The Hack Newsletter -Edition 45 | Think Cloud

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💥📣 Edition 45 of The Hack -How to get the most from Microsoft Teams: A Guide to Microsoft’s Features

Content Quick Links:

How to get the most from Microsoft Teams: A Guide to Microsoft’s Features

Did you know...We're Going Down the Rabbit Hole

More control Over Your software

Review, Tech Fact, & Quote

Tech Update

Tech Quiz

5 Cyberscams your Buisness Should Watch Out For

Questions & Answers

Blog Insights-How to Secure Social Media with Two-Factor Authentication

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM MICROSOFT TEAMS: A GUIDE TO MICROSOFT’S FEATURES

You’d be forgiven for thinking Microsoft Teams is just a video calling tool.

Or maybe you’ve used it to send the odd message.

But here’s the truth:

Microsoft Teams is much more than just a chat app or Zoom alternative.

It’s a powerful communication and collaboration tool that will:

Save your business time

Help your people work better together, and

Make everyday tasks simpler

Whether you have employees in the office, working remotely, or spread across different locations, Teams brings everyone together in one secure, easy-to-use place.

You can chat in real time, hold video meetings, share and edit files, manage tasks, and stay on top of everything. All without switching between different tools or drowning in emails.

It also includes a bunch of helpful tools that can save time, keep work moving, and make your business run more smoothly. All without needing to switch between lots of different apps. You can bring in Microsoft tools you are already using, such as OneNote, SharePoint or Planner, or even third-party apps like Trello, Zoom or HubSpot.

These tools are built right into Teams. Once you know where to find them, they’re easy to use and incredibly handy.

And the best part? You don’t need to be tech-savvy to get the most out of it.

Getting started with Microsoft Teams doesn’t have to be difficult. With a bit of planning and a little patience, it can quickly become one of the most valuable tools in your business.

It saves time. It cuts down on confusion. It helps your people work better together. Whether they’re across the room or across the country.

Think Cloud has produced a handy digital guide to explain what Microsoft teams is and why your business needs it. And if you’re ready to see how Teams can make improvements in your business, we can help you get started.

Download the Guide

DID YOU KNOW...WE'RE GOING DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

On 30 October 2025 at Hull College, Think Cloud are hosting Going Down the Rabbit Hole: AI & Data Strategy, a Wonderland-themed adventure where we help you “follow the data” (not just the White Rabbit) to real business outcomes.

If AI sometimes feels like riddles from the Mad Hatter, we’ll bring the clear thinking: practical frameworks to turn data into decisions, guidance on safe AI adoption, and how to stay online, secure, and compliant.

At this event, we will also be marking our 22nd birthday with a whimsical wonderland-themed tea party, complete with enchanting treats, curious surprises and plenty of reasons to celebrate. Seats are limited, join the waitlist today.

Join the waitlist

MORE CONTROL OVER YOUR SOFTWARE

Microsoft’s testing a new policy that could make it much easier to remove Windows built‑in apps you don’t want. In a recent preview build, there’s an option called “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages from the system” tucked under Administrative Templates.

Turn it on, and it lets you tick apps like Teams, Weather, Xbox services, or even Snipping Tool and Paint (if you really want to). Then remove them in one go, instead of uninstalling each individually.

Core apps like Edge are still untouchable, and the feature is still in testing. But it’s a step toward giving businesses more control over the software on their devices.

TECH FACTS & QUOTE

Tech Facts

Amazon now has almost as many robots in its warehouses as it does human workers. Over a million robots are busy zipping around, picking, packing, and moving goods alongside people in sites all over the world. It’s a glimpse into how automation is reshaping the way businesses operate behind the scenes.

Korean scientists have been testing a new kind of PC filter inspired by the human nose. It uses a light coating of oil (just like the mucus on our nasal hairs) to trap dust more effectively and keep the inside of a computer clean. It might sound a bit gross, but it could mean far less dust clogging up your devices in the future.

Scientists in Japan have smashed the world record for internet speed, hitting 1.02 petabits per second. That’s about 127,500 gigabytes every single second, over 1,800 km of fibre optic cable. To put that in perspective, it’s roughly 350,000 times faster than the average home broadband. At that speed, you could download the entire Netflix library in under a second.

Tech Quote

“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.”

Ray Kroc, businessman behind McDonald's global expansion.

TECH UPDATE

Hotpatching is GO

Hotpatching is now part of Windows Autopatch, which you manage using Microsoft Intune (a tool to look after your company’s devices). This makes it easier to keep devices secure without stopping people from working.

What’s Hotpatching, you ask?

Hotpatching installs Windows quality updates in the background, without forcing a restart. Your team stays protected while staying productive.

Any new update policies created in Intune have this switched on by default. And existing policies can be updated by enabling the “apply without restarting the device (hotpatch)” option in the Intune admin centre.

It’s a simple change that helps reduce downtime and keeps your devices compliant with the latest security updates.

FUN TECH QUIZ

Tech or treat? It’s October’s fun tech quiz…

What is the function of a CPU in a computer?

What’s the difference between a file and a folder in a computer's file system?

What makes "Save" and "Save As" different in most applications?

What’s the purpose of a web browser's "private browsing" or "incognito mode"?

Which file extension typically indicates a video file?

Answers are at the bottom of the page!

5 CYBER SCAMS YOUR BUSINESS SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR

Cyber scams don’t need to be sophisticated to cause serious damage to a business. In fact, many of today’s most effective scams rely on busy people making quick decisions and not having time to double‑check what they’re doing.

Staying informed is one of the best ways to stay protected. So here are five scams we’re seeing right now:

Robocall scams

With artificial intelligence, scammers can clone someone’s voice using only a short audio clip. You get a call that sounds exactly like a supplier or even a colleague, asking you to urgently confirm bank details. It feels genuine, but it isn’t.

Some scams even use this information to carry out a “SIM swap”, tricking a phone provider into moving your number to a criminal’s SIM card so they can intercept security codes.

Crypto investment scams

A convincing email or social media post might offer an incredible return on a business investment. Some of these projects, known as “rug pulls”, are designed to collect funds and then disappear, leaving investors with nothing.

Romance scams (sometimes called pig‑butchering scams)

These might sound unrelated to business, but they’re not. Scammers build trust over weeks or months, often through social media or messaging apps, and then persuade someone to share sensitive information or even send money.

In some cases, they use AI‑generated images or videos to make the scam more believable and later threaten to leak personal material unless they’re paid.

Malvertising

Criminals hide malicious links inside paid ads on legitimate sites. An employee looking for a new supplier or tool could click an ad and unknowingly install malware onto a company laptop.

Formjacking

This is where criminals inject code into an online checkout form to steal payment or login details. If staff buy supplies or services from websites that aren’t secure, those details can be intercepted.

The common thread is simple: These scams exploit human attention and trust. Regular reminders and training help staff stay alert, question unexpected requests, and think twice before clicking. A little extra caution can stop a scam before it starts.

We can help you make sure your team is vigilant about these scams and more? Get in touch.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

QUESTION

Is it ok to let staff install their own apps on work devices?

ANSWER

Not without approval. Unchecked apps can introduce malware or data leaks.

QUESTION

Q: How often should we test our data backups?

ANSWER

A few times a year at a minimum and check your backup is working weekly. A backup isn’t useful if it doesn’t restore when you need it.

QUESTION

Can we save money by turning off automatic software updates?

ANSWER

No. It might save a little time now but leaves you wide open to attacks fixed by those updates.

Blog Insights

How to Secure Social Media with Two-Factor Authentication

Securing your brand's social media presence is essential this October. Implementing Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is the quickest way to reduce the risk of account takeovers that can lead to fake posts, malware links, and damage to your reputation. In our latest blog, we explain why relying on passwords alone is insufficient and guide you through the process of activating 2FA on all your social media platforms.

Our approach is straightforward: make 2FA mandatory for everyone who has access to your pages, use an authenticator app instead of SMS for added security, securely store backup codes, regularly audit admin roles, and combine this with strong passwords, endpoint protection, and routine security assessments.

Make hackers guess again, read our 2FA tips on the link below:

If you need assistance with this process, including implementing Microsoft 365 security policies, Think Cloud is here to help!