Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast

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 (SCUs), and how Microsoft is making enterprise AI security more accessible and affordable than ever.

Key topics include the phishing triage agent, conditional access optimization, E5 integration with included SCUs, and the strategic consolidation of security services into the Defender XDR portal. Whether you’re a security professional or IT administrator, this conversation provides valuable insights into Microsoft’s AI-driven security roadmap and how to stay ahead of AI-powered threats.

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Show Notes

John Joyner on LinkedIn

John Joyner’s Blog

John Joyner’s Books

Corica Technologies

What is Microsoft Security Copilot?

Security Store

Microsoft Security Copilot agents overview

Learn about Security Copilot inclusion in Microsoft 365 E5 subscription

Microsoft Security Copilot Phishing Triage Agent in Microsoft Defender

John Joyner

John Joyner is an inventor, author, speaker, and professor specializing in datacenter and enterprise cloud computing. He serves as Senior Director of Technology at Corsica Technologies (formerly AccountabilIT), where he delivers next-generation technology management services to customers worldwide as a cloud architect helping businesses stay competitive.

John is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Security MVP, having been recognized eighteen times (2007-2026) as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his exceptional technical expertise, leadership, speaking experience, online influence, and commitment to solving real-world problems.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Human Resources Management from the University of Colorado at Boulder. From 2007 to 2024, John served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arkansas Little Rock, teaching a pro-bono cloud computing management course open to all Arkansas residents.

As an author, John co-wrote the 2021 book “Azure Arc-Enabled Kubernetes and Server” from Apress and contributed to four editions of the industry-standard “System Center Operations Manager: Unleashed” from SAMS Publishing (2005-2013). Between 2012 and 2015, he authored weekly cloud and datacenter columns for CBS Technology publications including TechRepublic and ZDNet.

A retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander and computer scientist, John worked for NATO in Europe and aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. He earned the

Computer Scientist sub-specialty and served as chief of network operations for NATO during the former Yugoslavia conflict. He is also a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

Outside of technology, John’s personal passions include 4-wheeling in his ‘Black Ops’ Jeep Wrangler and running a visionary art clothing company called Lit Like Luma.

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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 SharePoint and Power Platform, including managing SharePoint permissions with flows, the challenges of migrating file shares to SharePoint, syncing issues with OneDrive, and practical uses of Power BI for troubleshooting and managing SharePoint data. Additionally, they dive into humorous conference anecdotes from the inaugural Workplace Ninjas US, including accidental late-night adventures.

Cat Schneider is an experienced data specialist and Power Platform, SharePoint, and Teams enthusiast with a demonstrated history of innovation for almost 15 years in the public sector. Cat is skilled in Microsoft-based applications, quality assurance, and databases. She is a strong community and social services professional with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biology from Florida State University. In addition to being a self-taught coder with a never-ending thirst for learning more—and helping others learn and improve their coding skills—she is also co-leader of the Power Platform UX/UI and Accessibility (A11y) Global User Group.

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Show Notes

Cat Schneider on LinkedIn

Yer a wizard, Cat!

Cat on GitHub

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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 covers upcoming events, memorable attendee interactions, and new traditions for future conferences.

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Show Notes

Jay Leask on LinkedIn

Workplace Ninja’s US

Follow Workplace Ninjas US on LinkedIn

Workplace Ninja’s US

Microsoft Zero Trust Guidance Center

Microsoft Zero Trust Assessment Tool

Conditional Access

Ben’s YouTube video on Authentication Context and Conditional Access

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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 Microsoft Ignite in San Francisco they discuss security in the financial sector, EU regulations (N2 and DORA), integrating Data Lake with Sentinel, optimizing log analytics, and the latest on Security Copilot and E5 licensing. They also spend some time chatting about some of their conference highlights, assisting as proctors in the hands-on labs, and the unique experience of Ignite in San Francisco.

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Show Notes

Microsoft Ignite (with sessions on demand)

Microsoft Ignite Book of News

Catch up on Microsoft Security sessions and announcements from Ignite 2025

Microsoft Sentinel benefit for Microsoft 365 E5, A5, F5, and G5 customers

Learn about Security Copilot inclusion in Microsoft 365 E5 subscription

Microsoft Sentinel data lake: Unify signals, cut costs, and power agentic AI

What is Microsoft Sentinel data lake?

KQL and the Microsoft Sentinel data lake

Henrik F. Wojcik

Henrik has worked in the IT industry since 2003. He’s always had a passion for learning new technologies and expanding his knowledge through various means such as online courses, webinars, and reading up on the latest developments in the industry.

Throughout his career, he’s gained experience in various areas of IT, making him a true jack of all trades. However, his latest interests lie in the security space, modern workplace and management in Azure, with a particular focus on cyber security. He has experience working with products such as Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps, Defender for Office 365, Conditional Access, Microsoft Sentinel, and Microsof t Entra ID.

His primary focus is on security on Azure workloads and identity (Entra ID). He prioritizes security awareness and believe that learning never stops, which is why He’s always eager to expand my knowledge and skillset.

In the past, He’s also worked with various tools and technologies such as Cisco, Citrix, Dynamics AX, Exchange, ITIL, Azure, SCCM & SCOM, Scrum & Kanban, VMware, Windows Servers, and Windows Desktops.

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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 Copilot Expansion to E5 Customers

12 new Security Copilot agents coming to Defender, Entra, Intune, and Purview

30+ partner agents being added to the ecosystem

Major announcement: Security Copilot will now be available to all Microsoft 365 E5 customers

Rollout begins with Frontier program (Microsoft’s insider ring for Copilot)

Expanding in coming months to all E5 customers

Security Copilot spans four pillars:

Security Operations (Defender + Sentinel)

Data Security (Purview)

Identity & Access (Entra)

Endpoint Management (Intune)

Microsoft Agent 365 – The Control Plane for Agents

Addresses the critical problem of agent sprawl and governance

Think of it as “Entra ID for AI agents”

Core capabilities:

Registry: Complete inventory of all agents (registered, unregistered, and shadow agents

Access Control: Conditional access policies and risk-based policies for agents

Monitoring: Real-time visibility into agent behavior, performance, and organizational impact

Security Integration: Defender protection, Purview data governance

Key governance features:

Approve pending agent requests

Identify ownerless agents

Apply DLP policies to agents

Conditional access for agents

Secure score for agents

Available now through Frontier program in Microsoft 365 admin center

Overarching Themes

Agent security is the new frontier: All major product announcements (Purview, Entra, Defender) are focused on agent governance

100 trillion daily signals inform Microsoft’s threat intelligence

Ignite’s evolution: Less about big product launches, more about storytelling and connecting features released throughout the year

IT Pro focus: Understanding, managing, and securing AI agents is becoming a core competency

Key Observations

Ignite 2025 is heavily focused on AI and security – limited announcements for traditional products like SharePoint, Teams, or Loop

The shift reflects Microsoft’s rapid release cadence in the cloud era

Agent sprawl is real and Microsoft is proactively addressing governance needs

IT professionals need to embrace this change: “The only way out is through”

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

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