapper module nor are available in Cloud Shell by default until they can move to a stable version.
  • Modules with X.Y.Z-preview version: expose new features of the associated service that may not be stable yet or introduce breaking changes waiting for the next major release.

We publish the reference documentation for all modules including those with a version 0.x.x. However, only the stable modules are present in Cloud Shell. If you want to use a preview module, you must install the specific module individually.

 

Over the last few months, you told us that it was difficult to find and install modules in preview and I’m pleased to announce that we are working on a solution that will improve the discovery and management of preview modules along with those that are stable. We will be announcing more about this very soon.

 

Should you be interested in having a preview module move to GA, please help us prioritize by commenting on existing issues listed here: https://github.com/Azure/azure-powershell/issues/12755

 

As always, any feedbacks and issues are always welcome https://github.com/Azure/azure-powershell/issues/new/choose

 

The Azure PowerShell team