All posts in category learning

Midwest Management Summit (MMSMOA) 2026

I’m excited to be presenting two sessions at the upcoming Midwest Management Summit at Mall of America (MMSMOA), taking place May 3-7, 2026, at the Radisson Blu in Bloomington, MN. This is the premier systems management event in the U.S., offering unrivaled access to Microsoft and industry professionals from around the world.

Cloud PKI for Intune

My first session, Zero to Certificates in 5 Minutes with Cloud PKI for Microsoft Intune, covers how to quickly configure and deploy certificates using Cloud PKI for Microsoft Intune. This session is ideal for anyone looking to streamline certificate management without the traditional heavy infrastructure burden.

Entra Private Access

My second session, Moving to Zero Trust: Entra Private Access for Always On VPN Administrators, explores the transition from traditional Always On VPN to Microsoft’s Entra Private Access, highlighting practical steps, architectural differences, and the benefits of maintaining secure access in a modern Zero Trust environment. I will also share important migration tips, tricks, and best practices.

Let’s Connect!

Looking forward to diving into these topics with everyone there. I hope to see some familiar faces and meet new ones, too! If you are attending the event, be sure to say hello!

Additional Information

Midwest Management Summit at Mall of America (MMSMOA)

Cloud PKI for Microsoft Intune on RunAs Radio

Microsoft Entra Private Access on RunAs Radio

Leave a comment
by Richard M. Hicks on March 13, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in Active Directory Certificate Services, Certificate Authentication, Certificate Services, Certificate-Based Authentication, certificates, Cloud PKI, Conference, education, Entra, Entra Private Access, Entra Private Network Connector, learning, Microsoft, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Entra Global Secure Access, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Entra Private Access, PKI, Training, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on March 13, 2026

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2026/03/13/midwest-management-summit-mmsmoa-2026/

Always On VPN Ask Me Anything (AMA) April 2026

We’re already through most of Q1 2026, so I’ve put another AMA on the calendar so we can all connect again. Be sure to join me on Tuesday, April 7, at 10:00 AM PDT (UTC -7) for the next edition of the Always On VPN AMA (Ask Me Anything!) session.

Do you have questions about Always On VPN? Are you having a specific issue you can’t figure out? Would you like more information about configuration options? Here’s your chance to get your questions answered! Register now and join the session to ask me anything (AMA!) about Microsoft Windows Always On VPN and related technologies.

The AMA will be an open forum session where we can all talk shop about Always On VPN and related technologies. It’s a great chance to learn new things and share experiences with your peers. We’ll discuss known issues and limitations, best practices, and more. I’m also planning to have some special guests, so be sure to join us!

Everyone is welcome. Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to connect and learn. Register now!

Can’t make the session? Register anyway, and I’ll send you the link to the recording as soon as it is available!

Leave a comment
by Richard M. Hicks on March 13, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in Always On VPN, Always On VPN DPC, AMA, AOVPN, AovpnDPC, Azure VPN, DPC, DPC Support, education, learning, Microsoft, VPN, webinar, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on March 13, 2026

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2026/03/13/always-on-vpn-ask-me-anything-ama-april-2026/

PKI Fundamentals with Microsoft AD CS Training Course

I’m excited to announce that I’ve partnered once again with the fine folks at the ViaMonstra Online Academy to deliver a new live training course entitled PKI Fundamentals with Microsoft Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS). The event consists of six weekly live webinars beginning on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 3:00 PM CST.

Why AD CS Training?

Digital certificates are strong, phishing-resistant credentials that are an excellent choice for authentication to critical workloads like Always On VPN and enterprise Wi-Fi. However, managing certificate services infrastructure can be daunting. This course provides administrators with a fundamental understanding of enterprise PKI with Microsoft AD CS.

Course Overview

The event format for this course consists of six weekly live sessions on Thursdays starting on January 15, 2026. The classes are two hours long, running from 3:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST each day. During the course, we’ll cover the following topics.

  • PKI concepts and certificate use cases
  • Designing and deploying certificate authorities (CAs)
  • Configuring templates and enrollment
  • Managing revocation and maintenance

Who Should Attend

Organizations planning to use certificate authentication for enterprise VPN and Wi-Fi workloads will benefit from this training course. Also, those considering a new AD CS deployment will find this training beneficial. In addition, administrators managing an existing production AD CS environment will gain valuable insight.

Enroll Now

Registration for this training class is available now. The cost is $295.00—an incredible bargain! Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to gain foundational AD CS skills. Click the registration link below and reserve your spot today!

Additional Information

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

Enterprise PKI

Cloud PKI for Microsoft Intune

Leave a comment
by Richard M. Hicks on November 6, 2025  •  Permalink
Posted in Active Directory, Active Directory Certificate Services, AD CS, ADCS, administration, authentication, Certificate Authentication, Certificate Authority, Certificate Services, Certificate-Based Authentication, certificates, education, Enterprise, Infrastructure, learning, Microsoft, PKI, public key infrastructure, Security, SSL, SSL and TLS, TLS, Transport Layer Security, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on November 6, 2025

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2025/11/06/pki-fundamentals-with-microsoft-ad-cs-training-course/

« Older Posts