Tech Brief
March 24, 2026
Your morning roundup of the most relevant technology and AI news. Curated by 312 IT Consulting.
Huntress expands identity threat detection to Google Workspace after surpassing 10M Microsoft 365 identities
Huntress, the managed security platform popular with MSPs and small businesses, announced today that it has surpassed 10 million Microsoft 365 identities protected and is now expanding its Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) capabilities to Google Workspace. The expansion means businesses using either Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace can now get real-time monitoring for compromised accounts, suspicious sign-ins, and credential-based attacks through a single platform.
Why it matters for your business: Identity-based attacks — stolen passwords, session hijacking, MFA bypass — are now the number-one way attackers get into small business environments. If your company uses Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, having an identity monitoring layer on top of your email and collaboration suite is quickly becoming table stakes. If your current IT provider isn't monitoring for compromised identities, it's worth asking why. Our cybersecurity checklist covers the essentials.
Read the announcement →New York DFS issues cybersecurity advisory warning of heightened threats from global conflict
The New York Department of Financial Services issued an industry-wide cybersecurity advisory reminding regulated entities of increased risk from nation-state cyber operations linked to ongoing global conflicts. The advisory follows a major attack attributed to Iran that knocked Stryker Corporation — a global medical device maker — offline for days. Russian-affiliated actors are also running phishing campaigns targeting WhatsApp and Signal accounts of high-value individuals.
Why it matters for your business: You don't need to be a financial institution or a Fortune 500 company to be collateral damage in a nation-state cyber campaign. These attacks often start with supply chain compromises and phishing that hit companies of all sizes. The DFS advisory reinforces what every Chicago business should already be doing: patching systems promptly, enabling MFA on all accounts (especially messaging apps), and having an incident response plan documented before you need it. If you're not sure where your gaps are, our IT consulting team can run a quick assessment.
Read the DFS advisory →Microsoft announces 365 E7 "Frontier Suite" — unifying Copilot, Agent 365, and E5 into one license
Microsoft revealed Microsoft 365 E7, a new top-tier license called the "Frontier Suite" that bundles Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and the upcoming Agent 365 platform into a single SKU. Agent 365, which goes generally available May 1, lets businesses build and deploy custom AI agents across Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint. Separately, Microsoft confirmed that Copilot and Copilot Studio now run on GPT-5.4 Thinking and GPT-5.3 Instant models, bringing deeper reasoning and faster responses to enterprise AI workflows.
Why it matters for your business: Microsoft is clearly signaling that AI agents — not just chatbots — are the next wave of productivity tooling. For SMBs already on Microsoft 365, the E7 bundle simplifies licensing if you're ready to go all-in on Copilot and custom agents. But don't rush to upgrade without evaluating what you actually need. Many small businesses are still underusing their current E3 or Business Premium features. If you want help figuring out which tier makes sense, reach out for a quick consultation.
See what's new in M365 →Discovery Partners Institute opens new Chicago HQ to anchor AI and quantum tech development
The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), the University of Illinois system's innovation hub, has purchased an office building at 250 S. Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago to serve as its permanent headquarters. The facility will bring AI, quantum computing, and advanced technology research under one roof and is positioned to drive economic development across the Chicagoland region. This follows a strong week for Chicago tech: startup Yourco raised $6 million for its deskless workforce communication platform, and Fifth Star Funds announced plans to invest in at least six tech startups founded by people of color.
Why it matters for your business: Chicago's tech ecosystem continues to grow, and that creates real opportunities for local SMBs. DPI's new hub will accelerate partnerships between universities, startups, and established businesses — meaning more talent, more pilot programs, and more chances to adopt emerging technology early. If your business serves the Chicagoland market, staying plugged into the local tech community can give you a competitive edge. For Chicagoland businesses looking to modernize their technology stack, 312 IT Consulting is here to help you navigate the options.
Read about DPI's new home →GitHub Actions supply chain attack compromises workflows across hundreds of repositories
A coordinated supply chain attack hit GitHub Actions workflows maintained by Checkmarx and Aqua Security's Trivy vulnerability scanner, injecting credential-stealing malware into CI/CD pipelines used by hundreds of open-source and private repositories. The attack, discovered the week of March 19, exploited trust in popular third-party GitHub Actions to exfiltrate secrets, API keys, and access tokens from build environments. Separately, a pre-authentication remote code execution flaw in BeyondTrust Remote Support (CVE-2026-1731) is being actively exploited in ransomware campaigns.
Why it matters for your business: Even if your team doesn't write code, your software vendors do — and their build pipelines are now a target. Supply chain attacks like this can compromise the tools and updates you install. Make sure your software vendors have a clear security posture, ask about their CI/CD hygiene, and keep your own systems patched. If your business uses any remote support tools, verify you're on the latest version immediately. Not sure how to evaluate your vendor risk? Our IT consulting services include vendor security assessments.
Read the threat report →Need help navigating these changes?
312 IT Consulting helps small and mid-size businesses in Chicagoland cut through the noise and implement technology that actually moves the needle. Call us at (224) 382-4084 or book a free consultation.
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