Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast
Your Microsoft Cloud News from a couple of IT Pros. The podcast covers Microsoft cloud technologies, including Azure, Microsoft 365, and related topics, aimed at IT professionals. Hosted by Ben Stegink and Scott Hoag, it provides insights, tips, and updates on the Microsoft cloud ecosystem.
Episodes
Episode 438: Taking your WorkOS and LLM Wiki to the Next Level
Welcome to Episode 438 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Back in Episode 429, Ben and Scott introduced LLM wikis. In this episode, they come back a few months later to compare what those wikis turned into after real daily use: personalized work operating systems, or a WorkOS, that tie together tasks, meetings, research, communications, and recurring workflows. Scott walks through the skills t
Episode 437: Nasuni and AI-Ready Unstructured Data with Nick Burling
Welcome to Episode 437 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Nick Burling, Chief Product Officer at Nasuni, joins Ben and Scott to talk about getting unstructured file data ready for AI. Nick digs into why 70 to 80 percent of enterprise data sits in file shares and object storage, how that data tends to end up ungoverned and risky to point AI at, and Nasuni’s PSYCHIC framew
Episode 436: Finding the Entra Tenants You Didn't Know You Had
Welcome to Episode 436 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott dive into Microsoft Entra Tenant Governance. Almost nobody runs one Microsoft Entra tenant. Mergers, divestitures, dev and test environments, regional partitioning, that one AI proof-of-concept somebody spun up on a credit card. Organizations accumulate tenants the way they accumulate SharePoint sites. The
Episode 435: Power BI Meets Git and MCP
Welcome to Episode 435 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott take a lap around what’s new in Power BI, starting with the two MCP servers now in preview, one local and one remote, that can clean up your data model, write DAX for you, and turn a messy pile of tables into an actual usable semantic model. Ben shares how it helped him tame a 44 table QuickBooks Onl
Episode 434: Reading the Spec Sheet on Microsoft's Agentic SOC
Welcome to Episode 434 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Microsoft announced Project Perception on 2026-07-27 with a lot of “workforce of AI agents” language. In this episode, Ben and Scott discuss what Perception really is, what it needs from your tenant, what it costs, and what happens the first time an agent asks you to approve something. Six agents. Seven playbooks. Every one
Episode 433: Passkeys, Passwords, and the End of SMS MFA
Welcome to Episode 433 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott discuss how Microsoft 365 authentication is moving from “make passwords safer with MFA” to “remove phishable authentication wherever possible.” The practical conversation for IT pros is no longer just whether MFA is enabled. It is which methods are allowed, which users are still on
Episode 432: AI-Era Consulting Billing for Microsoft Cloud Delivery
Welcome to Episode 432 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott discuss how AI is not eliminating Microsoft 365 and Azure consulting, but it is changing what clients think they are buying.
Show Notes
Inside Consultants’ Messy Shift From Hourly Billing
Episode 431: Agent Governance Is the New App Governance
Microsoft 365 Copilot readiness report
Microsoft 365 Co
Episode 431: Agent Governance Is the New App Governance
Welcome to Episode 431 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott get into why agent governance is quickly becoming one of the most pressing challenges for Microsoft 365 administrators. As agentic workflows become more common across Copilot, Copilot Studio, and third-party platforms, organizations are dealing with a sprawl problem that looks familiar but hits differently
Episode 430: Scouting out Microsoft Scout
Welcome to Episode 430 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, where Scott and Ben dig into Microsoft Scout, the new desktop AI application announced at Microsoft Build. They walk through the real onboarding experience on both Mac and Windows, the licensing maze and admin controls needed to activate it, and how Scout’s architecture ties together models, automations, and integrations like MCP,
Episode 429: Getting started with LLM Wikis
Welcome to Episode 429 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott and Ben dig into the concept of LLM wikis, specifically building personal knowledge management vaults using Obsidian, markdown, and AI tooling like Claude Code, GitHub Copilot CLI, and Copilot Cowork. The core idea comes from a gist by Andrej Karpathy and involves creating a structured folder of markdown clippings
Episode 428: Migrating Group Policy to Microsoft Intune
Welcome to Episode 428 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott unlock the secrets to modernizing your IT management by ditching pesky on-prem GPOs and embracing the future with Intune. They discuss how savvy IT pros are migrating thousands of GPOs into clean, manageable cloud policies. Dive into real-world workflows: from exporting and analyzing legacy GPOs with AI to
Episode 427: Copilot Cowork Hands-On Experiences
Welcome to Episode 427 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott open with a quick look at YAKO (getyako.com), a browser extension built by community member Merrill that replaces the new tab page with a customizable dashboard of Microsoft 365 and cloud links. From there, the conversation turns into an extended follow-up on Copilot Cowork, covering some of their recent h
Episode 426: Claude Cowork vs Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork
Welcome to Episode 426 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast.Ben and Scott are back together this week to talk through Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, including how it compares to Claude Cowork and where each one makes sense. The two products share a name but work pretty differently. Claude Cowork runs locally on your desktop and can access files on your machine, supports MCP server connections whil
Episode 425 – Exploring Collaboration and Governance at the MVP Summit with Joy Apple
Welcome to Episode 425 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this audio and video episode recorded live at Microsoft headquarters during the MVP Summit, Ben welcomes a return guest, Joy Apple, to the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast and discuss her 20-year career in the Microsoft collaboration space, from financial services to SharePoint training, consulting, and her current role at Orchestry So
Episode 424 – A new frontier for Microsoft 365 with E7
Welcome to Episode 424 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott dig into the newly announced Microsoft 365 E7 SKU which bundles M365 E5, Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Microsoft Entra Suite, and Microsoft Agent 365.
Show Notes
Partner Blog | Introducing Microsoft 365 E7: The Frontier Suite
Powering Frontier Transformation with Copilot and agents
Microsoft Entra Suite
Episode 423 – Non-Human Identities in Microsoft Entra with Eric Woodruff and Chris Brumm
Welcome to Episode 423 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben is live from Workplace Ninjas, joined by Eric Woodruff, Chief Identity Architect at Semperis and Microsoft MVP in Security focused on identity, and Chris Brumm, Cyber Security Architect at glueckkanja and Microsoft MVP in Security with over 16 years of experience in cybersecurity. Together they dig into the often-ov
Episode 422: Back to the Terminal: The Rise of AI CLI Interfaces
Welcome to Episode 422 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott and Ben discuss their growing use of in their daily workflows, particularly Claude Code, GitHub Copilot CLI, and Gemini CLI. They explore how these command-line interfaces offer powerful ways to interact with local files and MCP servers beyond traditional desktop AI chat interfaces. They share how they are using
Episode 421: Microsoft 365 Mergers and Divestitures with Frank Lesniak
Welcome to Episode 421 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode Ben sits down for a conversation with Frank Lesniak, the lead of the Microsoft 365 team at West Monroe. In this episode, they dive into the intricacies of mergers and divestitures within Microsoft 365 environments. They discuss the initial due diligence phase, planning and approach, building and configuring new environme
Episode 420 – Ben convinces Scott to buy a 3D printer
Welcome to Episode 420 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott is back for a lighthearted discussion on some of the new tech and toys and that Ben and Scott picked up over the holidays. Listen in as Ben tries to convince Scott he needs a 3D printer and some feedback on the gadgets they both picked up.
Show Notes
Bambu Lab P2S 3D Printer
ViewSonic VP2788-5K 27″ 5K Mac-Read
Episode 419 – Security and AI: Security Store, Security Copilot, and Agents
Welcome to Episode 419 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben is once again live from Workplace Ninjas and is joined by John Joyner, an 18-year Microsoft MVP in Cloud Security and Azure Management. They discuss some of the announcements from Microsoft Ignite focused around Microsoft Security as well as diving deep into the new Security Store, AI agents, Security Compute Units
Episode 418 – An Anti-AI Adventure with Cat Schneider: SharePoint, Power Automate, and Conference Shenanigans
Welcome to Episode 418 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben sits down with Cat Schneider during a lively conference to discuss a variety of topics, focusing on the theme of “anti-AI.” They reflect on life and technology before AI became prominent, sharing tales of conferences, hackathons, and explorations of older tech solutions. They also discuss some of Cat’s adventures in
Episode 417 – Workplace Ninjas US, Zero Trust, and Conditional Access!
Welcome to Episode 417 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, Jay Leask joins Ben once more as the two of them recap their experience at Workplace Ninjas US in Dallas, Texas. They discuss conference highlights, the unique hackathon, engaging sessions, the Clippy Bucks system, and the importance of community and inclusion. The conversation also
Episode 416 – Microsoft Sentinel, Security, and Ignite with Henrik Wojcik
Welcome to Episode 416 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this week’s episode, Ben finally has a chance to sit down with Henrik Wojcik. Henrik has been a long-time listener as well as a fellow Microsoft MVP in Security and we finally had the chance to sit down and record an episode together, something we’ve talked about doing for years.
As they sit down and enjoy a sunny afternoon in at Mic
Episode 415 – Diving Into Ignite 2025 for IT Pros and AI Agent Management
Welcome to Episode 415 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Ben and Scott discuss the major announcements from Microsoft Ignite 2025, focusing on the dominant themes of AI agents and security. The conversation centers on three key areas: Security Copilot updates, Agent 365 for governance, and the broader security and management implications for IT professionals.
Key Discussion Topics
Security C
Episode 414 – When the Cloud Falls: Understanding the AWS and Azure Outages of October 2025
Welcome to Episode 414 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast.This episode covers the major cloud service disruptions that impacted both AWS and Azure in October 2025. Even the biggest cloud providers face operational challenges. Learn what happened, how it was resolved, and what IT pros should keep in mind for future resilience planning.
Show Notes
Back to the Future: 40th Anniversary in IMAX
Episode 413 – Simplifying Azure Files with a new file share-centric management model
Welcome to Episode 413 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Microsoft has introduced a new file share-centric management model for Azure Files, aiming to eliminate the complexity of managing storage accounts. This model treats file shares as top-level Azure resources, allowing for easier automation, granular access control, and independent scaling. It also simplifies billing with transparent pri
Episode 412 – Microsoft Sentinel Gets a Data Lake
Welcome to Episode 412 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we explore three announcements from Microsoft that are reshaping how security teams work with Sentinel. From a reimagined data architecture to AI integration and new visualization capabilities, Microsoft is doubling down on making security operations more intelligent, efficient, and accessible. Whether you’re a seasoned
Episode 411 – Securing AI with Microsoft Purview: Data Security Posture Management for AI
Welcome back to another episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast! In this episode, we dive deep into one of Microsoft Purview’s AI monitoring and protection capabilities: Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI – your secret weapon for monitoring and securing AI usage across your organization.
Show Notes
Learn about Data Security Posture Management
Learn about Data Security Posture
Episode 410 – Joy and Jay take over and talk Change Management
**
Welcome to Episode 410 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast where hosts Jay Leask and Joy Apple are joined by special guest Ben Stegink for a discussion recorded live from the North American Cloud and Collaboration Summit in Branson. In this episode we focus on how organizations must adapt their change management approaches for the Microsoft 365 cloud environment.We discuss the fundamental shi
Episode 409 – Preparing for Copilot- Securing Your Microsoft 365 Data and Beyond
Welcome to Episode 409 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott explore the configuration decisions tenant administrators face when preparing their Microsoft 365 environment for Copilot deployment. They dive into the key questions every IT professional should be asking: How do you identify and remediate oversharing in SharePoint sites before Copilot can access that con
Episode 408 – Model Context Protocol (MCP) Part 2: Getting the Most Out of MCP Servers
Welcome to Episode 408 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Part two of our exploration into Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers continues our hands-on discussion about finding, implementing, and getting the most out of MCP servers in your daily workflows.
Show Notes
Silicon Valley: Gilfoyle Made A Bot (Season 6 Episode 1 Clip) | HBO
Lokka
What is the Azure MCP Server (Preview)?
Microso
Episode 407 – Model Context Protocol (MCP) Part 1: The USB Port of AI Communications
Welcome to Episode 407 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we dive deep into the Model Context Protocol (MCP) – a game-changing specification that’s extending the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) and creating exciting new possibilities for IT professionals working with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365.
MCP represents a significant shift toward more extensible and d
Episode 406 – Agents of Insight: Copilot in Action and Sentinel on the Move
Welcome to Episode 406 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott discuss their recent experiences and thoughts on Microsoft’s Copilot features and agents, specifically focusing on the Researcher and Analyst agents. They share practical applications and benefits of these tools, such as using Researcher for meeting preparations and Analyst for exploring data, summarizing
Episode 405 – Loop, Loop Workspaces, Loop Pages, Copilot Pages, Copilot Notebooks, Copilot Notebooks in OneNote Notebooks
Welcome to Episode 405 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott tackle the increasingly complex world of Microsoft’s notebook ecosystem, exploring the new Copilot notebooks feature and how it relates to existing tools like OneNote and Loop. They break down the confusing landscape where “a notebook is not a notebook unless a notebook is a notebook in the right place.”
S
Episode 404: The Microsoft 365 Landing Page Shake-Up
Welcome to Episode 404 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott discuss the latest change Microsoft has rolled out to the Microsoft 365 user experience, redirecting users from the familiar portal.office.com to a new Copilot-centric landing page. This shift has caught many IT professionals off guard, rendering existing training documentation obsolete and creating user c
Episode 403 – Catching up on all the news from Microsoft Build 2025
Welcome to Episode 403 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast where Ben and Scott catch up on some of their favorite announcements and news from Microsoft Build 2025.
Show Notes
Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning
New Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning | Create fine-tuned models to write like you do
Behind the Curtain: A white-collar bloodbath
Announcing Microsoft Entra Agent ID: Secure and
Episode 402 – Declarative Agents with Andrew Connell
Welcome to Episode 402 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to have Andrew Connell (AC) joining us once again. If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ll recognize AC as a repeat guest and one of the early voices who encouraged us to launch this podcast. In this episode, we’re diving deep into the world of Microsoft Copilot agents from a bit of a developer’s pe
Episode 401 – Zero Trust in Microsoft 365
Welcome to Episode 401 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben Stegink and Scott Hoag dive into the intricacies of implementing Zero Trust principles within Microsoft 365 environments. They explore the foundational aspects of Zero Trust, starting with identity management and the importance of Entra ID. They also cover:
Identity Management: The critical role of identity in Zer
Episode 400 – Microsoft 365 Copilot Declarative Agents and Copilot Studio Agent Builder
Welcome to Episode 400 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott explore how IT professionals and developers can leverage Microsoft 365 Copilot’s declarative agents and the Copilot Studio Agent Builder to enhance productivity and streamline workflows within their organizations. Declarative agents allow you to define specific tasks and workflows, enabling Copilot to assi
Episode 399 – Azure Infrastructure as Code with Greg Suttie
Welcome to Episode 399 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we bring you another interview from the MVP Summit. In this episode, we were able to meet up with long time listener Greg Suttie and talk about his path to becoming an MVP as well as some of what he’s been working on in Azure. We cover everything he been doing with Infrastructure as code around Bicep, Azure Verified Mod
Episode 398 – PowerShell and Intune with Harm Veenstra
Welcome to Episode 398 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode Ben meets up with Harm Veenstra at the annual Microsoft MVP Summit. They chat a bit about Harm experience as an MVP and his path to becoming an MVP. Then the move into a few technologies near and dear to Harm, PowerShell and Microsoft Intune. They start off talking about some of the ways Harm uses PowerShell and some of
Episode 397 – Local LLMs: Why Every Microsoft 365 & Azure Pro Should Explore Them
Welcome to Episode 397 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott and Ben dive into the world of local LLMs—large language models that run entirely on your device. We’re going to explore why more IT pros and developers are experimenting with them, the kinds of models you can run, and how you can integrate them directly into your workflow, including in Visual Studio Code for AI-a
Episode 396 – Lessons from a real-life ransomware attack
Welcome to Episode 396 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben walks Scott through a ransomware attack on an on-premises VMware environment. As they discuss the attack and the results of it, they also talk through some lessons and considerations that could have helped mitigate such an attack.
Show Notes
How Long Does It Take for a Hacker to Crack a Password?
Default Account
Episode 395 – Getting Started with VDI in Azure with Azure Virtual Desktop
Welcome to Episode 395 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we dive into Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and how it enables organizations to deliver secure, scalable Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in the cloud. Whether you’re looking to modernize remote work, enhance security, or optimize IT costs, AVD provides a flexible solution for accessing virtualized Windows desktops and
Episode 394 – Prepare your Microsoft 365 Tenant for Copilot Success
Welcome to Episode 394 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we explore everything you need to know to get your Microsoft 365 tenant ready for Copilot. From licensing requirements to deployment best practices, we break down the steps to ensure a seamless setup.Key topics include:
Understanding Copilot licensing, including E3, E5, and Business Premium options.
Ensuring compati
Episode 393 – Microsoft Teams Meeting Room Solutions with Alex Mooney
Welcome to Episode 393 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben is joined on the show by Alex Mooney from Logitech. The two of them discuss the integration of technology into meetings. They start out discussion AI for transcribing in-person meetings, highlighting some of their benefits and then shift into discussion various meeting room systems for Microsoft Teams. They discuss
Episode 392 – Building Confidence In Your Microsoft Copilot Deployment with AvePoint CTO John Peluso
Welcome to Episode 392 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben interviews AvePoint CTO John Peluso. Listen in as they discuss Copilot in Microsoft 365 and how to govern and gain insights on your Copilot usage in your organization.
Copilot in Microsoft 365 is becoming a critical tool to supporting modern work. As Microsoft continues to iterate and improve on Microsoft Copilot, p
Episode 391 – Remote Desktop and Application Delivery with Kamal Srinivasan from Parallels
Welcome to Episode 391 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott sits down with Kamal Srinivasan from Parallels to talk how you can think about delivering applications and desktops to your users in post-Citrix world. As the traditional “Citrix” model faces disruption, we explore how remote work, hybrid scenarios, and cloud-based computing are redefining how organizations delive
Episode 390: Microsoft Ignite 2024: Windows 365 Link
Welcome to Episode 390 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, live from Microsoft Ignite 2024! In this episode Ben sits down for a chat with Melissa Grant, head of product marketing for Windows 11 Enterprise, Windows 365, and Azure Virtual Desktop at Microsoft. Melissa discusses her tenure at Microsoft and the evolution of cloud-based Windows offerings, starting with the launch of Azure Virtual De
Episode 389: Microsoft Ignite 2024: Redefining AI, Productivity, and Edge Computing
Welcome to Episode 389 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this special episode, we recap the game-changing announcements from Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft’s premier conference unveiling innovations across Microsoft 365 and Azure.We explore advancements in Agentic AI and multi-modal models that seamlessly accept and produce text, voice, and graphics. Discover how Copilot is evolving with feat
Episode 388 – Getting Started with Azure Bicep: Infrastructure as Code with a Domain Specific Language
Welcome to Episode 388 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we dive into Azure Bicep, Microsoft’s streamlined language for defining cloud infrastructure. If you’re new to Infrastructure as Code (IaC) or looking to simplify your Azure deployments, listen in to learn how easy it is to get started with Azure Bicep. We walk through the essentials, from setting up the necessary tools
Episode 387 – Windows on ARM: Physical Hardware vs Virtual Machines, App Compatibility, and Other Considerations
Welcome to Episode 387 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott and Ben dive into a discussion around Ben’s newly purchased Surface Pro 11th Edition – a Copilot Plus PC running on an ARM processor. Ben gives his takes on the state of the hardware and how Windows 11 runs on a native ARM processor. Scott also gives his experience running Windows 11 daily for work on Parallels De
Episode 386 – Exploring DevOps Tools: Maester, Pester, and SCUBA
Welcome to Episode 386 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we explore three powerful tools designed to improve automation, testing, and security in modern development and operations workflows: Maester, Pester, and SCUBA. Whether you’re a DevOps engineer, PowerShell enthusiast, or security professional, this episode is packed with valuable insights on how to streamline your proc
Episode 385 – Microsoft Sentinel: Deployment, Management, and Cost Optimization
Welcome to Episode 385 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we dive into deploying, managing, and optimizing Microsoft’s leading cloud-native SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) solution. Whether you’re new to Microsoft Sentinel or looking to deepen your expertise, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you secure your Azure environment effectively.
Episode 384 – Securing Azure: Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Welcome to Episode 384 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we tackle a wide range of essential topics to help you monitor, secure, and streamline operations across your Azure estate. From access control strategies to virtual machine agents and everything in between, this episode gives you a high-level overview of Microsoft Defender for Cloud and the suite of Azure services it p
Episode 383 – Securing Azure: Monitoring and observing your Azure estate
Welcome to Episode 383 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode we continue our discussion on security, transitioning from Microsoft 365 to Azure (Episode 382 – Securing the Modern Workplace: Exploring Microsoft Entra ID Security Defaults, Conditional Access Policies, and Microsoft Secure Score) to Microsoft Azure. We begin with Azure security logging and auditing, discussing the imp
Episode 382 – Securing the Modern Workplace: Exploring Microsoft Entra ID Security Defaults, Conditional Access Policies, and Microsoft Secure Score
Welcome to Episode 382 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we dive into three essential tools for safeguarding your organization in the cloud-first world: Security Defaults in Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access Policies, and Microsoft Secure Score. Join us as we talk through and rationalize each solution, including when and why you might want to use each depending on your m
Episode 381 – Microsoft Graph Data Connect
Welcome to Episode 381 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode we discuss Microsoft Graph Data Connect, a service that allows organizations to access and manage data from Microsoft 365 in a secure, scalable, and efficient manner.
Show Notes
Elgato’s New Stream Deck POWER-UPS make streaming even easier
USB Hub – Multiport adapter for Stream Deck +
Helping our customers th
Episode 380 – The future of AD FS is cloudy
Welcome to Episode 380 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode we discuss some of the latest security breaches that you should be on the lookout for and then we get into AD FS migrations and if you should consider it.
Show Notes
AT&T says criminals stole phone records of ‘nearly all’ customers in new data breach
Largest password database leak exposes nearly 10M credentials
Episode 379 – Azure Verified Modules
Welcome to Episode 379 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott take a look at Azure Verified Modules, a new initiative from Microsoft to consolidate and set the standards for what a good Bicep and/or Terraform module looks like.
Show Notes
Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2, 14 Oz, App-Controlled Heated Coffee Mug with 80 Min Battery Life and Improved Design, Bla
Episode 378 – Azure Compute Fleet
Welcome to Episode 378 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode we discuss Azure Compute Fleet, a new Preview service announced at Microsoft Build 2024. Azure Compute Fleet is a new Azure infrastructure service that lets you deploy Azure compute capacity across different virtual machine SKUs, availability zones, and pricing models. It’s all about acquiring VM capacity at scale. If yo
Episode 377 – Microsoft Copilot for Security
Welcome to Episode 377 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott talk about a recent incident at Google Cloud where one of their customer accounts was completely wiped out without notice. Then they dive into Microsoft Copilot for Security. Ben has been getting hands on with it and it is expensive. They discuss pricing for Copilot for Security, how to think about approac
Episode 376 – Catching up on the Microsoft 365 Community Conference
Welcome to Episode 376 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode. Ben and Scott discuss some of the announcements from the Microsoft 365 Community Conference.
Show Notes
Microsoft 365 Community Conference
Microsoft launches SharePoint eSignature integration with Adobe and Docusign
SharePoint eSignature
Set up SharePoint eSignature
Securely digitize document workflows with eS
Episode 375 – Securing Your Digital World: An Intro to Global Secure Access
Welcome to Episode 375 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, where we discuss Microsoft’s Global Secure Access offering. We explain how Global Secure Access brings identity, network, and endpoint access together under one service and how it combines with Defender for Cloud Apps and is built around the capacity of the Microsoft WAN. Join us as we take a deep dive into the world of digital security
Episode 374 – Azure Trusted Launch Virtual Machines
Welcome to Episode 374 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast where Ben and Scott break down Azure Trusted launch virtual machines – what they are, how they’re different from Gen 1 Azure VMs, and how you can enable them for your new and existing workloads.
Show Notes
Trusted launch for Azure virtual machines
Supported SKUs
Enable Trusted launch on existing Azure VMs
Deploy a VM with trusted
Episode 373 – Microsoft Intune (Part Trois)
Welcome to Episode 373 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast where Ben and Scott close out their review of Microsoft Intune and its third pillar – Endpoint security. They discuss the core components of Endpoint security, including antivirus, disk encryption, and firewall configuration. Ben also takes Scott on a tour of some more hidden gems in Endpoint security, including managed installers along
Episode 372 – Microsoft Intune (Part Deux) – App
Welcome to Episode 372 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, where we’ll be discussing more of Microsoft Intune, one of the most powerful tools for managing your organization’s devices, apps, and endpoint security. In this episode, we continue our discussion on the three pillars of Intune – Devices, Apps, and Endpoint Security – with Apps. We’ll cover App protection policies, touch on the managem
Episode 371 – Microsoft Intune (Part Une) – Devices
Welcome to Episode 371 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, where we’ll be discussing Microsoft Intune, one of the most powerful tools for managing your organization’s devices, apps, and endpoint security. In this episode, we’ll start exploring the three pillars of Intune: Devices, Apps, and Endpoint Security. We’ll cover what devices you can enroll, how to onboard them, and what configurations
Episode 370 – Revisiting Microsoft 365 Copilot
The restrictions have been lifted for Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing and you can now purchase licenses in tenants with less than 300 users. With the flood gates open, Ben and Scott revisit Microsoft 365 Copilot now that they both have access to it in their own tenants. Is it just a summarization tool? Is it any good for helping out Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Teams? Listen in and fin
Episode 369 – Microsoft 365 Backup and Archive
In Episode 369, Ben and Scott explore the new Backup and Archive options for Microsoft 365 and Office 365 workloads – Microsoft 365 Archive and Microsoft 365 Backup. These two features may sound similar, but they have different functionalities. Microsoft 365 Archive provides coverage for SharePoint, while Microsoft 365 Backup provides coverage across SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange. We will be
Episode 368 – Loop vs Notion vs Confluence vs OneNote – use the right tool for the job
In Episode 368, Ben and Scott talk through the differences between Notion and Microsoft Loop with a sprinkling of Confluence.
Show Notes
Microsoft officially launches Loop, its Notion competitor
Loop vs. Notion: Microsoft’s new document app is a promising mess
Is Microsoft Loop A Notion Alternative?
Microsoft Loop – A Smarter Way to OneNote?
Get started with Microsoft Loop
Loop compone
Episode 367 – Azure Files vs a Server with an SMB Share
In Episode 367, Ben and Scott kick off 2024 with a discussion of Azure Files. They start out reviewing a customer scenario Ben encountered and how they would approach it, breaking down the options available with Azure Files, hosting traditional SMB shares in Azure, and how a hybrid deployment can be the best of both worlds.
Show Notes
Planning for an Azure Files deployment
Replace or extend Wind
Episode 366 – Old Man Yells At Cloud
In this episode, Ben and Scott touched on some updates on their social media presence due to some recent happenings in the social media services space. As they transition into the Microsoft cloud world, they discuss updates to cloud computing software and user experience design. They also provided some insight into conditional access policies and break-glass accounts and examined strategies for ma
Episode 365 – Still looking for gift ideas
In Episode 365, Ben and Scott break away from tech news to talk about some of their favorite gadget purchases in the past year. If you (or a geek in your life) are looking for ways to spend those Christmas gift cards or you need some last-minute ideas, give them a listen.
It’s also the season of giving and we’re raising money for Girls Who Code. Donate today at https://give.girlswhocode.com/msclou
Episode 364 – Microsoft Designer, Azure Updates, and Enterprise IoT Security changes
In Episode 364, Ben and Scott discuss the recently announced Microsoft Designer, cover a handful of updates to Azure including Azure Automation and Azure Container Storage. Then they close out with some updates to the licensing model for Enterprise IoT Security.
It’s also the season of giving and we’re raising money for Girls Who Code. Donate today at https://give.girlswhocode.com/msclouditpro!
Sh
Episode 363 – Hibernation is for more than bears
In Episode 363, Ben and Scott talk through some new hibernation capabilities coming to an Azure VM near you and the announced retirement of SharePoint Add-Ins.
It’s also the season of giving and we’re raising money for Girls Who Code. Donate today at https://give.girlswhocode.com/msclouditpro!
Show Notes
Hibernating virtual machines
Hibernate a dev box in Microsoft Dev Box
Microsoft adds Out
Episode 362 – The Flustration of Microsoft Ignite
In Episode 362, Ben and Scott get sidetracked with some of the announcements coming out of Microsoft Ignite.
It’s also the season of giving and we’re raising money for Girls Who Code. Donate today at https://give.girlswhocode.com/msclouditpro!
Show Notes
Microsoft Ignite 2023: AI transformation and the technology driving change
Microsoft Ignite 2023: all the AI news from Microsoft’s IT pro eve
Episode 361 – TLS updates in Azure
In Episode 361, Ben and Scott discuss how Ben solved a data analysis problem with Azure Data Explorer and Scott shares some tips and tricks for Kusto.
It’s also the season of giving and we’re raising money for Girls Who Code. Donate today at https://give.girlswhocode.com/msclouditpro!
Show Notes
What is Azure Data Explorer?
Get data from file
Get-MessageTrackingLog
Two The Cloud -�Azure Data
Episode 360 – Who owns your data in Azure?
In Episode 360, Ben laments about a change in the data processing for Azure Sentinel and Scott contributes some suggestions around Microsoft’s data processing policies and how customers can keep up to date on them along with some suggestions for how to manage your personal data in Log Analytics and Application Insights. Then they close out the show talking about how to track resource ownership ove
Episode 359 – Microsoft Applied Skills and Azure Bastion Developer SKU
In Episode 359, Ben and Scott discuss Microsoft Applied Skills – a new skilling platform for Microsoft customers to get hands-on in a live, on-demand lab environment to validate their skills in a specific area and how Applied Skills compares to the existing role-based certification exams. Next up, it’s a quick review of an upcoming roadmap item that impacts Microsoft-managed conditional access pol
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