https://mckorting.me/blog.html Field notes on Microsoft 365, security, compliance, automation, and modern work. en-us Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Manual / Static Build https://mckorting.me/posts/microsoft-agent-365.html https://mckorting.me/posts/microsoft-agent-365.html Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Part 3 of the Copilot Credits series examines what happens when delegated AI work grows into an enterprise agent estate. Explores Microsoft Agent 365 as a cross-platform control plane for agent inventory, identity, ownership, observability, security, lifecycle management, proportional governance, and the operating costs that remain outside the governance layer. https://mckorting.me/posts/copilot-and-cowork-from-map-to-work.html https://mckorting.me/posts/copilot-and-cowork-from-map-to-work.html Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical follow-up to the Copilot Credits Magic Map explaining how Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Cowork work together across the progression from asking and creating to delegating and automating. Covers Copilot Credits, usage-based billing, permissions, approvals, governance, and measuring the value of multi-step agentic work. https://mckorting.me/posts/copilot-credits-magic-map.html https://mckorting.me/posts/copilot-credits-magic-map.html Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical September 2026 guide to understanding when Microsoft Copilot experiences are included, when Copilot Credits are consumed, and when separate capacity or service charges apply. Covers Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat, Copilot Studio agents, SharePoint agents, Copilot Cowork, Work IQ APIs, purchasing options, workload calculations, and governance considerations. https://mckorting.me/posts/purview-compliance-score.html https://mckorting.me/posts/purview-compliance-score.html Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical look at using Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager to assign improvement actions, document implementation, collect evidence, validate controls, and improve the Compliance Score. Explores why compliance improvement is a long-term governance initiative rather than a simple checklist or technical remediation project. https://mckorting.me/posts/defender-office-365-p1base.html https://mckorting.me/posts/defender-office-365-p1base.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical guide to establishing a Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 baseline using Microsoft Preset Security Policies, anti-malware and anti-spam policies, impersonation protection, Safe Links, Safe Attachments, outbound protection, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, alerting, and the Defender Configuration Analyzer. Covers deployment strategy, Secure Score alignment, and operational considerations for reducing phishing, malware, spoofing, and business email compromise risk. https://mckorting.me/posts/microsoft-loop-2026.html https://mckorting.me/posts/microsoft-loop-2026.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical look at Microsoft Loop as a co-creation layer across supported Microsoft 365 experiences. Covers Loop components, pages, workspaces, Teams and Outlook collaboration, SharePoint boundaries, Copilot scenarios, storage locations, licensing, and the governance controls administrators should evaluate before broad adoption. https://mckorting.me/posts/terraform-iac.html https://mckorting.me/posts/terraform-iac.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical introduction to Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and HashiCorp Terraform, covering declarative infrastructure, providers, plans, state management, Azure authentication, RBAC, reusable deployments, and lessons learned moving from portal-driven administration to repeatable cloud infrastructure automation. https://mckorting.me/posts/intune-laps-blog.html https://mckorting.me/posts/intune-laps-blog.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical look at using Intune-managed Windows LAPS to replace shared local administrator passwords with unique, automatically rotated credentials. Covers Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory backup, role-based access, Automatic Account Management in Windows 11 24H2 and later, deployment considerations, and how LAPS helps reduce credential reuse and lateral movement. https://mckorting.me/posts/the-music-record-stores.html https://mckorting.me/posts/the-music-record-stores.html Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A personal reflection on vinyl collecting, music discovery, independent record stores, and why the in-store experience still matters in the streaming age. Explores The Kutt Records, conversations with fellow collectors, online vinyl sources including Get On Down, Okayplayer, Discogs, and Bandcamp, and how every record carries its own story. https://mckorting.me/posts/opening-the-ecosystem.html https://mckorting.me/posts/opening-the-ecosystem.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A personal reflection on a technology journey that began with a Commodore VIC-20 and Commodore 64, continued through decades of Microsoft and Intel hardware, and expanded with the introduction of a Mac mini M1 and iPad. Covers Apple Silicon evaluation, Intune macOS validation, Sidecar productivity, Windows Phone history, Android continuity, and why broad platform experience makes technology professionals more effective. https://mckorting.me/posts/finops-101.html https://mckorting.me/posts/finops-101.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT An introduction to FinOps, cloud financial management, the Inform-Optimize-Operate lifecycle, and how FinOps specialists help organizations improve visibility, governance, forecasting, optimization, and accountability across cloud investments. https://mckorting.me/posts/ai-insurance-human-in-the-loop.html https://mckorting.me/posts/ai-insurance-human-in-the-loop.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A cybersecurity architect's perspective on AI-caused losses, cyber insurance coverage questions, human-in-the-loop requirements, and the importance of AI-4 least privilege and AI-5 oversight controls from the Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark as organizations deploy increasingly autonomous AI agents. https://mckorting.me/posts/sc-100-case-studies.html https://mckorting.me/posts/sc-100-case-studies.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A review of all four Microsoft SC-100 Cybersecurity Architect case study solution diagrams and the common architectural patterns they share. Explores how Microsoft Entra, Azure Arc, Azure Policy, Defender, Sentinel, and Security Copilot repeatedly appear across identity, application, infrastructure, and data security scenarios, revealing the architecture-first mindset required of cybersecurity architects. https://mckorting.me/posts/shadow-of-the-horseshoe.html https://mckorting.me/posts/shadow-of-the-horseshoe.html Sat, 05 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A personal reflection on growing up in Columbus as a lifelong Ohio State football fan. Covers childhood memories near Ohio Stadium, the Woody Hayes era, Boy Scout usher experiences, campus life during the 1990s, Ohio State-Michigan rivalry stories, Jim Tressel's introduction, and national championships under Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer, and Ryan Day. https://mckorting.me/posts/asr-intune-blog.html https://mckorting.me/posts/asr-intune-blog.html Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical look at implementing Microsoft Defender Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules through Microsoft Intune, including audit mode, phased deployments, exclusion management, Secure Score remediation opportunities, licensing considerations, and lessons learned moving from audit to enforcement. https://mckorting.me/posts/azure-arc-and-security.html https://mckorting.me/posts/azure-arc-and-security.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical reflection on how deploying Azure Arc-enabled servers led to a broader understanding of Azure Policy, the Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Secure Score, regulatory compliance, Microsoft Sentinel, Defender XDR, and Security Copilot as connected parts of a modern hybrid security architecture. https://mckorting.me/posts/defender-for-office-365.html https://mckorting.me/posts/defender-for-office-365.html Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A practical comparison of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Plan 2 licensing, including Safe Links, Safe Attachments, anti-phishing protections, Threat Explorer, Automated Investigation and Response, Attack Simulation Training, email authentication best practices, and the impact of the July 2026 Microsoft 365 E3 licensing changes.