New Year, New Threats – Are You Ready?
As we welcome 2026, now’s the perfect time to reset your cyber priorities and take a fresh look at your organisation’s security posture. The threat landscape isn’t slowing down — in fact, it’s evolving faster, with stealthier attacks, cloud missteps, and outdated systems creating avoidable risk.
This month’s bulletin highlights three critical areas to address early in the year, so you can stay ahead of emerging threats and compliance demands.
Audit Microsoft 365 Copilot Usage to Avoid Licensing Waste
Microsoft 365 Copilot can deliver real productivity gains — but only when it’s actively used by the right people. As adoption grows, many organisations are discovering that unused or underutilised licenses are quietly inflating costs.
A structured, data-led approach to Copilot usage helps ensure your investment is delivering value, while supporting smarter governance and long-term planning.
Why It’s a Risk in 2026:
Limited visibility into usage makes it difficult to understand adoption and business value.
Users may have access without the skills or confidence to use Copilot effectively.
What You Can Do:
Perform regular audits using the Microsoft 365 admin centre to measure adoption and identify inactive users.
Reclaim and reallocate licenses, supported by a formal request and approval process.
Establish governance and enablement through clear eligibility rules, training, and Copilot Champions.
Why It’s a Risk in 2026:
Cloud usage is increasing, but visibility and governance often lag behind.
Users can unknowingly expose files to the public or other departments.
IT teams may not regularly audit permission settings across tools.
What You Can Do:
Conduct a SaaS security audit to spot misconfigurations.
Enforce least-privilege access across all cloud apps.
Use conditional access, DLP, and automated alerts for sensitive data.
Windows Server 2016 Extended Support Ends January 12, 2027
Windows Server 2016 is approaching a major milestone. From 12 January 2027, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, patches, or technical support. While that date may feel distant, organisations that start planning now are far better positioned to modernise securely and avoid last-minute risk.
This is an opportunity to strengthen your infrastructure, improve resilience, and move towards a more secure, future-ready server environment.
Why It’s a Risk in 2026:
Unpatched servers become high-value targets for ransomware and exploitation.
Unsupported platforms can lead to compliance failures (GDPR, PCI DSS, Cyber Essentials).
Modern applications, backups, and security tools may stop working reliably.
Delayed upgrades often result in rushed projects, downtime, and higher costs.
Cyber insurance claims may be challenged if unsupported systems are in use.
What You Can Do:
Identify any Windows Server 2016 instances across your environment.
Build a roadmap to move to Windows Server 2022/2025, hybrid cloud (Azure), or alternative platforms.
Begin planning early to enable a smooth, controlled transition.
The Cost of Doing Nothing:
If migration isn’t possible before January 2027, Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates (ESU). However, ESU is expensive and increases in cost each year, making it a short-term safety net rather than a sustainable strategy.
Vulnerabilities & Further End-of-Life Notifications
Staying aware of newly disclosed vulnerabilities and upcoming end-of-life milestones is essential for reducing exposure and planning remediation.
End-of-Life Announcements
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SonicWall Gen 6 Firewalls Limited Retirement Mode – All SonicWall Generation 6 firewalls reached Limited Retirement Mode in April 2024, and many models (including TZ series and others) will reach end of support in April 2026. Organisations with these devices should review lifecycle dates and plan upgrades. SonicWall Gen 6 Limited Retirement Mode Announcement
Active Vulnerabilities & Security Advisories
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Palo Alto Networks DoS Bug in Firewalls – A denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS could let unauthenticated attackers disable firewall protections; patches are available for affected versions. Palo Alto Networks warns of DoS bug letting hackers disable firewalls
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Fortinet FortiSIEM Critical Vulnerability Now Exploited – A critical Fortinet FortiSIEM flaw (CVE-2025-64155) with public exploit code is actively being exploited in attacks, allowing unauthenticated remote code execution and potential system compromise. Hackers now exploiting critical Fortinet FortiSIEM flaw in attacks
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Microsoft Copilot “Reprompt” Data Exfiltration Attack – A novel Copilot attack technique called Reprompt was found that could enable single-click silent data exfiltration from Microsoft Copilot sessions; Microsoft has since issued patches. New ‘Reprompt’ Attack Silently Siphons Microsoft Copilot Data
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Credential-Stealing Chrome Extensions – Threat research highlights malicious browser extensions impersonating enterprise or GenAI tools that can steal credentials or exfiltrate data (e.g., posing as HR or ERP extensions).
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Other Notable Security Alerts
• Bluetooth Fast Pair flaws expose devices to hijacking risk.
• Zero-day Windows info-disclosure bug addressed in recent patch releases.
• Veeam fixes critical remote code execution (RCE) vuln in Backup & Replication.
• Microsoft plans to enforce MFA for Microsoft 365 admin centre sign-ins.
Strengthen Your Security with our Cybersecurity Services
Protecting today’s IT environments requires constant visibility, proactive monitoring, and a security strategy that evolves with emerging threats. Symetri’s Cybersecurity Services, including Managed Security Services, are designed to help you stay protected, reduce risk, and maintain compliance, without adding pressure to internal teams.
Our services can support you with:
24/7 security monitoring and threat detection
Vulnerability management and remediation guidance
Identity, access, and cloud security posture management
Backup, recovery, and resilience services
Ongoing security assessments and optimisation
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Which Bluebeam Studio Is Right for You? Cloud vs On-premise
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