Last month, Windows security experts hosted an Ask Me Anything about updating Secure Boot certificates on Windows devices before the certificates expire in June 2026. Be sure to watch the video and read the questions and answers posted in the discussion section. Also, please bookmark the Secure Boot Playbook page to stay up to date on the latest details and guidance on this topic.
While December is usually a “quiet” month, there was still Windows news to be shared. Here's a quick recap:
New in Windows update and device management
- [AUTOPATCH] – Try the new Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) report in Windows Autopatch. It provides a comprehensive view of Windows CVEs addressed by recent quality updates, along with direct links to remediation documentation and device-level vulnerability status.
- [INTUNE] – Microsoft is bringing Microsoft Intune Suite capabilities to Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5. No action is necessary. Find out which capabilities will be included in Microsoft 365 plans. Then keep an eye on Microsoft 365 admin center notifications for release dates.
- [CLOUD] [RESILIENCY] – Multi-region selection is now available and rolling out to all organizations utilizing Windows 365. We are also reducing the number of geographies and increasing the number of regions within each geography. Ready for more flexibility, regional resiliency, and latency optimization?
New in Windows security
- [BITLOCKER] – BitLocker now takes advantage of system on chip (SoC) and central processing unit (CPU) capabilities. You can now achieve better performance and security for current and future NVMe drives. Learn how hardware-accelerated BitLocker works and find out how to check if your devices are using this latest improvement.
- [ENTRA] – Starting with the December 2025 security update, you can now authenticate Microsoft Entra ID app sign-ins through Web Account Manager (WAM) with WebView2, the Chromium-based web control. This improvement supports modern web standards, advanced security, and future-ready scenarios.
- [SECURE BOOT] – Preparing to update Secure Boot certificates on Windows devices? The certificates expire in June 2026. Check out the recording of our December Ask Me Anything.
New in AI
- [COPILOT+ PC] – The latest Windows skilling snack packages up a robust set of resources. Get up to speed on using and managing AI-powered features and experiences unique to Copilot+ PCs. Access all of our bite-sized technical learning journeys, each designed to be consumed in two hours or less, via the refreshed Windows skilling snack library!
New in productivity and collaboration
- [CLOUD] [VIRTUALIZATION] – Multimedia call redirection on Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 now supports Genesys Cloud and Five9 Contact-Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) platforms. Get a more optimized calling experience for contact center agents using Genesys Cloud or Five9 in virtual environments.
New in Windows Server
For the latest features and improvements for Windows Server, see the Windows Server 2025 release notes and Windows Server, version 23H2 release notes.
- [WS2025] – Starting with the January 2026 security update, Windows Server 2025 will have its own KBIDs, separate from Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2. This change improves clarity for administrators. Installation and management processes remain the same.
- [NVMe] [WS2025] – You can now opt in to native NVMe support in Windows Server 2025. With native NVMe, Windows Server can communicate directly with NVMe devices. This removes reliance on SCSI commands and significantly enhances storage performance and efficiency.
Lifecycle milestones
Check out our lifecycle documentation for the latest updates on Deprecated features in the Windows client and Features removed or no longer developed starting with Windows Server 2025.
Additional resources
Looking for the latest news and previews for Windows, Copilot, Copilot+ PCs, the Windows and Windows Server Insider Programs, and more? Check out these resources:
- Windows Roadmap for new Copilot+ PCs and Windows features – filter by platform, version, status, and channel or search by feature name
- Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes for latest features and improvements
- Windows Insider Blog for what's available in the Canary, Dev, Beta, or Release Preview Channels
- Windows Server Insider for feature preview opportunities
- Understanding update history for Windows Insider preview features, fixes, and changes to learn about the types of updates for Windows Insiders
As we enter 2026, we're looking to make this monthly summary more helpful to you! Please drop us a note below and let us know what information you most want to hear about.
Continue the conversation. Find best practices. Bookmark the Windows Tech Community, then follow us @MSWindowsITPro on X and on LinkedIn. Looking for support? Visit Windows on Microsoft Q&A.
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