Jibran J's Blog!

Windows Phone 8, Personalize your lock screen

jibran jamshad — Sun, 05 May 2013 06:40:12 GMT

Your lock screen is mainly divided into two areas and you can personalize them: For more on how the lock screen is designed please refer to: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/develop/jj571206(v=vs.105).aspx

This is definitely one of those features which empowers the end users to take control of their lock screen they way they like it. To start personalizing your lock screen you can simply go to Settings –> lock screen.

Personalizing Background area:
The very first thing you can do here is to associate an app as a background so here in my phone many of the apps I use allow me to have them in the background of the lock screen such as AccuWeather; Faceook Beta; LinkedIn; Bing etc.

Pasting a couple of screenshots below (background by AccuWeather & Bing):

Personalizing Notification area:
The notification area allows you choose one application whose detailed status is to be shown on the screen such as Calendar and 5 more apps whose notifications to shown but in a precise way such as only showing you the number of missed calls or in the above screen you can see that the user has 1 new email, you can pick and choose here how to play with these 6 options (1 detailed status & 5 quick status).

The date time information above will remain part of the background information based upon your date time settings.

http://blogs.windows.com/windows_phone/b/windowsphone/archive/2012/11/02/q-amp-a-the-new-windows-phone-8-lock-screen.aspx

Happy exploring Windows Phone 8!

The main purpose of this article was just to evangelize the technology, I have tried this stuff on Windows Phone 8 running on Nokia Lumia 920.

Microsoft Organizes Private Cloud Immersion Session in Pakistan

jibran jamshad — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:43:00 GMT

With the deployment of innovative Cloud computing solutions, various industrial sectors can modernize their business operations and automate their resources

Cloud computing has ushered a revolutionary advancement in the field of Information Technology. To create awareness about this innovative platform among the business community of the country, Microsoft Pakistan recently conducted a Private Cloud Immersion session for local media personnel. The event was organized in partnership with Fujitsu, which is the hardware partner of Microsoft Pakistan for the deployment of this cutting-edge technology across various organizations in Pakistan.

Cloud computing is a major paradigm shift in how IT resources are designed, managed and delivered. This new model opens a matchless avenue for innovation and covers virtualized infrastructure, advanced storage management, deep application management and data security. Microsoft solutions for Private Cloud, built on Windows Server, Hyper-V and System Center, are a key part of the company’s end-to-end approach to cloud computing. By improving on the way organizations currently consume IT, Microsoft can help businesses leverage investments and skill sets they already have, while taking advantage of the new value the cloud provides. Most importantly for local businesses the cloud service provider they trust their information or applications to will be around for the long term, because Microsoft’s belief in, and commitment to, the cloud is seen clearly in the fact that much of their annual $9.5 billion R&D budget — more than any other company in the world — is devoted to cloud technologies. Today, 70% of Microsoft’s 40,000 engineers work on cloud-related products and services because the company firmly believes in a cloud based future and the innumerable benefits it brings to industries not only in Pakistan but around the globe.

Speaking on this occasion, Amir Rao, country manager, Microsoft Pakistan said: “Information Technology permeates through every sector of our business environment. In this era of modernity, Microsoft Pakistan provides private cloud solutions to companies through which they can reform the workplace for employees across various departments and offices. Moreover, they enable you to deliver unrivaled services to your external stakeholders and engage with them more directly. Network administrators can explore new network management capabilities and configure the application performance mechanisms which are not possible otherwise. ”

The session was also attended by representatives of Fujitsu. Commenting on the development, Sajjad Abbas, regional sales manager – ME, Fujitsu Technology Solutions said: “Fujitsu is proud to have partnered with Microsoft Pakistan for the deployment of Private Cloud Technology. With the remarkable cloud solutions by Microsoft and adept hardware of our company, businesses will be able to revolutionize their operations and initiate an overall reformation of their infrastructure. This inventive platform gives an edge to every company and ensures a prosperous future.”

The benefits of adopting cloud computing makes it a valuable acquisition for any organization looking to reduce its cost and grow at the same time. The platform offers economies of scale by increasing productivity, reduces un-necessary spending on software licensing and it enables globalization of the workforce as people worldwide can access the cloud database. The Private Cloud Immersion technology by Microsoft Pakistan in partnership with Fujitsu will now enable local organizations to achieve greater efficiency and save on resources which can be utilized elsewhere.

Why Windows Phone 8 for your Organization? Because Security Matters!

jibran jamshad — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:09:51 GMT

Windows Phone security goals

As organizations of all sizes expand their support for an increasingly mobile workforce, privacy and security are essential. Windows Phone was primarily designed with security in mind for both users and organizations. The result is a feature-rich and flexible smartphone that emerged from a holistic approach to security design.

Distributed computer networks and increasing numbers of smartphones help organizations be productive and competitive, but these technologies also require increased security vigilance. The pervasive threat of malicious software, or malware, and the need to prevent data leakage are two of the reasons why a thoughtful, comprehensive security design is essential. Organizations require smartphones that protect data when it is stored and when it is communicated, not only because their business partners and customers expect it but also because of the need to comply with the increasing number of laws and regulations that require security, privacy, and confidentiality.

Windows Phone 8 uses a defense-in-depth approach that addresses security requirements in numerous ways. The result is a smartphone with security features that are unique in today’s marketplace.

Trusted Boot & Code Signing
Trusted Boot and code signing help assure platform integrity of Windows Phone 8. These features help to protect the Windows Phone 8 boot process and operating system from malware attacks, especially rootkits, by allowing only validated software components to execute. These features help deliver a secured platform for application developers and corporate customers alike, and helps assure consumers that the information they care about is safe.

Trusted Boot is a technology that validates firmware images on Windows Phone devices before they are allowed to load the operating system. Trusted Boot builds on a chain of trust that extends to the hardware/firmware. All boot components have digital signatures that are cryptographically validated from the pre-UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) boot loaders to the UEFI environment. Trusted Boot helps to ensure that only authorized code can execute to initialize the device and load the Windows Phone operating system.

Microsoft provides the Windows Phone boot manager in the UEFI environment. After the pre-UEFI and UEFI components complete their boot processes, the Windows Phone boot manager takes over to complete the Windows Phone 8 boot process so the user can start using the smartphone. All code in the Windows Phone operating system is signed by Microsoft, including OEM drivers and applications. Also, applications that are added after manufacturing or installed from the Windows Phone Store or a private enterprise store must be properly signed to execute.

Trusted Boot and code signing are the primary ways that Windows Phone 8 helps to protect the integrity of the operating system, but they are not the only security controls built into the phone to help prevent malware from taking over

Chambers and capabilities
The Windows Phone 7 security model introduced the chamber concept, which is based on the principle of least privilege and uses isolation to achieve it; each chamber provides a security boundary and, through configuration, an isolation boundary within which a process can run. Each chamber is defined and implemented using a policy system. The security policy of a specific chamber defines what operating system capabilities the processes in that chamber can call. A capability is a resource for which user privacy, security, cost, or business concerns exist with regard to Windows Phone usage. Examples of capabilities include geographical location information, camera, microphone, networking, and sensors.

Every app on Windows Phone (including Microsoft apps and non-Microsoft apps) runs in its own isolated chamber that is defined by the declared capabilities that the app needs to function. A basic set of permissions is granted to all app chambers by default, including access to isolated storage. However, the set of permissions for a chamber can be expanded by using capabilities that are granted during app installation. App permissions cannot be elevated at run time.

The browser
Windows Phone 8 includes Internet Explorer 10 for Windows Phone. Because viruses can be downloaded by merely visiting infected websites, Microsoft took the approach of making the browsing experience safer.

Internet Explorer helps to protect the user because it runs in an isolated chamber and prevents web apps from accessing other app resources. In addition, Internet Explorer does not support a plug-in model, so malicious plug-ins cannot be installed.

Finally, the SmartScreen technology that was available in previous versions of Internet Explorer is now also available in Internet Explorer for Windows Phone. This technology warns users of websites that are known to be malicious.

Windows Phone Store
Other smartphone platforms have proven that malware can be installed by users from an app store. Microsoft uses a carefully architected Store submission and approval process to prevent malware from reaching the marketplace. All Windows Phone apps submitted to the Store are certified before they are made available to users for downloading and installation. The developer is validated and the certification process checks Windows Phone apps for inappropriate content, Store policies, and security issues. This process plays an important role in protecting Windows Phones against malware. In addition, Microsoft scans all apps for viruses before publication. Although most malware exists on the Internet, apps that are developed in unmanaged environments with minimal security precautions could be unwitting transmitters of malware. Apps are also signed during the certification process, which is required for apps to be installed and run on Windows Phones.

Windows Phone updates
The Windows Phone update service is the only source of updates for the Windows Phone operating system. Microsoft manages and distributes feature updates and bug fixes that originate from hardware manufacturers, mobile operators, and the Windows Phone engineering team. In addition, the Windows Phone team has developed security review processes with the industry-leading Microsoft Security Response Center to deliver critical security updates to all Windows Phones globally if high-impact vulnerabilities are discovered.

Device access and security policies
As a first line of defense, access to a Windows Phone can be controlled through a PIN or password. A user can set a PIN or password via the settings panel to lock their phone.

In addition, IT departments can use Exchange ActiveSync policies to require users to set PINs or passwords, and also to configure additional password policies to manage password length, complexity, and other parameters. Exchange ActiveSync policies can also be used to configure additional security functionality.

If a Windows Phone is lost or stolen, IT professionals can initiate a remote wipe of the device by using the Exchange Server Management Console, and users can initiate a remote wipe of the device by using Outlook Web App. In addition, users can locate a lost phone, map its location, make it ring, and wipe its data if necessary if they register the phone with windowsphone.com.

Device encryption
To help keep everything from documents to passwords safe, Windows Phone 8 includes a device encryption feature.

Device encryption in Windows Phone 8 utilizes BitLocker technology to encrypt all internal data storage on the phone with AES 128. Encryption is enabled by either EAS policy (RequireDeviceEncryption) or device management policy, and once enabled, BitLocker conversion automatically begins encrypting the internal storage. The encryption key is protected by the Trust Platform Module (TPM) which is bound to UEFI Trusted Boot to ensure the encryption key will only be released to trusted boot components.

With both PIN-lock and BitLocker enabled, the combination of data encryption and device lock would make it extremely difficult for an attacker to recover sensitive information from a device.

Data leak prevention
IT professionals who want to prevent leaks of intellectual property should consider using Information Rights Management (IRM), which allows content creators to assign rights to documents that they send to others. The data in rights-protected documents is encrypted so that it can be viewed only by authorized users. In addition, a rights-protected document stores an issuance license that specifies the rights that users have to the content. For example, authors can specify that the document is read-only, that text in the document cannot be copied, or that the document cannot be printed.

IRM relies on Windows Rights Management Services (RMS), a Windows Server based technology that IT pros can configure to create the issuance license and perform the encryption and decryption of rights-protected documents. In addition, RMS can be applied to email so that messages can circulate in a protected environment but not be forwarded outside of the organization. RMS can also be applied to documents that are attached to email or stored on Microsoft SharePoint servers, limiting distribution and editing capabilities and preventing information from being leaked to unauthorized personnel.

For more details and in-depth review please refer to the source document:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36173

Pakistan:- Microsoft Security Intelligence Report – Key trends and statistics

jibran jamshad — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 08:19:00 GMT

The global threat landscape is evolving. Malware and potentially unwanted software have become more regional, and different locations around the world exhibit different threat patterns.

The statistics presented here are generated by Microsoft security programs and services running on computers in Pakistan in 2Q12 and previous quarters. This data is provided from administrators or users who choose to opt in to provide data to Microsoft, using IP address geolocation to determine country or region.

Infection rate statistics for Pakistan

Metric

3Q11

4Q11

1Q12

2Q12

Computers cleaned per 1,000 MSRT executions (CCM)

31.9

32.9

32.8

35.3

Worldwide average CCM

7.7

7.1

6.6

7.0

See the Security Intelligence Report website at www.microsoft.com/sir for more information about threats in Pakistan and around the world, and for explanations of the methods and terms used here.

Infection trends (CCM)

The MSRT detected malware on 35.3 of every 1,000 computers scanned in Pakistan in 2Q12 (a CCM score of 35.3, compared to the 2Q12 worldwide average CCM of 7.0). The following figure shows the CCM trend for Pakistan over the last four quarters, compared to the world as a whole.

Threat categories

Malware and potentially unwanted software categories in Pakistan in 2Q12, by percentage of computers reporting detections

The most common category in Pakistan in 2Q12 was Worms. It affected 47.4 percent of all computers with detections there, up from 43.5 percent in 1Q12.

The second most common category in Pakistan in 2Q12 was Viruses. It affected 47.4 percent of all computers with detections there, down from 49.1 percent in 1Q12.

The third most common category in Pakistan in 2Q12 was Miscellaneous Trojans, which affected 39.1 percent of all computers with detections there, down from 40.2 percent in 1Q12.

Threat families

The top 10 malware and potentially unwanted software families in Pakistan in 2Q12

Family

Most significant category

% of computers with detections

Win32/Sality

Viruses

30.1%

Win32/Autorun

Worms

29.0%

Win32/Ramnit

Misc. Trojans

20.1%

Win32/Virut

Viruses

15.1%

Win32/Keygen

Misc. Potentially Unwanted Software

13.2%

Win32/Chir

Worms

13.2%

Win32/CplLnk

Exploits

12.9%

Win32/VB

Worms

8.9%

Win32/Conficker

Worms

7.4%

Win32/Rimecud

Worms

6.8%

The most common threat family in Pakistan in 2Q12 was Win32/Sality , which affected 30.1 percent of computers with detections in Pakistan. Win32/Salityis a family of polymorphic file infectors that target executable files with the extensions .scr or .exe. They may execute a damaging payload that deletes files with certain extensions and terminates security-related processes and services.

The second most common threat family in Pakistan in 2Q12 was Win32/Autorun , which affected 29.0 percent of computers with detections in Pakistan. Win32/Autorunis a family of worms that spreads by copying itself to the mapped drives of an infected computer. The mapped drives may include network or removable drives.

The third most common threat family in Pakistan in 2Q12 was Win32/Ramnit , which affected 20.1 percent of computers with detections in Pakistan. Win32/Ramnitis a family of multi-component malware that infects executable files, Microsoft Office files, and HTML files. Win32/Ramnit spreads to removable drives and steals sensitive information such as saved FTP credentials and browser cookies. It may also open a backdoor to await instructions from a remote attacker.

The fourth most common threat family in Pakistan in 2Q12 was Win32/Virut , which affected 15.1 percent of computers with detections in Pakistan. Win32/Virutis a family of file-infecting viruses that target and infect .exe and .scr files accessed on infected systems. Win32/Virut also opens a backdoor by connecting to an IRC server.

Malicious websites

Attackers often use websites to conduct phishing attacks or distribute malware. Malicious websites typically appear completely legitimate and often provide no outward indicators of their malicious nature, even to experienced computer users. In many cases, these sites are legitimate websites that have been compromised by malware, SQL injection, or other techniques, in an effort by attackers to take advantage of the trust users have invested in them. To help protect users from malicious webpages, Microsoft and other browser vendors have developed filters that keep track of sites that host malware and phishing attacks and display prominent warnings when users try to navigate to them.

Web browsers such as Windows Internet Explorer and search engines such as Bing use lists of known phishing and malware hosting websites to warn users about malicious websites before they can do any harm. The information presented in this section has been generated from telemetry data produced by Internet Explorer and Bing. See the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report website for more information about these protections and how the data is collected.

To provide a more accurate perspective on the phishing and malware landscape, the methodology used to calculate the number of Internet hosts in each country or region has been revised. For this reason, the statistics presented here should not be directly compared to findings in previous volumes.

Malicious website statistics for Pakistan

Metric

1Q12

2Q12

Phishing sites per 1,000 hosts (Worldwide)

1.78 (1.6)

0.55 (1.8)

Malware hosting sites per 1,000 hosts (Worldwide)

1.85 (3.9)

1.72 (4.4)

Drive-by download per 1,000 URLs (Worldwide)

0.18 (0.7)

0.71 (0.9)

Update service usage

Microsoft provides several tools and services that enable users to download and install updates directly from Microsoft or from update servers designated by their system administrators. The update client software (called Automatic Updates in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, and simply Windows Update in other currently supported versions of Windows) connects to an update service for the list of available updates. After the update client determines which updates are applicable to the user’s computer, it installs the updates or notifies the user that they are available, depending on the way the client is configured and the nature of each update.

For end users, Microsoft provides two update services that the update clients can use:

Windows Update provides updates for Windows components and for device drivers provided by Microsoft and other hardware vendors. Windows Update also distributes signature updates for Microsoft antimalware products and the monthly release of the MSRT. By default, when a user enables automatic updating, the update client connects to the Windows Update service for updates.

Microsoft Update provides all of the updates offered through Windows Update and provides updates for other Microsoft software, such as the Microsoft Office system, Microsoft SQL Server, and Microsoft Exchange Server. Users can opt in to the service when installing software that is serviced through Microsoft Update or at the Microsoft Update Web site (update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate ). Microsoft recommends configuring computers to use Microsoft Update instead of Windows Update to help ensure they receive timely security updates for Microsoft products.

Enterprise customers can also use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or the Microsoft System Center family of management products to provide update services for their managed computers.

Windows Update and Microsoft Update usage in Pakistan and worldwide

This chart shows the growth in the number of computers connecting to Windows Update and Microsoft Update in Pakistan over the last four years, indexed to the total usage for both services in Pakistan in 2008.

In 2012, the number of computers connecting to Windows Update and Microsoft Update in Pakistan was up 28.5 percent from 2011, and up 209.7 percent from 2008. By comparison, worldwide use of the two services increased 18.3 percent between 2011 and 2012, and 59.7 percent from 2008 to 2012.

Of the computers using the two update services in Pakistan in 2012, 47.0 percent were configured to use Microsoft Update, compared to 58.5 percent worldwide.

Source: Microsoft Security Intelligence Report [Full Report can be accessed here] Jan - June, 2012

This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT

This document is provided “as-is.” Information and views expressed in this document, including URL and other Internet website references, may change without notice. You bear the risk of using it.

Excel 2013 Flash Fill - How to?

jibran jamshad — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:50:00 GMT

This morning i got the task of appending @abc.com to a list of user names for e.g. usera, userb, userc should become usera@abc.com; userb@abc.com; userc@abc.com there were like 2500 hundred user ids and i had to put @abc.com in front of each and everyone. Excel 2013 Flash Fill came into my mind and this is how i achieved my task:

So let's begin Excel 2013 Flash Fill - Hello World!

Enter the user names in the column A

Enter the desired result in Column B for only one record such as here usera will become usera@abc.com

Now select this record/cell (usera@abc.com) and you would find a square on the bottom right of the selected cell. As soon as you will click the square (hold the mouse click) you would see at the bottom of your Excel work sheet a statement written as "drag outside selection to extend series or fill; drag inside to clear".

The idea here is to drag this selection to all the cells below which you want to be filled, as soon as you do you would notice all the cells would be filled with the same record as of the first cell which you used to drag. That is certainly not your target.

At the last cell (Row 5, Column B) you would again see a square appearing on the bottom right giving you an option list, click it and you will see four options.

Click Flash Fill and the result which you will get is shown in the below picture.

This is how you can replicate a dynamic series to multiple cells by just filling, dragging one cell and clicking Flash Fill.

Cheers

GSM Shutdown Issues? - Microsoft has a Solution! - Lync 2013

jibran jamshad — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:42:12 GMT

How to enroll / sign-up for Office 365 Education - Plan A2

jibran jamshad — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:14:25 GMT

I was working with Academia and one of the question which came across multiple times that what are the exact steps for signing up for Office 365 - Education - Plan A2 which is very much popular across schools, colleges and universities.

So here we go with the steps for registering Office 365 Education Plan A2.

1) Go to http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/education/compare-plans.aspx

2) Sign-up for a 30 Day Trial by filling up the Sign-Up Form.

3) Once done with the Registration you will be asked to Sign-In to the Portal.

4) As soon you will Sign-In you will be asked for "Verification of the eligibility for O365 for Education"

5) It's a 4 step process mainly comprising of providing and verifying your Domain Name by entering the TXT Record at your Domain Name Provider (Control Panel)

6) As soon as it's done successfully you are eligible to Purchase (by going in the Purchase tab or clicking the Purchase Now button) Office 365 for Education Plan A2 for 0.00 USD for your Academic Institution.

So this is how you can subscribe to Office 365 Plan A2 for Free by following the above simple steps. (only applies for valid Academic Institutions)

Internet Explorer 10 - compatibility, browser not being detected

jibran jamshad — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:45:51 GMT

Sometimes you would come across a scenario where you're actually using Internet Explorer 10 however when you open any website it will say that it can't be displayed properly because you're running an older version of the browser. Different websites gives different messages or they don't show you their full interface because it is assumed that you're probably on an older browser like IE 6, 7 etc or you're not running the latest version of Internet Explorer (10).

A small tip, when you think that you're on IE 10 etc and the message/interface appearing shouldn't appear then kindly hit F12 key and click on the Browser Mode tab, in my case when i open it i see that my browser is running under IE 10 compat view. This is the reason, once i click on Internet Explorer 10 and the page reloads fine.

Hence, earlier my browser was under the compatibility mode and once i switch it to IE 10 or what ever that website works like a charm.

Microsoft Releases Office 365 Home Premium - New consumer cloud service works across devices to help busy people simplify their lives and get more done.

jibran jamshad — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:01:27 GMT

Karachi - January 31^st, 2013 - Microsoft announced worldwide availability of Office 365 Home Premium, a reinvention of the company’s flagship Office product line for its consumers in Pakistan. Office 365 Home Premium is a cloud service designed for busy households and people juggling ever-increasing work and family responsibilities. The new offering includes the latest and most complete set of Office applications; works across up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs and Macs; and comes with extra SkyDrive storage and Skype calling — all for US$79.99 for an annual subscription, the equivalent of US$6.67 per month.

“The New Office is full of features that will allow people to access information from wherever they are allowing them to effectively manage their work life and find time to do things they want to strike the requisite balance” said Amir Rao - the New Country Manager for Microsoft Pakistan.

Microsoft also announced it will now deliver many new features and services to the cloud first, transforming the company’s traditional three-year release cycle. Now, new features and services stream to subscribers as soon as they are ready, keeping subscribers always up to date while eliminating the hassles of upgrading.

“This is a major leap forward,” said Kurt DelBene, president of the Microsoft Office Division. “People’s needs change rapidly, and Office 365 Home Premium will change with them.”

About Office 365 Home Premium

Office 365 Home Premium is available in 162 markets in 21 languages and includes the following:

The latest and most complete set of Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access
One license for the entire household to use Office on up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs or Macs, and get Office on Demand from any Internet-connected PC²
An additional 20 GB of SkyDrive cloud storage, nearly three times the amount available with a free SkyDrive account
Future upgrades, so you always use the latest time-saving technology

People can learn more about Office 365 Home Premium or try it free for 30 days at: http://www.office.com

For Enquiries please contact Haseeb Shaukat at a-hs@microsoft.com

Some Windows Azure Developer Resources you don't want to miss!

jibran jamshad — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 18:59:53 GMT

Some resources for quick developer start!

http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview/
(Developer Start)

http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/downloads/
(Download tools)

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8396
(Training Kit 356 MB)

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24398
(SharePoint & Azure Development Kit)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg490352.aspx
(Some Development Resources)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee336122.aspx
(App Development Tutorial)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/hh771389.aspx
(Troubleshooting guidelines)