IT Pro Tuesday #305
Welcome back to IT Pro Tuesday!
In the latest Security Swarm Podcast: “Windows Server 2025: New Security Features Revealed,” we discuss the upcoming release of Windows Server 2025 and the myriad security enhancements it will bring. We delve into various topics such as improvements to Active Directory, delegated managed service accounts, Kerberos protocol enhancements, SMB enhancements, hot patching, REFS file system for confidential computing, and extended security updates.
We’re looking for your favorite tips and tools we can share with the community… those that help you do your job better and more easily. Please share your suggestions on the IT Pro Tuesday subreddit, and we’ll be featuring them in the coming weeks.
Now on to this week’s list!
A Free Tool
Graph Explorer is a developer tool for learning about Microsoft Graph APIs. Lets you try out APIs on the default sample tenant to safely explore capabilities and work out app functionality. Includes helpful features such as code snippets (C#, Java, JavaScript, Go, and PowerShell), Microsoft Graph Toolkit and adaptive cards integration, and more. Kindly recommended by FakeItTilYouMakeIT25.
Another Free Tool
asdf allows you to manage multiple runtime versions from one CLI tool and command interface. Offers a large ecosystem of existing runtimes and tools, with a simple API, backwards-compatibility, and a GitHub Action for use in CI/CD workflows. othugmuffin advises the new Mac user, “If you intend on using Python, I would recommend against installing it from Homebrew and go for something like asdf to manage different versions. You can use it for other things too; e.g., Go, Terraform, Ruby, etc.”
A Tip
ssiws shares a nice shortcut:
Ctrl-Shift-T will reopen the last tab you closed
themaverick1313 adds:
Ctrl-W closes the tab that’s open
and from pmormr:
Control-Tab and Control-Shift-Tab cycles through your open tabs (forwards and backwards)
Hardening Guide
CIS Microsoft Intune for Microsoft Windows Benchmarks offers secure system configuration guidelines that were developed through a community consensus process. id0lmindapproved explains, “Using Intune to match CIS Benchmarks is really useful and generally good practice.”
One More Free Tool
Sidder is a simple way to manage User Profile Disks on the .net 4.8 Framework. The tool was designed as a quick option for identifying which User Profile Disk belongs to which Domain User and performing basic administrative tasks. Kindly suggested by CobraBubblesJr.
P.S. Bonus Free Tools
less-Windows is a standalone version of GNU less (without any dependencies) that has been compiled for Windows 10 and 11. This suggestion was provided by jftuga, who appreciates it as “a terminal pager—similar to more, but allows you to scroll backwards and search.”
The SQL Server Maintenance Solution is a valuable and widely used collection of scripts for running backups, integrity checks, and index and statistics maintenance. Works on all editions of MS SQL Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022. Our thanks for the recommendation go to amgeiger.
