Page 73 of the DSE Microsoft 365 & Identity knowledge center, with source-backed guidance and practical next steps.
Clear guidance for Microsoft 365, Entra identity, account protection, collaboration, endpoint policy, and lifecycle changes.
Identity proofing establishes which real-world person is being enrolled; authentication later proves control of an authenticator. Select the needed assurance, protect proofing data, offer workable paths, and build redress for mistakes and fraud.
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Microsoft now plans to disable SMTP AUTH Basic authentication by default for existing Exchange Online tenants at the end of December 2026. Find every sender, choose a supported replacement, pilot it, and prove the legacy path is quiet.
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NTLM is deprecated and Microsoft is preparing Windows for stronger Kerberos-based authentication. A safe retirement starts with auditing real use, assigning every dependency, repairing its cause, and testing progressively tighter blocking.
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MFA cannot make an already-compromised workstation trustworthy. Dedicated privileged access workstations separate administration from email, general browsing, and everyday applications so high-impact credentials and sessions begin from a controlled device.
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The Windows Server 2025 AD DS functional level permits only Windows Server 2025 domain controllers. Inventory every domain and DC, prove replication and recovery, remove incompatible controllers, and validate dependencies before raising either level.
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Microsoft 365 Apps channels are device settings with different feature and support cadences. Put preview users, representative production pilots, general users, and exception devices on deliberate paths—and monitor the build actually installed.
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Teams Rooms has its own supported app, Windows, device, peripheral, license, and maintenance lifecycle. Inventory every room, respect Microsoft’s Windows validation delay, preserve nightly maintenance, and plan hardware replacement before a meeting fails.
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Windows Autopilot device preparation simplifies selected Windows 11 provisioning, but it is not a drop-in replacement for every classic Autopilot scenario. Match join type, device mode, application count, scripts, reporting, and reset needs before rollout.
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SharePoint and OneDrive version limits can be set at organization, site, library, and account levels, but new defaults do not clean up old versions by themselves. Report first, classify recovery needs, approve exceptions, then trim deliberately.
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Most Exchange Online tenants do not need connectors for ordinary internet mail. Where hybrid servers, applications, devices, or partners do require them, document the exact route, validate both directions, monitor delivery, and remove obsolete paths.
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