Microsoft Teams is improving its Accessibility features, introducing Sign Language View

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On November 17th, Microsoft announced a new feature for Microsoft Teams – sign language view. This accessibility update improves the Teams meeting experience for signers by allowing users to keep selected users in centre stage, ensuring interpreters remain in a consistent location throughout every meeting.

Sign Language view makes several changes to improve accessibility for the Deaf and/or hard of hearing, including:

  • Keeping interpreters and other signers ‘video feeds in a consistent location
  • Ensuring that video feeds are an appropriate shape and size for sign language to be visible
  • Allowing participants to have up to two other signers in view throughout each meeting
  • Reducing repetitive meeting setup tasks like pinning interpreters and turning on captions at the start of each meeting.

With sign language view enabled, video streams are automatically prioritised at the highest available image quality and the correct aspect ratio. Like pinning and captioning, the sign language view does not affect other members in the meeting and can adapt to your needs.

The sign language view allows video feeds of the individuals you have assigned to stay visible on centre stage if their video is turned on. Other meeting members can also be pinned or spotlighted without blocking the view of the sign language interpreter.

Teams Sign Language Interpreter

Microsoft Teams: Sign Language View

When a member of a meeting shares content such as a presentation, the prioritised sign language interpreter’s video changes position, however, it remains more prominent than other video feeds and remains at high quality.

Microsoft Teams Sign Language View Presentation

Microsoft Teams, Sign Language View prioritised even when presenting

Microsoft has also allowed users to:

  • Set sign language view as a default across all their meetings
  • Pre-identify preferred signers that work within an organisation
  • Toggle captions on and off across all their meetings.

Users can find these options in the new Accessibility panel in the setting menu.

Accessibility Settings in Microsoft Teams

Accessibility Settings in Microsoft Teams

To find out more, read the article from the team at Microsoft, and learn more about Microsoft team accessibility features and how to use the sign language view feature.

The sign language view accessibility feature was initially released in Public Preview and is currently being rolled out for the Teams desktop application and web clients for commercial and GCC customers. You can enable public preview on a per-user basis. To find out how to enable the feature check out Microsoft Teams Public Preview in Microsoft Learn.

For advice on making Microsoft Teams work for your organisation, contact GCIT today

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Windows 11 now supports iCloud Photos natively.

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iCloud in the Microsoft Photos

iCloud is now available natively within the Photos App for Windows 11 Users, Source: Microsoft, 2022

The Windows team announced earlier this month that the latest update to the Photos App would support iCloud Photos. This update started rolling out on the 9th of November and should be available to all Windows 11 users by the end of the month.

The updated Photos app available in Windows 11 already supports OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage solution. Photo and video collections from iCloud devices can be viewed directly on a PC. This integration will improve the ease of use for many iPhone users allowing photos to sync to the Photos app automatically.

To use this feature, ensure the Photos app is updated to the latest version and install the iCloud for Windows app from the Microsoft Store. Sign into your Apple account in the iCloud for Windows app and choose to sync your photos. Your iCloud Photos and Video content will now automatically appear in your Windows Photo app.

To find out about the latest Windows updates, follow the Window Blog, or see what’s new in the latest Windows 11 2022 Update.

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Priority Access for .au domain names ends September 20th. Is your business ready?

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.au domain change

What is the new .au domain?

The .com.au country-specific web address has been in use for over 30 years. Like similar country codes such as .uk, it allows web users to identify Australian businesses and commercial entities quickly. In March of this year, .au Domain Administration Limited (auDA) launched a new shorter domain – .au.

The .au direct name is a general-purpose domain open for anyone with a verifiable connection to Australia who wishes to create or manage an online presence.

Unlike .com.au, which requires an ABN or ACN to verify that you are an Australian business to register, a .au domain does not have this requirement, opening it up to the Australian general public. If you currently own a domain name in any other .au namespace, you have priority registration to the .au direct equivalent of your existing domain until 20 September 2022.

What happens if I don’t register my organization’s .au domain before the cut-off date?

If you don’t request a .au domain via priority allocation by 20 September, the domain will become available for registration by the general public on 3 October. After this date, anyone that meets the requirements of registering a .au domain will be able to register one, regardless of whether a .com.au or .net.au equivalent already exists.

What does this mean for my business?

While this new domain offers businesses, organisations, and individuals opportunities to rebrand, extend or change their online presence, it can also pose a significant risk. Cybercriminals can also use this as an opportunity to commit fraudulent activity against your business. By registering your business’ .au name, a cybercriminal could impersonate your organisation by creating a fake online presence. This could include creating a copy of your website or using the .au domain to send phishing emails under your company’s name.

What steps should I take to protect my business or organisation?

While these changes will not inherently cause issues, you can take some steps to protect your organisation. The ACSC recommends that all Australian businesses, organisations, and individuals take advantage of the priority allocation process to register the .au direct equivalents of the existing domain names.

It is common practice for businesses to register the same names across multiple domains, for instance, gcit.com.au and gcit.net.au. When the .au direct namespace domain launched on 24 March this year, the Priority Allocation Process was created. This process allows existing registrants in the .au registry the first opportunity to apply for the .au direct match of their existing domain name/s. To qualify for priority access, you must have registered the domain name before the launch of the new .au domain.

How do I register for a Priority Allocation for a .au namespace domain?

To register the .au direct match of your existing domain name, you must apply for priority status by 20 September 2022 (23:59 UTC 20 September / 9:59 AM AEST 21 September). You can do this either through your current registrar or another accredited registrar. If you use a new registrar, you will need to retrieve a priority token from the Priority ID Token tool. This token enables a registrar to confirm that you are the owner of the matching existing domain name.

What can I do with the new domain once I have registered it?

If you have an existing web presence, one of the easiest things you can do is to create a redirect from the .au domain to your existing website. A redirect ensures that anyone searching for your business will find the correct site regardless of whether they use .au or.com.au. Of course, many businesses already do this with .net.au and .com addresses.

Another option is moving your website to the .au domain and redirecting your current .com.au address. Ultimately the web address you choose for your business will depend on the needs of your business.

To learn more about the new .au domain, visit auDA, the administrator of Australian .au domains.

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Which Australian businesses are affected by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme?

The recently implemented Notifiable Data Breaches scheme imposes an obligation for entities to notify individuals whose personal information was exposed in a data breach if they’re at risk of serious harm.

If you don’t comply with the requirements of the scheme, the penalties can be quite severe. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner can impose fines of up to $1.8 million for organisations, and $360 000 for company directors.

To find out how to assess a breach, as well as how to correctly notify any affected individuals, see this resource on the OAIC Website .

Which businesses need to comply?

While all businesses should take the privacy and security of customer data seriously, not every one needs to adhere to the NDB scheme.

If your business meets any of the following criteria, you’ll need to make sure you’re aware of the new requirements. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. See the OAIC website for more information.

  • Any business with an annual turnover over $3 million dollars
  • Entities that are Tax File Number recipients, such as:
    • solicitors
    • tax agents
    • accountants
    • share registries and agents of ESS providers
  • Entities that provide any health services, such as:
    • traditional health service providers, such as private hospitals, day surgeries, medical practitioners, pharmacists and allied health professionals
    • gyms and weight loss clinics
    • complementary therapists, such as naturopaths and chiropractors
    • child care centres and private schools.
  • Organisations or small businesses that provide credit, such as:
    • a bank
    • a building society, finance company or a credit union
    • a retailer that issues credit cards in connection with the sale of goods or services
    • an organisation or small businesses that supplies goods and services where payment is deferred for seven days or more, such as telecommunications carriers, and energy and water utilities
    • certain organisations or small busineses that provide credit in connection with the hiring, leasing, or renting of goods.
  • Entities related to an APP (Australian Privacy Principles) entity.
  • Entities that trade in personal information. These are businesses buy or sell personal information for a benefit, service or advantage.
  • Employee associations registered under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009

How to make sure your business is protected

If your organisation is covered by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, it’s important to make sure you are taking appropriate steps to protect your customers data.

Our Security First Managed Services offering is designed to help address the requirements of the NDB and the incoming EU General Data Protection Regulation. Find out how.

GCITS Security First Managed Services
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What’s causing Australia’s Data Breaches?

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Australia’s reported data breaches increased by 19% in the last quarter of 2019. In this short post, we break down what caused them and how you can protect your business.

Australian organisations are now subject to Notifiable Data Breach laws. These laws attempt to drive better security standards for protecting personal information, and they require organisations to disclose breaches to the Office of Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Companies who fail to disclose may be subject to hefty fines which also extend personally to company directors.

 

Want to protect sensitive information in Microsoft 365? Download our free Microsoft 365 Data Protection guide.

Find out more

 

How were Australian companies breached?

The OAIC releases a quarterly report on reported data breaches. The latest contains records up to December 2019 with a total of 537 reported breaches which break down into the following categories:

  • Malicious or criminal attack – 64%
  • Human Error – 32%
  • System Fault – 4%

Causes of Australian Data Breaches December 2019

To adequately protect your business against data breaches, you need to implement a system that addresses all three categories.

Protecting your organisation against malicious or criminal attacks

Let’s look at the methods hackers used to breach Australian businesses.

Methods Of Malicious Or Criminal Attack

Of the ‘Malicious or criminal attack’ category, 74% of breaches involved compromised credentials. These are known as identity attacks because they use a compromised identity to gain unauthorised access. According to Microsoft, by implementing Multi-Factor Authentication across all users, an organisation can defend itself against 99.9% of identity-based attacks.

Ransomware and Malware made up another 16% of ‘Malicious or criminal attack’ breaches. These can be prevented by implementing a capable desktop and email threat protection engine such as:

  • Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection
  • Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection.

Protecting your organisation against human error related breaches

Of the ‘Human Error’ category, 42% of breaches occurred using email. An example of this might be sending sensitive data to the wrong recipient. Companies can prevent this kind of breach by implementing a system which scans outbound email.

If the system determines that the email contains sensitive information, it can immediately block the mail delivery or alert a team member.

Protecting your organisation against System Fault breaches

Protecting your organization against system fault breaches relies on a combination of luck and due diligence. According to the OAIC, these types of breaches involve ‘disclosure of personal information on a website due to a bug in the web code, or a machine fault that results in a document containing personal information being sent to the wrong person.’

To defend against system faults, we recommend storing your sensitive data with reputable vendors only and choosing an IT partner who will regularly monitor and maintain your systems.

How can we help secure your environment against data breaches?

We use a combination of Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Microsoft Cloud App Security to implement enhanced cybersecurity for small businesses.

It’s not enough to simply buy the Microsoft licenses and apply them to your users.

To be effective in the modern threat landscape, these systems must be configured and monitored with policies applied and adhered to.

Want to learn more about protecting your data against breaches in Microsoft 365? Download our free guide on which features you should configure, or get in touch today.

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GCITS are the first Dropbox Elite Partners in Australia and New Zealand

GCITS - Dropbox Business Elite Partner

We’ve been providing Dropbox Business as a core part of our Managed Services for a few years now, and have received great feedback from customers for its simplicity and reliability.

Our customers get a seamless solution with Dropbox Business and Microsoft 365, with single sign on through Azure Active Directory, advanced protection via Microsoft Cloud App Security and an excellent integration with Office Online.

We’re thrilled to announce that we have completed the customer satisfaction and training requirements to become the first Dropbox Business Elite Partner in Australia and New Zealand. And we’re pretty happy with the smash cake too.

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