Microsoft is giving your servers a welcome security boost
Systems powered by Microsoft’s Exchange Server 2019 are set to gain an extra layer of protection thanks to the company’s recent announcement. The on-premises email server platform will soon get Extended Protection (EP) turned on by default when the upcoming H2 2023 Cumulative Update installs on them, which should strengthen auth functionality and better prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. IT teams that don’t want EP enabled on their servers can opt out of the feature through a command-line installer.
International software giant Microsoft is best known for its Windows line of operating systems and office suite of productivity applications, though it also has a presence in the digital services market with its Xbox video game consoles and in the smartphone sector with the Android-based Surface tablet family. The company has made numerous corporate acquisitions to bolster its product portfolio, including the $26 billion purchase of professional social network LinkedIn and the $16 billion purchase of voice recognition software maker Nuance Communications.
In terms of its cloud offerings, Microsoft is the world’s most prominent provider of Enterprise as a Service (EaaS) offerings and arguably the leading overall player in the Azure cloud infrastructure space. As such, it can be expected to continue expanding and improving its security capabilities across the entire Microsoft 365 suite of cloud-based products.
This includes Azure Active Directory, Azure Information Protection, Microsoft Intune and the new Azure Security Center. This suite of security tools analyzes over 6.5 trillion signals per day to identify threats and protect customer data. Microsoft’s own security team will also provide the necessary technical support and training to keep customers up-to-date with the latest security updates.
Microsoft is a publicly traded company with no single owner, but its biggest shareholder is Satya Nadella, who has covered the role of Chief Executive Officer since 2014. During his tenure, the tech giant has focused on cloud computing and making business processes more efficient, which helped it to outshine longtime rival Apple Computer in ease-of-use.
Founded in 1984, Microsoft has become one of the world’s largest technology companies by dominating both the PC operating system and office suite markets. It has also expanded into the mobile device and cloud computing spaces, bolstered its online presence with the acquisition of Skype and Activision-Blizzard, and invested in research to produce software that produces fewer carbon emissions when run in data centers as part of a global push to address climate change.
