SC-300 course outline - Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator Updated: 2023

LESSON 5: COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Understand all the things that must be considered when designing a compensation and benefits package.

LESSON 6: EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND SAFETY

Learn the ins and outs of complying with OSHA, protecting against workplace hazards, and investigating, recording, and preventing accidents and employee illnesses.

LESSON 7: THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT

Gain knowledge of employment law as well as an understanding of equal employment opportunity, avoiding discrimination, and what happens when an employee files an EEOC claim.

LESSON 8: MAKING HR DECISIONS

Learn how to make decisions based on various company growth strategies and how to use HRIS Software as well as job analysis as a tool for decision-making.

LESSON 9: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Learn the full spectrum of affirmative action, how to create an affirmative action plan, and information on the AAP you will need to know.

LESSON 10: DIVERSITY

Understand what diversity is and why it is a good thing in an organization as you learn to manage it and handle conflict.

LESSON 11: EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND DISCIPLINE

Learn the laws that protect employee rights and privacy and how to properly monitor and document behavior and discipline employees.

LESSON 12: TERMINATION

Understand the alternatives to firing as well as how to prepare for termination including proper separation agreements as well as what to do in the event of wrongful discharge.

LESSON 13: INVESTIGATIONS

Learn why it is so important to investigate problems as well as the steps of an effective investigation including preparing, conducting, and wrapping it up.

LESSON 14: MANAGING LABOR RELATIONS

Get a quick overview of the history of unions as you learn how they work and why employees join them.

LESSON 15: CREATING A HIGH-PERFORMANCE WORKPLACE

Learn how to ask employees for input and act on it, delegate authority, keep communication open, and continuously ask for feedback as you strive to develop a high-performance workplace.

LESSON 16: GLOBAL HUMAN RESOURCES

Understand the basics of staffing strategy, cultural differences, HR in other countries, choosing global employees, and issues faced by expatriates.

LESSON 17: RETENTION

Learn the top reasons employees leave a company and how you can encourage them to stay as well as the importance of succession planning.

LESSON 18: MOTIVATION, REWARDS, AND RECOGNITION

Find out fun ways to motivate workers and gain nine strategies for creating a great rewards program.

LESSON 19: PREPARING FOR THE PHR EXAM

Gain information on externships and internships as you review the basics of the PHR test and begin to study.

News

Microsoft Outlines New Features Coming Soon to Windows 11

• By Kurt Mackie
• 05/26/2023

Microsoft this week included some Windows 11 client news amid its many Build announcements for developers, promising to soon deliver new features to Windows 11 version 22H2 users.

The new features are perhaps overshadowed by the Microsoft Build announcement that a new AI-powered Windows Copilot will be reaching the preview stage sometime in June.

Also, although Microsoft didn't specify a rollout period, it's promising to soon add a Microsoft Intune capability that will let IT pros manage Windows drivers and system firmware updates.

Windows 11 Privacy and Security Features
Windows 11 version 22H2 users are getting some ease-of-use enhancements for privacy and security controls.

Users will be able to more easily enable or disable app presence-sensing features, such as "wake on approach/lock on leave." There's also a new feature that will let users see their virtual private network connection status on their taskbars in the form of a "small shield icon." Microsoft also will show an alert on the Start menu when "your account needs attention," which is called "account badging."

Microsoft also is previewing an Azure Active Directory Conditional Access "token protection policy," as described in this document. It's a protection against token theft by remote attackers who are thereby able to impersonate users to gain access. Microsoft's token protection scheme is designed to thwart that scenario by creating "a cryptographically secure tie between the token and the device (client secret) it's issued to." The token protection scheme will work with "Windows 10 or newer devices that are Azure AD joined, hybrid Azure AD joined, or Azure AD registered." It won't be available for Office perpetual-license users.

Also being previewed for consumer and commercial Windows 11 users is an ability to isolate Win32 applications. Microsoft's isolation technologies will "make it harder and costlier for attackers to break out of the app and into other applications and Windows subsystems," Microsoft explained.

Organizations using the Universal Print service are getting access to QR codes as a means for Android mobile device users to authenticate for a print job. Universal Print is Microsoft's standards-based scheme for E3/E5-type licensees that lets organizations print from anywhere while dispensing with having to maintain print servers, although IT pros must monitor monthly print job allocations. Universal Print was commercially released about two years ago.

Other Windows 11 Features
Windows Autopatch is getting previewed, with expected "general availability" commercial release in July, per this May 1, 2023 announcement, although maybe that's confusing because Microsoft had announced it at general availability last year. This feature will be a perk for automating new Windows rollouts to end users in accordance with Microsoft's user-group ("rings") triage approach, as well as for automating Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise updates. IT pros will be able to create "up to 15 deployment rings," but Microsoft generally takes control over the update process with Windows Autopatch.

Windows 365 Boot is another new feature coming to Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise edition users. Windows 365 Boot facilitates "Cloud PC" logins for users of the Windows 365 desktop-as-a-service offering. A Cloud PC can be stipulated as a user's "primary Windows experience on the device" and users will then get directed to the Cloud PC after a successful log-in attempt. Microsoft is touting Windows 365 Boot as being optimal for shared devices. Setting it up will require having "Microsoft Intune Administrator rights."

Organizational Messages is coming to organizations with Microsoft Intune-managed Windows 11 version 22H2 Enterprise edition subscriptions. This feature lets IT pros send notifications via Microsoft Intune to Windows 11 end users. The messages concern onboarding and lifecycle management details. They can be company branded, and now permit "custom messages" and "fully customizable URL links" as well. Those are new capabilities from Microsoft's initial announcement back in November. Microsoft also added a new "Organizational Messages Manager role" to the Azure AD and Intune portals for overseeing messages.

Some machines running Windows 11 version 22H2 are getting Bluetooth Low Energy Audio. This perk represents a collaboration with Samsung on its Galaxy phones and ear buds, plus Intel. Bluetooth Low Energy Audio will enable "high-quality audio at low power" for videos, music and phone calls.

Windows 11's Widgets will expand to a larger format with space for pinned apps and a "personalized feed for discovery," Microsoft indicated. The Widgets pane pops up from the left edge of a screen. It currently displays weather, news and stock info.

Live captions, which appear when audio is playing, are getting expanded to support "10 additional languages spanning 21 regions."

Windows 11 Features Arrival
These new Windows 11 features could show up as early as this month for consumer users (Home edition). Others could see the new features in June, or even July.

For instance, Microsoft's announcement indicated that the new features will be "enabled by default in the June 2023 optional non-security preview release for all editions of Windows 11, version 22H2." Since not all individuals and organizations opt in to get these nonoptional security preview releases, the new features likely will appear for them with the July "update Tuesday" patch releases.

Microsoft's somewhat new Windows feature dispersal approach is to release new Windows 11 features when it deems them ready, which get distributed with quality and security patches each month on the second Tuesday of each month ("update Tuesdays"). Previews typically get released in a prior month's third week.

The new features at preview will be blocked for users with managed devices when they try to "seek" them through Windows Update, Microsoft's announcement explained. IT pros wanting to test the new preview features in advance will need to be part of the Windows Insider Program.

Microsoft technically speaking still issues a new Windows 11 operating system release (called a "feature update") just once per year, in the fall. However, its new Windows Update feature-delivery scheme entails adding new features to the OS potentially each month.

If you get Microsoft Store is blocked, Check with your IT or system administrator error while opening the Microsoft Store on Windows 11; follow these solutions to get rid of it. However, you must have the administrator rights to use all the suggestions.

At times, you might find the Microsoft Store is blocked error while opening it in Windows 11. Although it can happen in an organization to prevent regular users from installing unnecessary apps on the PC, it is pretty unusual on a home computer. However, if you have got this error on your home computer or on a computer where you are the only administrator, you can follow these solutions.

To Microsoft Store blocked by administrator error in Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Remove custom rule
2. Disable Group Policy setting
3. Unblock using Registry

To learn more about these steps, continue reading.

1] Remove custom rule

It is the first thing you need to do in order to fix this above-mentioned error. In Windows 11, it is possible to create a custom rule to allow or deny a specific app from running on your computer. If you have done it mistakenly in the past, you may get issues while accessing the Microsoft Store app. Therefore, you need to verify if there is any such rule or not. If it is for blocking the Microsoft Store app, you need to remove it accordingly.

First, press Win+R to open the Run prompt, type secpol.msc, and press the Enter button to open the Local Security policy panel.

Then, navigate to Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Packaged app Rules. Here you can find all the custom rules you created earlier. Find out a rule that has Microsoft.WindowsStore in the name.

Double-click on it and see if the Action is set as Allow or Deny.

If it is set to Deny, go back to the previous screen, right-click on the rule and select the Delete option.

Then, you need to confirm the change. Once done, close all the windows and try to open the Microsoft Store. Hopefully, you will be able to open it without any problem.

2] Disable Group Policy setting

There is a Group Policy setting, which might be responsible for this error. You need to check if it is turned on or not. If turned on, you must disable it.

• Press Win+R to open the Run prompt.
• Type gpedit.msc and press the Enter button.
• Navigate to this path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Store.
• Double-click on the Turn off the Store application setting.
• Choose the Not Configured option.
• Click the OK button.

Then, close all windows and try opening the Microsoft Store app.

Read: Security software blocks UWP app from opening

3] Unblock using Registry

The same Group Policy setting can be enabled through the Registry Editor as well. Therefore, follow these steps to delete the corresponding Registry key:

Press Win+R > type regedit > hit the Enter button.

Click the Yes option.

Navigate to this path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore

Right-click on the RemoveWindowsStore REG_DWORD value.

Select the Delete option.

Click the Yes button.

Then, restart your computer and open the Microsoft Store in Windows 11.

Read: This app has been blocked due to Company Policy.

How do I fix Microsoft Store is blocked by administrator?

To fix the Microsoft Store is blocked by administrator error, you must delete the custom rule made in the Local Security Policy panel. For that, you can follow the very first solution mentioned in this article. That said, you can go to Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Packaged app Rules, right-click on the custom rule and select the Delete option.

How do I turn off Microsoft Store restrictions?

Depending upon the restrictions, you can try using the Local Security Policy, Local Group Policy Editor, and the Registry Editor to turn that off. You need to follow the aforementioned guides one after one if you cannot determine the exact error message. However, in most cases, you can resolve the error with the help of the Local Security Policy.

That’s all! Hope this guide helped.

Read: This app has been blocked for your protection by your system administrator.

Microsoft Office is one of those versatile toolkits that has something to offer for everyone, whether you're in school or at work. If you want to explore how Microsoft Office apps could be useful to you, a lifetime license might take some of the pressure off your budget. There are even beginner to advanced courses showing you how to use some of the hidden features in the Office suite. 

Take a look at some of these offers that all combine a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2021 for Windows with courses that may help you take full advantage of these apps. Each lifetime license comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. Each app can only be installed on one computer, but once it’s there, it’s yours for life — no monthly payments. 

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Open up OneNote and get ready to start writing, because there's a lot of material in this 25-lesson course; it covers everything from the skills you need to get started to writing and editing your work. If you want to start up a side hustle as a content writer, this bundle could provide you the tools and the training to get started, and it's on sale for $39.99 (reg. $239).

It’s a good thing your lifetime license gives you plenty of time to practice with Excel, because this course package might turn it into your new favorite app. Pivot tables are a data analysis tool(opens in a new tab) used in many industries that work with large amounts of data. This three-hour video course shows you how to create and use pivot tables, as well as how to get your data organized with tools for conditional formatting, reporting, and managing calculations. 

You’ll even get a certificate of completion when you finish the course, which could be useful if you're applying for jobs with a data analysis(opens in a new tab) component. This course is taught by Excel expert Kathryn Tilley. This bundle is only $39.99 (reg. $239).

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All course materials are yours for life when you get this software and learning double feature for $39.99 (reg. $221).

This software and learning bundle gives you the chance to practice with Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint, starting from zero knowledge and working through advanced tools and methods with each app. This learning bundle could be useful if you haven't had many chances to really explore the advanced features on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. Plus, it also gives you some advanced Excel tutorials(opens in a new tab) with lectures on VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP for quick data pulling and conditional formatting.

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If your job relies on efficient data processing, this bundle could help you save some time. You even get a certificate of completion when you're done, and the whole bundle only costs $49.99 (reg. $229).

Prices subject to change.

The Biden administration Wednesday announced additional measures it will implement to respond to the expected fallout of Title 42’s Thursday expiration.

Administration officials have been preparing for months for the end of Title 42, a Trump-era policy allowing immigration officials to more quickly expel asylum-seeking migrants attempting to cross the border. The law was tied to the declaration of a COVID-19 public health emergency, which ends this week.

With a surge of migrants at the southern border expected to enter the country following Thursday’s change, administration officials detailed a series of steps that fall under three broad categories: enforcement, deterrence and diplomacy.

It also unveiled a rule set to take effect just before midnight Thursday that would impose a series of restrictions on those wishing to apply for asylum.

The administration will surge resources to the border to Strengthen processing efficiency, a senior administration official said. The steps being taken include sending 24,000 law enforcement personnel and 1,100 new border patrol processing coordinators to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Biden last week announced he would send 1,500 military personnel to the southern border to assist in an administrative capacity.

In another effort to Strengthen efficiency, the administration is opening up regional processing centers in locations through Central America, allowing migrants to learn whether they are eligible for a legal pathway of entry into the U.S. without having to leave their home country.

The administration intends to launch an online platform in the coming days where individuals can make an appointment at one of those processing centers, a senior administration official said.

For enforcement purposes, the administration will rely on Title 8, which allows for the expedited deportation of migrants who are encountered between legal ports of entry.

Unlike Title 42, the removal method creates a paper trail and comes with a five-year ban on reentering the U.S.

The administration will also place “significant conditions on asylum eligibility” for those who do not use lawful established pathways, a senior administration official said.

The rule released Wednesday that lays out those conditions hews closely to a Trump-era policy that required would-be asylum applicants to first seek asylum elsewhere and be denied before attempting to get protections in the U.S. 

The Trump policy was struck down in court, leaving immigration advocates horrified the Biden administration would pursue something similar.

Under the Biden policy, those who arrive and apply for asylum without doing so in another country along their route would be presumed ineligible for the protections. It’s a determination they could challenge – one that requires providing even more evidence for the already difficult to secure status.

Administration officials also stressed that efforts to address a potential spike in individuals seeking entry to the U.S. will be a collaborative effort with international partners.

President Biden spoke Tuesday with Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador about various topics, including migration. Officials also pointed to the establishment of the Los Angeles Declaration, a document signed last summer by the U.S. and more than 20 other partners to “work together to address the migration crisis in a comprehensive manner.”

Biden was asked Tuesday by reporters about the impending end of Title 42 and said “it remains to be seen” how things will play out.

“We are doing all we can,” Biden said. “It’s going to be chaotic for a while.”

Rebecca Beitsch contributed.

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced its priorities for federal energy permitting reform, saying it will prioritize updating mining laws and streamlining renewables permitting on federal lands.

The administration outlined 11 priorities Wednesday, including faster deployment of electrical transmission across state lines. This would include regional transfer agreements that would avert incidents like the knockout of Texas’s independent power grid during winter storms in 2021.

The White House also called on Congress to update the Energy Act of 2020 to set goals for renewable energy development on federal lands in 2030 and 2035. It also called for new hydrogen and carbon dioxide infrastructure development, elimination of duplicative environmental reviews and improved community engagement.

In remarks Wednesday at the Bipartisan Policy Center, White House clean energy adviser John Podesta said the delays caused by the current permitting process “are pervasive at every level of government,” adding “we got so good at stopping projects we forgot how to build things in America.”

Podesta emphasized the necessity of cooperation from Congress to achieve most of the priorities, saying “this administration is doing all it can with the tools we have but frankly we could use some more tools. We need Congress to provide us those tools.”

Podesta added that the White House backs permitting-reform legislation introduced by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.); Republicans killed the legislation 2022, but the West Virginia Democrat reintroduced it recently.

“The president doesn’t love everything in the bill but we support it because that’s what compromise means and it will take compromise on everyone’s part to get this done,” he said.

Podesta also specifically highlighted the need for updated mining permitting regulations, noting the current framework was enacted in 1872.

“The administration will make more specific recommendations on mining law reform soon but suffice it to say, even though the memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant are still on recommending reading lists, mining legislation he signed more than 150 years ago is a little out of date,” Podesta said.

Podesta also heavily criticized the energy bill introduced by House Republicans, HB1, which was recently included in the package proposed by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to avoid a default on the federal debt. Podesta said the bill’s proposals would be “catastrophic for our economy” and would ensure that “EVs [electric vehicles] of the future are powered by Chinese batteries and critical minerals.”

The Biden administration Wednesday announced additional measures it will implement to respond to the expected fallout of Title 42’s Thursday expiration.

Administration officials have been preparing for months for the end of Title 42, a Trump-era policy allowing immigration officials to more quickly expel asylum-seeking migrants attempting to cross the border. The law was tied to the declaration of a COVID-19 public health emergency, which ends this week.

With a surge of migrants at the southern border expected to enter the country following Thursday’s change, administration officials detailed a series of steps that fall under three broad categories: enforcement, deterrence and diplomacy.

It also unveiled a rule set to take effect just before midnight Thursday that would impose a series of restrictions on those wishing to apply for asylum.

The administration will surge resources to the border to Strengthen processing efficiency, a senior administration official said. The steps being taken include sending 24,000 law enforcement personnel and 1,100 new border patrol processing coordinators to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Biden last week announced he would send 1,500 military personnel to the southern border to assist in an administrative capacity.

In another effort to Strengthen efficiency, the administration is opening up regional processing centers in locations through Central America, allowing migrants to learn whether they are eligible for a legal pathway of entry into the U.S. without having to leave their home country.

The administration intends to launch an online platform in the coming days where individuals can make an appointment at one of those processing centers, a senior administration official said.

For enforcement purposes, the administration will rely on Title 8, which allows for the expedited deportation of migrants who are encountered between legal ports of entry.

Unlike Title 42, the removal method creates a paper trail and comes with a five-year ban on reentering the U.S.

The administration will also place “significant conditions on asylum eligibility” for those who do not use lawful established pathways, a senior administration official said.

The rule released Wednesday that lays out those conditions hews closely to a Trump-era policy that required would-be asylum applicants to first seek asylum elsewhere and be denied before attempting to get protections in the U.S.

The Trump policy was struck down in court, leaving immigration advocates horrified the Biden administration would pursue something similar.

Under the Biden policy, those who arrive and apply for asylum without doing so in another country along their route would be presumed ineligible for the protections. It’s a determination they could challenge – one that requires providing even more evidence for the already difficult to secure status.

Administration officials also stressed that efforts to address a potential spike in individuals seeking entry to the U.S. will be a collaborative effort with international partners.

President Biden spoke Tuesday with Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador about various topics, including migration. Officials also pointed to the establishment of the Los Angeles Declaration, a document signed last summer by the U.S. and more than 20 other partners to “work together to address the migration crisis in a comprehensive manner.”

Biden was asked Tuesday by reporters about the impending end of Title 42 and said “it remains to be seen” how things will play out.

“We are doing all we can,” Biden said. “It’s going to be chaotic for a while.”

Rebecca Beitsch contributed.

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Originally published May 10, 2023 at 8:00 AM