Celebrating 20 Years of PowerShell & The Road to 7.6
+ Entra v1.2 updates, building security tools, and automating PIM
PowerShell Community Call - January 2026
Jason Helmick has an informative transcript and video of the latest community call, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of PowerShell and prepares for the upcoming 7.6 LTS release. The notes detail the roadmap for the Release Candidate, updates to PSResourceGet, and a demonstration of new Windows Update resources for Desired State Configuration (DSC).
Announcing Microsoft Entra PowerShell v1.2.0
Givinalis Omachar has an informative new post about the v1.2.0 update, which introduces production-ready support for Agent Identity Blueprints and expanded application configuration features. This release streamlines automation by consolidating functionality into the main module and aligning invitation APIs with modern Microsoft Graph models.
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/entrapowershell/announcing-microsoft-entra-powershell-v1-2-0/
Turning PowerShell Snippets into Enterprise-Grade Security Tooling
Jake Hildreth joined Andrew Pla for a compelling new video on evolving ad-hoc PowerShell snippets into “Locksmith,” a comprehensive security tool for detecting misconfigurations in Active Directory Certificate Services (ADCS). He details the project’s journey from a monolithic script to a robust, community-supported module, illustrating how iterative refactoring and CI/CD integration can transform simple administrative tasks into essential enterprise-grade software.
Entra ID – PIM for Groups – Automating PIM Group Activation in Entra ID with PowerShell
Michael Morten Sonne has a comprehensive new post on leveraging PowerShell and Microsoft Graph to automate Privileged Identity Management (PIM) group activation in Entra ID. The article demonstrates how to bypass the manual portal process with a script that handles eligibility validation and justification, ensuring secure, auditable just-in-time access for administrative tasks.
Fix WAM Sign In Error in Microsoft Graph | PowerShell & Intune
Chander Mani Pandey has a helpful new video on resolving the “Sign in by Web Account Manager is enabled by default” warning when connecting to Microsoft Graph via PowerShell. He demonstrates two solutions: modifying the MSAL_FORCE_WAM environment variable to disable the hidden window behavior, or using the -UseDeviceAuthentication parameter to authenticate via a browser code.
Test SSL/TLS Protocols using PowerShell
Harm Veenstra has a great post on using the Test-TlsProtocols module to audit server security by verifying enabled SSL/TLS versions and inspecting certificates directly from the command line. The article walks through installation and key parameters for customizing output, handling specific ports, and exporting certificate data for deeper analysis.
https://powershellisfun.com/2026/01/16/test-ssl-tls-protocols-using-powershell/
From SharePoint to Security with David Sass The PowerShell Podcast E210
Andrew Pla sits down with Microsoft MVP David Sass to discuss his transition into security and the power of PowerShell notebooks. He details how these notebooks can serve as accessible “click-to-run” interfaces for teams, allowing them to safely execute automation without needing deep command-line knowledge.
Automating Microsoft 365 with PowerShell Update 20
Tony Redmond has a detailed new post regarding Update #20 for the “Automating Microsoft 365 with PowerShell” eBook, which prepares subscribers for the upcoming February 2026 edition of Office 365 for IT Pros. The update covers practical workarounds for Teams channel meetings, the limitations of the new Create Site Graph API, and important technical observations on the latest Microsoft Graph SDK V2.34 and Exchange Online module V3.9.2 releases.
https://office365itpros.com/2026/01/22/automating-microsoft-365-20/
Jeff Hicks has an inventive article on using NTFS Alternate Data Streams to maintain a file’s history directly within the file itself. He demonstrates how to script a self-contained version control system by serializing the file’s content and timestamp into a hidden “history” stream every time it changes, allowing you to review and restore previous versions without needing external tools like Git.
https://buttondown.com/behind-the-powershell-pipeline/archive/streaming-file-history/
Windows Autopilot Device Preparation: Faster, Simpler Provisioning
Nicky De Westelinck provides a comprehensive guide on implementing and using Windows Autopilot Device Preparation. The article covers the differences from traditional Autopilot, the PowerShell cmdlets involved in configuration, and best practices for streamlining device provisioning in enterprise environments. This newer approach promises faster device setup times and simpler administration.
Upcoming Events
Zero Trust World 2026 - March 4th-6th Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, Florida. Zero Trust conference by ThreatLocker.
PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit 2026 April 13-17, 2026 in Bellevue, WA - The premier PowerShell community event returns this spring!
https://www.powershellsummit.org/
PSConfEU 2026 June 1-4, 2026 in Wiesbaden, Germany - Call for speakers is now closed.
https://psconf.eu/