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Microsoft Defender has evolved significantly over the last few years. What was once primarily associated with antivirus and endpoint protection has become a much broader security platform, spanning devices, identities, email, applications, cloud services and security operations. However, there is a big difference between owning Microsoft Defender and making full use of Microsoft Defender. Many organisations have invested in Microsoft security licensing and successfully deploy

AI is quickly becoming part of everyday working life. Microsoft Copilot can help people find information, create content, analyse data and work more efficiently. AI agents take this a step further, helping organisations automate processes, interact with business information and complete tasks on behalf of users. For most businesses, the question is no longer whether they should use AI. They should. The more important question is how they enable people to use Copilot and AI ag

How prepared is your organisation to defend against today's evolving cyber threats? This Microsoft Security Executive Brief explores the latest challenges, risks and opportunities surrounding cyber resilience, identity protection, ransomware defence and recovery strategies, helping organisations strengthen their security posture and respond with confidence. Complete our form and we can send you a copy of our brief. Visit: https://www.hybrit.co.uk/microsoft-security-exec-brief

Article by: Harry Longdon, Senior Infrastructure Engineer Entra ID is a fundamental part of modern IT Infrastructure. Its role is far beyond Microsoft 365, underpinning identity, authentication and access and extends beyond the Microsoft ecosystem. The threat landscape has changed significantly, with ransomware, cyber-attacks, and an ever-growing reliance on cloud services has pushed resilience and recovery to the top of the list for most IT teams. As such, approaches such as

SMS-based Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) was the first step towards stronger identity security. It helped reduce the risks associated with passwords alone and provided an easy-to-adopt layer of protection for users accessing business systems. However, cybersecurity never stands still. As attackers have become more sophisticated, so too have Microsoft's security technologies. Microsoft has steadily evolved its identity platform towards phishing-resistant authentication meth

SQL Server 2016 reached end of support in July 2026. Compare Azure SQL, SQL Server 2025 and Extended Security Updates, and work out which fits your estate.

The way we work and use IT is always evolving. Hybrid models, distributed teams, and growing security demands mean organisations need more than traditional desktop environments to stay productive and competitive. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), and more broadly Desktop as a Service, is no longer just an IT solution. It is becoming a key driver of how modern workplaces operate. Moving Beyond Physical Devices For years, IT strategies have focused on managing laptops, desk

Bringing Visibility, Control and Speed to Modern Cyber Security Cyber threats are no longer isolated events. Today’s attacks move laterally across identities, endpoints, email and cloud applications, often slipping through the gaps between disconnected security tools. For many organisations, the challenge is not a lack of security technology. It is a lack of visibility, coordination and speed. Microsoft Defender XDR has been designed to address exactly this. A New Approach to

Microsoft has recently announced a notable reduction in pricing for its cloud desktop offering, signalling a continued push towards cloud first end user computing. These changes are already influencing how organisations think about desktop delivery, cost control and long term IT strategy.

Hybrid cloud has become the default model for most organisations because it balances innovation with control. This blog explores the pros and cons of public, private and hybrid cloud, the workloads each suits best, and the key considerations when choosing.

Azure Virtual Desktop offers a range of advantages that make it a smart choice for businesses of all sizes. One of the biggest benefits is flexibility. Your employees can work from home, the office, or on the go, using any device. This flexibility supports hybrid working models, which are becoming the norm. Another key benefit is cost efficiency. Instead of investing heavily in physical hardware and maintenance, you pay for what you use in the cloud. This pay-as-you-go model

New licence add-ons allow you to retain Microsoft 365 Business Premium and unlock many of the advanced security and compliance features previously reserved for E5. The value proposition for SMEs is compelling: enterprise-grade tools but at a far more accessible price point.

Microsoft 365 now sits at the heart of how most organisations operate. Email collaboration file storage and identity all live within the same platform. While Microsoft delivers a resilient service the responsibility for protecting data configuration and identity still sits with the customer. This is where Microsoft 365 Backup as a Service becomes essential and why Entra ID must be part of the conversation. Microsoft 365 data is not immune to loss Even with built in resilience

In December 2025 Microsoft announced a major update to Microsoft 365 that significantly increases the capability of the platform for organisations of all sizes. Many advanced Intune Suite features along with a range of security and endpoint management enhancements are now being included directly in Microsoft 365 E3 and E5. These additions strengthen identity, security and device control at scale while reducing the need for separate tools or extra licensing. This update sits a

You rarely read that a breach happened in a part of an IT estate that was funded properly, reviewed regularly and kept up to date. When you hear about another organisation’s security incident, you usually catch yourself thinking, “I wonder how they got in.” And let's be honest, a big part of you is waiting to discover that someone left the back door open. Attackers do not try to force their way through the strongest part of your defence. They go straight for the area that was

What is trending and what is coming Ignite 2025 made one thing very obvious. AI agents are moving into the mainstream. They are no longer side projects. They are becoming operational tools that make decisions, take actions and work alongside people. The organisations that embrace this shift early will not just move faster. They will think differently and reorganise entire workflows around intelligent automation. For HybrIT and the organisations we support this signals a real

It's safe to say when it comes to cyber security, a multi-layered protection strategy is essential. Microsoft Defender isn’t a single product; it’s a suite of interconnected solutions designed to protect devices, identities, applications, cloud services and infrastructure. In this article we cover the major Defender offerings, what they do, and how they fit together. Microsoft Defender XDR Microsoft Defender XDR, or Extended Detection and Response, serves as the central layer

Virtual desktop infrastructure has evolved dramatically over the last decade. Many organisations running Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops are now reaching a crossroads, whether to continue maintaining complex on-premise or hosted infrastructure, or to embrace a cloud-native alternative for their desktop service delivered to their end users. Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) represents a significant step forward. It delivers the same centralised management, secure remote access and

On 4 September 2025, Microsoft formally launched Dragon Copilot in the UK healthcare market via the NHS. This marks a significant step in bringing advanced AI driven clinical workflow tools into everyday NHS settings, and it comes at a time when the pressure on clinician time, documentation burden and operational efficiency has never been greater. As a UK based IT services business serving the public sector, HybrIT is perfectly placed to help NHS Trusts and wider health syste

Microsoft Copilot has transformed dramatically since its first release. What started as a tool for developers has become a productivity...