💡 Our Technical Review in summary
#### Summary
- Microsoft is continuing the consolidation of its first-party authenticated SaaS products under the unified
cloud.microsofttop-level domain (TLD). - Microsoft Whiteboard is the latest service to transition, now available at
https://whiteboard.cloud.microsoft/. - This transition aims to provide a dedicated, secure, and easily identifiable DNS space exclusive to Microsoft’s ecosystem, reducing the risks associated with domain spoofing.
#### Impact
- Domain Redirection: Services are currently available on both the old and new domains. In the coming months, Microsoft will begin automatically redirecting all legacy Whiteboard traffic to the
cloud.microsoftdomain. - Backward Compatibility: Existing links and bookmarks to previous domains will remain functional through automatic redirection.
- User Interface Changes: Users will see the new URL in their browser address bar. The absence of the traditional
.comextension is by design, as.microsoftis a dedicated TLD owned by Microsoft. - Security: Moving to a first-party TLD improves security posture by making it significantly harder for malicious actors to create convincing phishing or spoofing sites.
#### Action Required
- Network Verification: Ensure that your enterprise network, firewalls, and proxy servers allow traffic to
*.cloud.microsoft. This is part of standard Microsoft network guidance issued since April 2023. - App Development: Coordinate with internal developers of Teams, Outlook, or Microsoft 365 apps to ensure their applications are prepared for domain changes to avoid service disruptions.
- Internal Documentation: While legacy links will redirect, it is recommended to update internal company portals, help desk scripts, and documentation to reflect the new
whiteboard.cloud.microsoftURL. - User Awareness: Educate end-users to recognize
cloud.microsoftas a legitimate and trusted domain to prevent confusion when the.comsuffix is no longer visible.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: stayInformed
Severity: normal
The cloud.microsoft domain was provisioned in early 2023 to provide a unified, trusted, and dedicated DNS domain space to host Microsoft’s first-party authenticated SaaS products and experiences. This post is to inform admins that the following Microsoft products and scenarios are now available at the cloud.microsoft domain, in parallel with the previous domains.
- Microsoft Whiteboard (https://whiteboard.cloud.microsoft/)
[When this will happen:]
The services above are already available on cloud.microsoft, in parallel to their previous domains. You can expect the previous domains to be redirected to cloud.microsoft in the coming months.
[How this will affect your organization:]
- The cloud.microsoft domain has been a part of standard Microsoft network guidance on domains and service endpoints since April 2023. If you are currently following this guidance, this change should not impact users in your organization using the above applications under the new domain.
- Users will be redirected to applications under cloud.microsoft domains gradually and automatically. No specific user action is required. Links to the previous domains are backwards compatible and continue to be supported. Users may notice that the new application domains are lacking the “.com” extension. This is by design, as “.microsoft” is Microsoft’s own top-level domain – and this exclusivity allows for additional security and protection against spoofing.
[What you need to do to prepare:]
- Educate users to recognize and expect cloud.microsoft as a key domain for Microsoft cloud experiences. You can refer them to What is cloud.microsoft? – Microsoft Support for more information.
- If your organizational websites, tools, or other materials reference the old URL, those links will be automatically redirected. However, it would be good practice to update those assets to avoid user confusion.
- Partner with developers of in-house Teams apps – including those that run on Outlook and Microsoft 365 – to take the actions described in Action required: ensure your Microsoft Teams apps are ready for upcoming domain changes so the apps continue to function on the new domain.
- Admins should ensure that connections to *.cloud.microsoft are not blocked from their clients and enterprise networks. This should require no action if standard Microsoft network guidance on domains and service endpoints is being followed.
