Regaining Control Over Unmanaged GenAI Apps: New Microsoft Purview Enhancements in Edge

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Many organizations are growing increasingly concerned about the widespread use of unsanctioned Generative AI (GenAI) tools. These apps, often accessed through unmanaged browsers, pose significant risks to data security and compliance. To help with this, Microsoft is now updating some features in  Microsoft Purview that will enhance policy enforcement for unmanaged cloud apps accessed via the Edge browser.  What’s Changing? Previously, enforcing Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Collection policies required manual creation of Edge configuration policies. These policies were often complex and needed to be scoped correctly to block unsupported browsers or apply protections. With this update, Microsoft automates much of that process: Collection Policies now apply directly within Edge without needing a separate blocking configuration. DLP Policies automatically generate Edge configuration policies that align with the scope of the DLP rules. DLP policies can operate in two mode...

Saving space with differencing disks?

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I just read, and followed this article on differencing disks: http://www.andrewconnell.com/blog/articles/UseVirtualPCsDifferencingDisksToYourAdvantage.aspx

It was really helpful for a first timer like me. In my daily work I have to access different customers’ remotely, and they all have different ways of logging on and different security requirements. To help me with this, I have set up a couple of virtual pc's. The only problem so far, has been the lack of space on my hard drive. But thanks to this article, I have saved a lot of space. I now only have 1 core disk with the operating system and basic functions. Then I have one VM, and diff-vhd for each customer.

In addition to the tips this guy have, there are a few things I want add to "what to do to the base".
If you're really keen on saving space, I would run cleanmgr on the disk first of all. Then I would look for hidden files and folder containing uninstall information on service packs and patches (Let's face it, if you're creating a static core, you're probably not going to uninstall these patches). After cleaning up, go through basic settings you like to set to your image. From the top of my head:
• Remove all visual effects you don't need
• Stop services you probably don't need (don't worry, you can enable them later, if needed)
• Start a few programs, and set your "standard settings"*
Then continue with the final preparations described in the article (and don't forget to sysprep if you want different SIDs in your environment.

(* One good example is Internet explorer. I always set my preferred homepage, usually blank, adjust some settings in advanced settings, set a preferred search engine and so forth. Since I "always" do it, it only makes sense to set it once, in the core)