Nex
1 MIN READ / Technical article
Active Directory upgrades deserve a dependency review
Review documented directory changes alongside the applications and recovery processes that depend on them.
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October 2026
Current documentation reviews and practitioner articles.
Article and newsletter publication dates match their original publication dates. Separate source dates identify explicitly retrospective posts. Archive placement does not imply an earlier Nexlinks publication.
1 MIN READ / Technical article
Purview and AI: make the data boundary explicit
Turn a broad AI governance discussion into a concrete review of data, controls, and evidence.
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6 MIN READ / Technical article
AI Agents Are Now Part of the Attack Surface
Review the combined reach of agent identity, data access, connectors, and autonomy before expanding authority.
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6 MIN READ / Technical article
AI Is Finding Vulnerabilities Faster Than Teams Can Fix Them
Faster discovery makes prioritization, tested change procedures, and accountable remediation more important.
Read article ↗2 MIN READ / Short update
Detecting what happens after initial access
Earlier this month, as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I wrote about how attackers are exploiting legitimate identities, authenticated sessions, and trusted IT processes to gain access to organizations.
Read update ↗2 MIN READ / Short update
Cybersecurity awareness beyond suspicious links
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and I think one of the biggest changes in recent years is that awareness can’t just mean teaching people not to click suspicious links.
Read update ↗2 MIN READ / Short update
The patterns behind interconnected cyber risk
Earlier today I posted about interconnected cyber risk.
Read update ↗2 MIN READ / Short update
Interconnected cyber risk crosses organizational boundaries
Microsoft published an interesting piece this week on preparing governments for an era of interconnected cyber risk.
Read update ↗8 MIN READ / Technical article
Microsoft Zero Trust Assessment: Understand Your Security Posture Before Making Changes
Use Microsoft’s Zero Trust Assessment to examine supported tenant configurations, interpret gaps, and build a remediation plan around exposure, ownership, and operational dependencies.
Read article ↗7 MIN READ / Technical article
CISA SCuBA: An Independent Assessment of Your Microsoft 365 Security Configuration
Use CISA’s published baselines and ScubaGear to check Microsoft 365 configurations, distinguish failed controls from incomplete coverage, and prioritize remediation. Includes anonymized September 2026 assessment examples.
Read article ↗8 MIN READ / Technical article
Microsoft Zero Trust Assessment vs. CISA SCuBA: Which Should You Run?
Choose the assessment that answers your security question. Compare Microsoft’s broader configuration review with CISA’s Microsoft 365 baseline validation, and decide when a second assessment adds useful evidence.
Read article ↗9 MIN READ / Technical article
You’ve Secured Your AI Agents. But Can You Trust Their MCP Servers?
MCP tool definitions and returned content can influence an agent that already has legitimate access. Review the trust boundary, cross-tool interactions, and independent authorization before expanding autonomous actions.
Read article ↗6 MIN READ / Technical article
How to Deploy Microsoft Defender for Servers: Plan Selection, Onboarding, and Validation
Choose a Defender for Servers plan, onboard Azure and hybrid machines, and verify sensor health, coverage, monitoring, and operating responsibilities.
Read article ↗8 MIN READ / Technical article
Deploying Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Configuration, Validation, and Mistakes to Avoid
A Windows-focused Defender for Endpoint deployment guide covering pilot rings, policy ownership, antivirus modes, ASR, and validation beyond onboarding.
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