Microsoft’s 2023 has been as action-packed as any, with developments in AI, tools for enterprises, and cloud capabilities.
But it wasn’t all good news for Microsoft. The Redmond, Wash., company also faced the beginning of an antitrust investigation into its Office and Teams tools, as well as an investigation from the U.S. Cyber Safety Review Board into a security breach led by suspected Chinese hackers.
Here are the top 10 stories about Microsoft in 2023.
1. E.U. Investigates Microsoft on Relationship of Office and Teams Tools
In July, the E.U. opened an antitrust investigation into Microsoft to determine whether bundling its Office and Teams tools was a concern. Learn more about the possible violations of the bloc's competition rules.
Continued Reading: E.U. Reaches Deal on Landmark AI Bill, Racing Ahead of U.S.
2. Microsoft 365 PowerApps for Enterprise: Overview and Benefits
Microsoft 365 PowerApps for Enterprise is built specifically for the needs of enterprise users, providing access to the premium Office apps, as well as real-time co-authoring and 1TB of storage. Here’s an overview of this subscription-based offering.
Continued Reading: Here’s How Companies Should Back Up Microsoft 365 Data
3. Microsoft’s Role in Email Breach to Be Part of Cyber Inquiry
The U.S. Cyber Safety Review Board, established by the Biden administration, announced it would be investigating Microsoft's role in a recent breach of government officials' email accounts by suspected Chinese hackers, as part of its investigation into major cybersecurity events.
Continued Reading: Top 10 Cybersecurity Stories of 2023
4. Azure Active Directory: The Center of Your Microsoft Azure Identity
Contributor Brien Posey talks through Azure Active Directory, Microsoft’s directory service for identity management, authentication, and access control. Learn more about Azure AD, its benefits, and how to get started.
Continued Reading: How To Access Azure AD in PowerShell
5. Why Microsoft Copilot Technology Will Change How We Work
Microsoft’s Copilot technology has the potential to change how software is used and increase productivity. Find out how Copilot will bring ChatGPT-like functionality to popular applications and help users digest information in real-time.
Continued Reading: Microsoft Security Copilot Features To Know
6. Microsoft CTO Details Azure Cloud Innovation and Future at Build 2023
During a keynote session at the Microsoft Build 2023 conference, Azure CTO Mark Russinovich toured Azure’s new cloud capabilities and offered up a look at the future.
Continued Reading: Microsoft Build: How AI as Copilot Gets Developers to Think Intuitively
7. Microsoft Is Offering to Help U.S. Politicians Crack Down on Deepfakes
In November, Microsoft offered up a new tool aimed at helping fight the rise of deepfakes ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Find out more about the tool, which will allow parties to authenticate their videos and photos with so-called watermark credentials.
Continued Reading: The Rise of AI Fake News Is Creating ‘Misinformation Superspreader’
8. Microsoft Ignite 2023 Envisions AI as an Everyday Reality
During his Microsoft Ignite 2023 keynote speech, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted Microsoft’s new era of AI.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shows the Azure Maia 100 chip at the Ignite 2023 event
Continued Reading: Microsoft Azure CTO Details Cloud-Native Innovation at Ignite 2023
9. Microsoft Azure Data Leak Exposes Dangers of File-Sharing Links
In September, Microsoft faced a serious data leak due to an overly permissive Shared Access Signature, which left a variety of development secrets accessible to attackers. The 38TB data leak included passwords, Teams messages, and files from two employees' workstations.
Continued Reading: How Third-party Risks Increase Data Breach Vulnerabilities
10. Breach of Microsoft Engineer’s Account Likely Led to Hack of US Officials
According to Microsoft, a China-linked breach of the corporate account of a Microsoft engineer potentially enabled access to a valuable key that enabled the hack of senior US officials’ email accounts.
What 2023 Microsoft developments surprised you? Let us know in the comments!
