Software Conspiracy · May 2026 · Issue 27
Uncovering the truth behind the software you trust.
Independent technology journalism for IT admins, sysadmins, DevOps engineers and IT decision-makers. Founded in 1999; relaunched in 2026 by Noctrun Networks.
The cover story
Windows Server →Windows Server · Identity · Migration · 2026 outlook
Active Directory in 2026: Should You Migrate to Entra ID Now?
On-premises AD turns 26 this year. We break down whether mid-market shops should stay hybrid, go cloud-only with Entra ID, or — quietly — keep their domain controllers running for another decade.
May 22, 2026 · 11 min read
Latest from the desk
Windows Server
Veeam vs Acronis vs Datto: Honest 90-Day Backup Software Comparison
We ran Veeam, Acronis Cyber Protect and Datto BCDR side-by-side for 90 days against the same workloads. Here is what actually matters when you have to pick one in 2026.
May 20, 2026 · 12 min read
Security
Microsoft Defender vs CrowdStrike vs SentinelOne: The Honest 2026 Comparison
Three EDR platforms, three years of in-the-wild incidents, and one honest comparison. We break down detection quality, operational cost and the post-2024-outage trust math for 2026.
May 19, 2026 · 11 min read
Windows Server
50+ PowerShell Scripts Every Sysadmin Needs in 2026
A curated, working library of PowerShell snippets for Active Directory, Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Windows Server and patch management — battle-tested in production in 2026.
May 18, 2026 · 12 min read
Windows Server
What Mark Minasi Got Right About Windows in 1999 (And What We Got Wrong)
A respectful, twenty-seven-year retrospective on the Windows admin culture of 1999 — what survived, what was forgotten, and what the rest of us got embarrassingly wrong.
May 15, 2026 · 11 min read
Categories
Where we look
Six beats covering the enterprise software stack — from the identity layer to the budget line.
5 articles
Windows Server
Active Directory, Group Policy, PowerShell, Hyper-V and the rest of the Windows infrastructure stack.
1 article
Networking
Routers, switches, firewalls and the SD-WAN sales pitch.
2 articles
Security
EDR, MFA, ransomware, identity and zero-trust without the vendor fog.
0 articles
DevOps
CI/CD, containers, infrastructure-as-code and the cost of platform engineering.
1 article
Cloud vs On-Prem
When the cloud bill exceeds the rack — and when it doesn't.
1 article
Vendor Watch
Pricing changes, license traps and quiet contract clauses.
Windows Server desk
The infrastructure beat
Windows Server
Active Directory in 2026: Should You Migrate to Entra ID Now?
May 22, 2026 · 11 min read
Windows Server
Veeam vs Acronis vs Datto: Honest 90-Day Backup Software Comparison
May 20, 2026 · 12 min read
Windows Server
50+ PowerShell Scripts Every Sysadmin Needs in 2026
May 18, 2026 · 12 min read