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I built a free, open-source M365 security assessment tool - looking for feedback
I work as an IT consultant, and a good chunk of my time is spent assessing Microsoft 365 environments for small and mid-sized businesses. Every engagement started the same way: connect to five different PowerShell modules, run dozens of commands across Entra ID, Exchange Online, Defender, SharePoint, and Teams, manually compare each setting against CIS benchmarks, then spend hours assembling everything into a report the client could actually read. The tools that automate this either cost thousands per year, require standing up Azure infrastructure just to run, or only cover one service area. I wanted something simpler: one command that connects, assesses, and produces a client-ready deliverable. So I built it. What M365 Assess does https://github.com/Daren9m/M365-Assess is a PowerShell-based security assessment tool that runs against a Microsoft 365 tenant and produces a comprehensive set of reports. Here is what you get from a single run: 57 automated security checks aligned to the CIS Microsoft 365 Foundations Benchmark v6.0.1, covering Entra ID, Exchange Online, Defender for Office 365, SharePoint Online, and Teams 12 compliance frameworks mapped simultaneously -- every finding is cross-referenced against NIST 800-53, NIST CSF 2.0, ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS v4.0.1, CMMC 2.0, CISA SCuBA, and DISA STIG (plus CIS profiles for E3 L1/L2 and E5 L1/L2) 20+ CSV exports covering users, mailboxes, MFA status, admin roles, conditional access policies, mail flow rules, device compliance, and more A self-contained HTML report with an executive summary, severity badges, sortable tables, and a compliance overview dashboard -- no external dependencies, fully base64-encoded, just open it in any browser or email it directly The entire assessment is read-only. It never modifies tenant settings. Only Get-* cmdlets are used. A few things I'm proud of Real-time progress in the console. As the assessment runs, you see each check complete with live status indicators and timing. No staring at a blank terminal wondering if it hung. The HTML report is a single file. Logos, backgrounds, fonts -- everything is embedded. You can email the report as an attachment and it renders perfectly. It supports dark mode (auto-detects system preference), and all tables are sortable by clicking column headers. Compliance framework mapping. This was the feature that took the most work. The compliance overview shows coverage percentages across all 12 frameworks, with drill-down to individual controls. Each finding links back to its CIS control ID and maps to every applicable framework control. Pass/Fail detail tables. Each security check shows the CIS control reference, what was checked, what the expected value is, what the actual value is, and a clear Pass/Fail/Warning status. Findings include remediation descriptions to help prioritize fixes. Quick start If you want to try it out, it takes about 5 minutes to get running: # Install prerequisites (if you don't have them already) Install-Module Microsoft.Graph, ExchangeOnlineManagement -Scope CurrentUser Clone and run git clone https://github.com/Daren9m/M365-Assess.git cd M365-Assess .\Invoke-M365Assessment.ps1 The interactive wizard walks you through selecting assessment sections, entering your tenant ID, and choosing an authentication method (interactive browser login, certificate-based, or pre-existing connections). Results land in a timestamped folder with all CSVs and the HTML report. Requires PowerShell 7.x and runs on Windows (macOS and Linux are experimental -- I would love help testing those platforms). Cloud support M365 Assess works with: Commercial (global) tenants GCC, GCC High, and DoD environments If you work in government cloud, the tool handles the different endpoint URIs automatically. What is next This is actively maintained and I have a roadmap of improvements: More automated checks -- 140 CIS v6.0.1 controls are tracked in the registry, with 57 automated today. Expanding coverage is the top priority. Remediation commands -- PowerShell snippets and portal steps for each finding, so you can fix issues directly from the report. XLSX compliance matrix -- A spreadsheet export for audit teams who need to work in Excel. Standalone report regeneration -- Re-run the report from existing CSV data without re-assessing the tenant. I would love your feedback I have been building this for my own consulting work, but I think it could be useful to the broader community. If you try it, I would genuinely appreciate hearing: What checks should I prioritize next? Which security controls matter most in your environment? What compliance frameworks are most requested by your clients or auditors? How does the report land with non-technical stakeholders? Is the executive summary useful, or does it need work? macOS/Linux users -- does it run? What breaks? I have tested it on macOS, but not extensively. Bug reports, feature requests, and contributions are all welcome on GitHub. Repository: https://github.com/Daren9m/M365-Assess License: MIT (free for commercial and personal use) Runtime: PowerShell 7.x Thanks for reading. Happy to answer any questions in the comments.
Storage Space for Windows Updates
Windows informs me that although the external USB drive has the capacity, I have insufficient space on my internal C: drive to initiate installing updates. 'Settings-System-Storage' shows 17.4 of 56.4GBs being used are for 'Installed Apps'. Opening 'Installed Apps' in 'Settings' identifies 55 apps and the storage space for most of them. These total under 2GB, which is a lot less than the 17.4 identified in 'Storage'. The apps for which storage space is not shown include Fotor Photo Editor and MS Edge (which I use) together with several MS 365 and OneNote apps (which I do not wish to use). Are these likely to be taking up the missing 15.4GB, or, are there other 'hidden' apps taking up the storage space that I would like to use for updates. If either of these are the case, how can I identify them and their storage capacity?SharePoint Online Clamps Down on Company-Wide Sharing Links
Company-wide sharing links allow any authenticated user account in a Microsoft 365 tenant to access a shared file or folder. New settings are available to create an expiration policy for company-wide sharing links, with different values supported for SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. The idea is to stop the potential for abuse of sharing links, including stale links that should not grant access to files and folders. https://office365itpros.com/2026/03/12/company-wide-sharing-links-limits/Request for Best Practices on Using Microsoft Agent 365
Hello Community, I am seeking guidance on best practices for effectively using Microsoft Agent 365. Specifically, I am interested in recommendations related to governance, security and access control, agent monitoring, and integration with Microsoft 365 services. If you have practical experience or proven approaches in these areas, your insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Mohammad Shohal BhuiyanMicrosoft 365 Backup Launches File-Level Restore
The Microsoft 365 Backup solution will soon be able to restore individual files and folders instead of complete sites. That’s a welcome upgrade to restore capabilities to cover situations like the inadvertent deletion of a file. It’s a wonder why Microsoft didn’t make more about this capability when they celebrated SharePoint’s 25th anniversary last week when they discussed departmental billing for Microsoft 365 Backup. https://office365itpros.com/2026/03/11/microsoft-365-backup-file-restore/
Python in Excel - Missing from desktop Excel but exist in web Excel
Good Morning! Yes, again this topic :-( When I join to a professional forum I also search for the topic I having a problem with. Found a lot of similar questions but I could not find a post with a solution. Maybe I was not enough attentive and patient but I did not. Well, we are a University in Hungary, and we have Microsoft 365 A1, A3 and A5 licenses. I attahced a screenshot which shows: in the desktop Excel I got #CALC! error msg when I type =PY and press TAB. But it works in Excel on the Web version. So the root of the problem cannot be the license, right? Of course I saw this article about "Python in Excel availability": https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/python-in-excel-availability-781383e6-86b9-4156-84fb-93e786f7cab0 Our licenses are based on user, not device so no, it cannot be that the computer is a device with shared license: My Excel version is on: So the version and the channel are also OK. (OK?) I am also a Global Adminisitrator in our tenant, so I could check if the Connected experiences and Optional connected experiences and all related possibilities are disabled or not: no, it is not disabled. On "Microsoft 365 Apps admin center" : https://config.office.com/ ... I did not find any policies which controls those options so in "Policies for all users" policy I modified all these settings from "Not configured" to "Configured" and "Enabled". In my Excel the Trust center related settings looks like this: Of course my Office package up to date, I ran the Update Office and Update License command from Excel. Did not help. I went also to https://admin.microsoft.com site if I can find any related setting, but did not. I also tried to Sign out and Sign back in Excel - did not help. Finally, as our computers are in Hybrid environment (so our users are logging in inti on-prem AD, and their properties are synchronised to Azure) I have cerated a Group Policy object (I am also a Domain Admin), which also allows connected and optional experiences for all domain users: I should not mention: did not help :-( I have checked if the GPO is applied or not by running GPRESULT /R, it applied, it is in the registry. But despite all the settings so far - nothing helped. The Python in Excel feature in desktop Excel do not want to work. But it does in web based Excel. I would be very happy to receive any ideas from anyone. Or if U say I should go to official Microsoft support, then I go. Have a nice day! Regards, Andras /sorry for the very detailed case description, but maybe easier and quicker if I "aswer" all usual questions in advance/
Excel file problem
When I download an Excel file from iCloud (on my Mac laptop), I get a message saying: "We found a problem with some content in the file. Do you want us to try to recover as much as possible? Click "yes" if you trust the source of this workbook." I click yes, but the file then opens in a corrupted or unusable state. How can I retrieve the original file as it was before? Please recommend a solution.
Transitioning from Barracuda to Office 365 for Modern Email Management
Migrating from Barracuda to Office 365 is a strategic step for organizations looking to modernize their email infrastructure and improve collaboration. Many businesses use Barracuda for email security, archiving, or backup, but moving to Office 365 allows them to consolidate these capabilities within a single cloud-based productivity platform. Office 365 offers advanced email services through Exchange Online along with collaboration tools like Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. The migration process typically involves transferring archived emails, mailboxes, and user data from Barracuda systems into Office 365. Careful planning is required to ensure data integrity, maintain compliance requirements, and avoid disruptions to daily communication. During the migration, administrators map user accounts, validate domains, and verify that all archived data remains accessible after the transition. One of the major advantages of moving to Office 365 is the enhanced security and management capabilities. Businesses gain access to features such as advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and centralized administration. These tools help organizations protect sensitive information while simplifying IT management. For companies planning this transition, working with experienced providers can help ensure a smooth process. Many organizations rely on Apps4Rent to support Barracuda to Office 365 migrations, ensuring secure data transfer, minimal downtime, and reliable access to Microsoft 365 services after the migration is complete.Moving from Kerio to Office 365 for Modern Email and Collaboration
Migrating from Kerio to Office 365 is a practical step for businesses looking to upgrade their email and collaboration infrastructure. While Kerio Connect provides basic email, calendar, and messaging capabilities, Microsoft Office 365 offers a comprehensive cloud-based platform that includes Outlook, Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. This transition enables organizations to benefit from enhanced productivity tools and improved communication across teams. During a Kerio to Office 365 migration, essential data such as emails, contacts, calendars, and folders are transferred from the Kerio server to Exchange Online. The process typically involves configuring Microsoft 365 accounts, securely migrating mailbox data, and updating DNS records to ensure uninterrupted email delivery. Careful planning helps minimize downtime and ensures that users maintain access to their information throughout the migration. Another key advantage of moving to Office 365 is improved security and scalability. Microsoft provides advanced protection features such as spam filtering, multi-factor authentication, data loss prevention, and built-in compliance tools. These capabilities help organizations protect sensitive information while meeting modern security standards. Businesses often rely on experienced providers like Apps4Rent to manage Kerio to Office 365 migrations efficiently. With expert planning and support, organizations can ensure a smooth transition, maintain data integrity, and fully leverage the benefits of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.How to Remove Sensitivity Labels from SharePoint Files at Scale
It’s easy to remove sensitivity labels from SharePoint Online files when only a few files are involved. Doing the same task at scale requires automation. In this article, we explain how to use the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK to find and remove sensitivity labels from files stored in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. https://office365itpros.com/2026/03/10/remove-sensitivity-labels-from-file/SharePoint Online Drops One Time Passcodes for External Access
From July 2026. SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business will use Entra B2B Collaboration (guest accounts) to control external access to shared files. This change has been coming since 2021, but it takes time for organizations to get their heads around changing the way to grant external access. It’s time to embrace guest accounts, and that means doing some work to manage guest accounts on an ongoing basis. https://office365itpros.com/2026/03/06/guest-accounts-spo/How to Test a File Against DLP Sensitive Information Types
Sensitive Information types (SITs) are definitions of data like credit card numbers used by DLP rules to detect potential external sharing violations. Knowing what SIT to use in a DLP rule is often difficult, which is why the Purview developers have added a test option to allow tenants to test files against individual SITs or all SITs to see what happens. https://office365itpros.com/2026/03/04/sensitive-information-type-test/
200 answers instead of 1000
The helpdesk has confirmed that I have an m365 family subscription. This would allow me to receive 1000 responses in Forms. However, when I log in to Forms with my details, only 200 answers are accepted. In addition, I get a "buy button" on the screen. In other words, Forms "thinks" that I have a free plan. Who can solve this for me?
Excel - Conditional formatting
Hi all, I am new to this and i am creating or trying to create a bespoke Excel programme (Gant) that i need for work. i wanted to know if some could assist me with making a simple user tool as i need to share with colleagues i just cannot get the document to Make it so anyone can simply change the task cell colour from the standard Excel pallet options Make it so when the task cell colour is selected, the Gant cell changes to the same automatically Be able to edit the text in any tsk cell and automatically save to drop down choices with all its text and colour inputted Within the assigned to column cells, create individual drop down options when in the cell itself as apposed to t the top line probably easy for some of you that are well versed in Excel formatting and Data validation but certainly not me any help would be appreciated thanks in advance Mike mailto:email address removed for privacy reasonsMicrosoft Celebrates SharePoint 25th Anniversary with a Bunch of Announcements
Microsoft celebrated the 25th anniversary of SharePoint with a batch of announcements, including AI in SharePoint, intended to help administrators to manage all aspects of SharePoint Online through natural language. Other interesting announcements included department-level payments for Microsoft 365 Backup and the renaming of the Connections app in Teams as the SharePoint app. Well, the last wasn’t that interesting… https://office365itpros.com/2026/03/03/ai-in-sharepoint/SharePoint 2013 Workflow Retirement: What It Means for Your Business
Microsoft has officially entered the final chapter of SharePoint 2013 workflows, and for many organizations, this update is more than just another lifecycle announcement — it’s a wake-up call. The retirement of SharePoint 2013 workflows in SharePoint Online marks a decisive shift away from legacy automation toward modern, cloud-first workflow platforms. For businesses that still rely on approval flows, notifications, and automated processes built years ago, the message is clear: those workflows will stop working, and planning can no longer be postponed. This updated news article explains what the retirement means, what changes technically after the deadline, and — most importantly — how organizations can migrate and modernize their workflows step by step. https://dellenny.com/sharepoint-2013-workflow-retirement-what-it-means-for-your-business/Planner’s Newly Redesigned Interface
Microsoft has launched a redesigned user interface for the Planner app. The big news is the inclusion of task chat. Goals are also available, but only to people with a Microsoft 365 Copilot or Planner Premium licenses. Task Chat is a nice feature, and I am sure that it will be popular. UX redesigns often disappoint. At least this one offers new features. https://office365itpros.com/2026/02/27/planner-new-ux/Extending Protection for Confidential SharePoint Online Files
Sensitivity labels offer great protection against unauthorized access, but sometimes files that aren’t encrypted escape from a document library. SharePoint Online can now use sensitivity labels configured with user-defined permissions (UDP) to extend protection to downloaded files. The magic works by configuring permissions on download based on the membership of the user who downloads a file. https://office365itpros.com/2026/02/26/sensitivity-label-extend-protection/
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