The Cloud Architects Podcast

Almost Ten years and 100+ episodes in, we reunite for a conversation that has nothing to do with prompts and everything to do with the infrastructure most of us still actually run. In this episode we're joined by Claudia Perez, who's spent the last several months leading a complex Windows 11 deployment and brings a refreshingly practical take on modern endpoint management. We dig into why Windows is far from dead, why identity and data - not the device - are where every modernization journey should start, and how to think about the messy reality of hybrid-joined environments still tethered to on-prem print servers, file shares, and legacy apps. In this episode we also dig into: * Why "identity is the new perimeter" should drive your endpoint strategy, not the other way around * The TPM/certificate refresh looming in June, and why proactive beats reactive (again) * The BitLocker bypass disclosure and rethinking how we protect local resources * Copilot on the PC: block it, embrace it, or protect the data and trust your users? * Why "the patches are coming" - AI-driven vulnerability discovery and whether ring-based deployment still holds up * Greenfield vs. brownfield: where to actually start, and why apps are the most underestimated piece of the puzzle A practical, occasionally irreverent conversation about maturing the basics — patching, management, identity - for the real world of normal infrastructure.

In Episode 102 of the Cloud Architects Podcast, we sit down with Mona Ghadiri to explore the rapidly evolving world of AI governance. As organizations rush to deploy AI agents, copilots, and automated workflows, Mona argues that the industry is focusing too much on shiny tools and “guardrails” while neglecting the broader governance frameworks needed to manage risk responsibly. The conversation covers everything from prompt injection and supply chain vulnerabilities to the challenges of securing AI across users, applications, models, and training data. Mona shares practical insights on why many organizations are more prepared than they think, how existing security tools can be adapted for AI, and why starting with clear workflows is critical before building AI solutions. It’s a thoughtful discussion on balancing innovation with accountability in a world where AI capabilities are accelerating faster than the processes designed to control them.

In Episode 101 of the Cloud Architects Podcast, we welcome Microsoft AI MVP James Westall for a candid “state of the nation” discussion on AI in 2026. Moving beyond the LLM hype of 2024 and the agent frenzy of 2025, the conversation explores what’s actually delivering value for organizations today and what isn’t. We unpack common pitfalls like oversold expectations, poor use case selection, and the challenge of measuring ROI, while highlighting practical success stories. We also tackle model “religion wars,” cost realities, developer productivity, and the importance of strategy and governance.

In this milestone 100th episode, we sit down with Daniel Brown, a Microsoft MVP based in Adelaide, to explore how AI is transforming the rugged world of opal mining. Daniel shares the fascinating story of how he developed Opal AI, a computer vision system that uses Microsoft’s Custom Vision and Azure services to identify precious opals in the harsh environment of Coober Pedy. By leveraging AI to detect opal, and safety hazards in real-time, Daniel demonstrates how edge computing can bring tangible efficiency and safety improvements to a traditionally manual industry. The discussion delves into the practical challenges of deploying AI in the Australian outback, from using black light properties for opal detection to dealing with connectivity limitations that require robust offline edge processing. Daniel explains how he built and refined his models with over 5,000 tagged images, sharing practical advice for others looking to start their own AI projects using tools like customvision.ai with as few as 15 starter images. Beyond the technical insights, the episode captures the intersection of ancient geology and cutting-edge technology, highlighting how AI can uncover treasures that are over 100 million years old while automating and securing mining operations. We also celebrate our 100th episode, reflecting on nine years of community-driven conversations, learning, and evolving alongside the cloud ecosystem. Daniel Brown is a visionary leader and a driving force in the world of Microsoft 365 and Copilot, based in the vibrant city of Adelaide, South Australia. With a passion for empowering individuals and organisations through technology, Daniel has been at the forefront of innovation, helping businesses harness the full potential of Microsoft's suite of productivity and AI tools for over 2 decades. Daniel's expertise extends across a wide range of Microsoft technologies, with a particular laser type focus for Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365. With his deep understanding of this groundbreaking AI-driven platform, Daniel has helped numerous organizations revolutionize their approach to productivity and collaboration. You can connect with Daniel on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielbrownau/) Be sure to check out the user groups: * Adelaide Microsoft Copilot User Group (https://www.linkedin.com/company/adelaidecopilotusergroup) * Adelaide Microsoft 365 User Group (https://www.linkedin.com/company/am365ug)

In this episode we are joined by guest Kirsty McGrath, a Microsoft MVP and adoption expert, for an insightful conversation on working smarter in today’s AI-driven workplace. Kirsty shares her extensive experience leading adoption programs across Australia and consulting with top Microsoft clients, offering practical wisdom on the importance of user training and change management in maximizing the impact of tools like Microsoft Copilot. The episode delves into the common confusion users face when navigating Microsoft 365’s vast ecosystem—especially with tools that overlap or are frequently updated. Kirsty emphasizes that adoption isn’t just about assigning licenses; it's about helping people understand, trust, and effectively use technology. She also about the psychological and organizational barriers to change—how emotional comfort zones can prevent users from embracing new tools, and why strong change management can significantly reduce help desk pressure and improve employee satisfaction Kirsty McGrath is a seasoned digital transformation consultant and a seven-time Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). She is the founder of OnPoint Solutions, a consultancy focused on enabling organizations to adopt Microsoft 365 and AI technologies effectively. Kirsty has worked closely with Microsoft and its top 200 clients, delivering enterprise-scale webinars, adoption strategies, and training initiatives. Kirsty also runs Australia’s leading Microsoft 365 Adoption User Group and outside of the tech world she’s a skilled cake decorator! You can connect with Kirsty on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstymcgrath/) Be sure to check out her links: M365 'Wheel of Fortune' 45th Edition - top 10 Copilot Insights (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/m365-wheel-fortune-45th-edition-9th-anniversary-top-kirsty-mcgrath-rtnpc/) Microsoft 365 Adoption Library (https://m365adoption.com) M365AdoptionUG (https://www.meetup.com/microsoft-365-adoption/)

In this episode we are joined by guests Ernie Anderson and Darrell Switzer from TBDCyber to discuss the critical topic of incident response (IR). Ernie and Darrell share their insights and experiences in IR. They highlight the importance of having a well-prepared incident response plan, how to effectively use EDR tools, and the value of proactive measures such as vulnerability testing and tabletop exercises. We also discuss the challenges of modern ransomware attacks, the role of cyber insurance, and the need for adaptive communication strategies during incidents. Both guests underscore the necessity of constant updating, testing, and training to ensure organizational resilience against cyber threats. Ernie Anderson is a cybersecurity expert with a proven track record of working collaboratively with CISOs and CIOs across different industries. His work involves developing strong cybersecurity strategies and implementing programs that increase maturity while reducing risk to the business. Ernie's technical expertise allows him to translate strategic vision into effective tactical solutions. He is currently a Senior and Founding Partner at TBDCyber. You can connect with Ernie on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernieanderson/) As a seasoned executive leader and accomplished technologist, Darrell's core expertise lies in building high performing teams and guiding organizations through the assessment, development, and enhancement of their enterprise-level Cyber Security programs. He is dedicated to assisting organizations in aligning their cyber strategies with their business priorities, placing a strong emphasis on proactive security management. You can connect with Darrell on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/switzerd/)

At Microsoft Ignite 2024, we sat down with our old friend Anthony Bartolo to discuss the industry’s shift from traditional infrastructure roles to development, a transition heavily influenced by AI and automation. As companies increasingly adopt "vibe coding" — the trend where developers focus on rapid prototyping and intuition-driven coding rather than rigid syntax — Anthony’s journey is a perfect example of how infrastructure professionals are embracing this new paradigm. He shared his experience moving from network engineering to full-stack development, and how AI tools helped bridge knowledge gaps. This aligns with vibe coding’s emphasis on leveraging AI-assisted development to lower entry barriers, allowing generalists to build functional applications without deep technical expertise. The discussion highlighted how AI is democratizing software creation, empowering both infrastructure specialists and non-traditional coders to build solutions quickly. While AI lowers the barrier to entry, it also raises questions about shallow expertise and long-term sustainability. Are we building real solutions or just stitching together AI-generated snippets with no real understanding? Be sure to check out the AI Tour (https://aitour.microsoft.com) A special thanks to the folks from ENow Software (https://www.enowsoftware.com) for helping us out with a location to record this episode.

In this episode we sit down with our old friend Antonio Maio. We recorded this episode at Microsoft Ignite 2024 in Chicago, and as always it was an enjoyable conversation with actionable insights. Antonio shares some tips from this Ignite talk to help you assess your environment at scale, protect your information and educate your users Antonio gives us some great information about preparing for Copilot, why it helps to encourage everyone to build their own relationship with Copilot and how to find the balance between data protection and productivity. Antonio Maio is a Managing Director and Senior Enterprise Architect with Protiviti. Based in Canada, he is an 13-time Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). His work specializes in Microsoft 365, collaboration and the modern workplace, Office Apps and Services, security and compliance. Antonio’s work focuses on helping organizations assess and implement security, compliance and data governance solutions within Microsoft Cloud environments. You can connect with Antonio LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-maio-b082191/) or check out his blog (https://antonio365.com) and podcast (https://m365voice.com)

We've all been prompted to create a Passkey when logging in to online services like Google - but are Passkeys ready for enterprise use? Do we still need MFA? What's is FIDO2? We asked Microsoft MVP Darren Robinson to help us dive into the world of Passkeys & verifiable credentials. Darren helps us understand the different types of Passkeys, their use-cases and, he shares some strategies for dealing with those pesky legacy apps and authentication protocols. Darren Robinson is an Identity Architect and Microsoft MVP with over 30 years' experience in technical sales, holistic strategy, detailed design and implementation of On Premises, Hybrid and Cloud Identity & Access Management solutions across all industry verticals. You can connect with Darren on Github (https://github.com/darrenjrobinson) or check out his blog (https://blog.darrenjrobinson.com)

It seems everyone is selling AI at the moment - how can we make the most of these technologies in a measured, controlled way without exposing ourselves to data leakage or other unintended consequences? In this episode we're joined by Saaim Khan as we dive into some of the challenges faced by organizations rushing to adopt AI technologies. Saaim takes us through the role of governance in AI, the importance of a well-thought-out business case, and shares 5 simple questions to help you start taking control of your data governance. With over 20 years in IT and cybersecurity, Saaim's journey has been anything but ordinary. He initially built my career in software development and marketing before diving into cybersecurity. Today, he is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Cyber Matters. Cyber Matters advise, consult and solve cybersecurity problems in ways that are easy to understand and follow. Feel free to connect with Saaim at Cyber Matters (https://www.cybermatters.io)

Have you heard the story of malware that targets programmable logic controllers (PLCs) on industrial systems and causing fast-spinning centrifuges to tear themselves apart? How about the disgruntled employee in Australia who tampered with a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and released 265,000 gallons (~1M l) of sewage from a waste management plant? In this episode we're joined by Operational Technology (OT) Security expert Roger Hill as we discuss OT security, the convergence of OT and IT and how we can defend against OT / IOT attacks. As the Founder of Hillstrong Group Security, Roger Hill brings over 30 years of deep expertise in industrial automation and cybersecurity, specializing in OT GRC and cybersecurity for manufacturing and critical infrastructure. Throughout his career, he's consistently tackled the most pressing challenges that CISOs face in securing Operational Technology (OT) environments within the ever-evolving industrial landscape. You can connect with Roger on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerlhill/)

No language encryption here... In this episode we have the honor of sitting down for a late-night discussion with our Dutch friends Koos, Jeroen and Maarten. We really enjoyed their interesting and unique perspective on the global threat landscape and how the ransomware-as-a-service economy continues to grow. We also talk about cyber warfare, the challenge of attack attribution and share some practical guidance on how keep your organization secure. Koos Goossens is a Microsoft Security MVP with a focus on Microsoft Azure Security and other Microsoft Security products like Microsoft Sentinel. Koos is also an avid photographer, watch nerd, pinball enthusiast and BBQ grill master. You can connect with Koos on Twitter (https://x.com/KoosGoossens) Jeroen Niesen is a Microsoft MVP and serves as the Lead MxDR at Wortell, where he plays a pivotal role in managing and enhancing the company's managed extended detection and response services. Jeroen is a speaker at various events around the world and also runs the AzureVlog channel on YouTube (http://youtube.com/@AzureVlog). You can connect with Jeroen on Twitter (https://x.com/jeroenniesen) Maarten Goet is the CTO & Director Cybersecurity at Wortell and a long-standing expert in Microsoft technologies, achieving the Most Valuable Professional (MVP) and Microsoft Regional Director (RD) designation consistently for the last 18 years, a recognition for his efforts in knowledge-sharing and building Microsoft communities around the world. You can connect with Maarten on Twitter (https://x.com/maarten_goet)

In this episode we welcome back a couple of our old friends Stephen Rose and Darrell Webster to talk about Copilot and AI - how useful or useless are these technologies and what does it take to get it to work as advertised. Our guests share some great insight on what is needed to make the most of AI and why so many organizations struggle soon after going all in. We each talk about our own favorite Copilot and how it has changed the way we work - and Warren has a conversation with ChatGPT about living on the moon. Stephen Rose a highly experienced change management and an adoption expert with a track record of helping the world’s top businesses achieve their goals. For 14 years, he led Microsoft deployment, adoption and usage of Windows, Office, OneDrive and Teams and Co-Pilot for IT professionals worldwide using technical marketing, public speaking, community, and human connection. Stephen currently holds over 15 Microsoft and CompTIA technical certifications. You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenlrose/) Darrell Webster is a productivity and collaboration specialist who helps individuals and teams to define and refine the way they work by listening, coaching and exploring the possibilities. Darrell believes that the best way to learn is through practical experiences with your information, your people and your environment. You can connect with Darrell on Twitter (https://x.com/DarrellaaS) Be sure to check out their other shows and projects: * stephenlrose.com - (https://stephenlrose.com) * UnplugIT - (https://petri.com/podcast-show/unplugit/) * The 365 Message Center Show - (https://365mcs.com) * Modern Work Mentor - (https://modernworkmentor.com)

In this episode we have the honor of being joined by Richard Campbell - an industry veteran and podcast legend who has recorded more than 3,000 episodes. Richard is a professional storyteller and we really enjoyed talking about a variety of things, including .NET, AI and even Windows on ARM. Richard Campbell started playing with microcomputers in 1977 at the age of 10. He's really never done anything else since. He is a Microsoft Regional Director and is recognized as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in the area of ASP.NET development. You can connect with Richard on Twitter (https://x.com/richcampbell) Be sure to check out Richard's other projects: * .NET Rocks (https://www.dotnetrocks.com) * RunAs Radio (https://www.runasradio.com) * DevIntersection group of conferences (https://www.devintersection.com)

Another in-person episode! We recorded this one at the MVP Summit in Redmond earlier this year and had a great time talking to Katie and Pablo about community as they introduced us to The Microsoft Security Customer Connection Program (CCP). Katie and Pablo help us understand the value the program provides to both Microsoft and its customers, how they gather feedback and what the requirements are to join the program. Here are the links mentioned during the episode: * Security Connection Program (CCP) (https://aka.ms/joinccp) * Microsoft Security Community (https://aka.ms/securitycommunity) Katie Ryckman is the Director of US Small Business Partner Strategy, including partner programs and The Microsoft Security Customer Connection Program (CCP). The goal of the CPP program is to drive quality customer feedback into our prioritization, design, and development process to build the best possible security solutions. You can connect with Katie on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieryckman/) Pablo Chacón is an experienced Senior Engineering Program Manager, most recently helping engineering groups in Azure gather feedback shared by the Security Engineering Advisory Council, a community of selected customers who give candid and expert engineering advice for the betterment of Azure security services. He is also the MVP Product Group Lead for Azure Security, leading the security community of Microsoft's MVP Award program. You can connect with Pablo on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjchacon/)

In this episode we're once again joined by Philip Miller to continue our AI discussion, and this time we also invited Todd Wright from Progress to discuss data and the importance of data accessibility and connectivity within AI. Generic large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are fun and all, but being able to leverage your own organizational data in a secure way to train models is where the real magic happens. AI is a long-term program and not just a short term 'one and done' project. We discuss some practical guidance on how to make the most of your data and why data quality and governance are so important. Philip Miller is a Senior Customer Success Manager at Progress, a leading software company that enables enterprises to accelerate the creation and delivery of strategic business applications. He has over six years of experience helping customers and partners maximise their investment in MarkLogic by Progress, the only enterprise-grade data platform that integrates data from any source and any format. You can connect with Philip on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipdavidmiller/) Todd Wright is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Progress, helping enterprises thrive by providing the best products to develop high-impact business applications securely and reliably, while automating how you configure, deploy, manage and scale those apps on premise or in the cloud. You can connect with Todd on LinkedIn(https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-wright-dm/) and find out more about Progress DataDirect here (https://www.progress.com/datadirect-connectors)

AI is everywhere at the moment - it seems like every product or service now includes AI. What does that mean exactly? Can technology really think for itself? What is the difference between Copilot and an LLM and how do these relate to Generative AI? In this episode, we chat to Philip Miller from Progress in an attempt to break down these concepts and discuss how they relate to each other. Is this all hype or are there real-world business benefits? We discuss some interesting AI use cases and Philip recommends an agile approach to AI implementation. Here are the links to content mentioned in the episode: * Semantic Knowledge for Artificial Intelligence (https://www.progress.com/semaphore/solutions/ai) * Unleash the Power of Generative AI Systems in Your Enterprise - eBook (https://www.progress.com/resources/papers/unleash-the-power-of-generative-ai-systems-in-your-enterprise) Philip Miller is a Senior Customer Success Manager at Progress, a leading software company that enables enterprises to accelerate the creation and delivery of strategic business applications. He has over six years of experience helping customers and partners maximise their investment in MarkLogic by Progress, the only enterprise-grade data platform that integrates data from any source and any format. You can connect with Philip on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipdavidmiller/)

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Camila Martins from Microsoft to talk about Microsoft's new Security Service Edge (SSE) solution. SSE includes Microsoft Entra Internet Access and Microsoft Entra Private Access. In this episode, we dive deep into these new capabilities that Microsoft is making available to customers and discuss how these can work with technologies like Conditional Access to help secure those 'crusty' critical applications that so many organizations have. Here are the links to content mentioned in the episode: * Microsoft's Security Service Edge Solution Deployment Guide (https://aka.ms/ssedeploy) * Data Security and Privacy Customer Connection Program (CCP) (https://aka.ms/joinCCP) Camila Martins is a Senior Product Manager for Identity & Network Access at Microsoft where she is working on the launch of the new Microsoft's Security Service Edge solution. You can connect with Camila on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilacmartins/)

In today’s episode we talk to Twan, Neil and Conrad who are the founders of PowerSyncPro, a software vendor solving complex migration problems for customers in a unique way and, in the shadow of some giant competitors. We delve into their interesting story, their technology and the problems they are working to solve. After more than 5 years heavily investing into developing PowerSyncPro, PSP is now a world class robust identity sync and Windows workstation migration tool that facilitates cross company collaboration with ease. Written and designed by migration experts. PSP is solving directory consolidation, unified GAL and Windows workstation migration issues under a single pane of glass. It is a product that Twan, Neil and Conrad are immensely proud of. Twan van Beers is a Senior Infrastructure Architect with commercial experience in a variety of development and Infrastructure technologies spanning over 30+ years. Having been a consultant for most of this time, Twan has become accustomed to fitting in with diverse teams, with everyone working towards a common goal. Neil Langston comes from an IBM Domino background and has worked on some of the world's largest Domino to Exchange migrations. Neil specialises in large migration projects, tenant to tenant and Google to Microsoft. Neil has a wealth of experience migrating workloads including Identity, Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive for Business and others for a variety of customers. Neil’s passion for all things migration related is reflected in the enhancements of PowerSyncPro. Conrad Murray has over 25 years’ experience in the IT industry. As a messaging specialist experienced with Microsoft 365 and Azure, Conrad has expertise in all things messaging, Microsoft Exchange, IBM Domino, messaging hygiene as well as enterprise migration tools. Conrad is now using his wealth of experience to improve and innovate PowerSyncPro, to remove end user frustration with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and consolidations! This episode is sponsored by PowerSyncPro. PowerSyncPro ultimately makes mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and tenant consolidation a breeze. The product is constantly evolving to incorporate more scope to create a seamless migration process. Twan, Conrad and Neil had, and have been, working on migration projects for over a decade. They kept running into the same problems each time with Active Directory synchronisation. Issues for user identities across multiple AD’s or companies with multiple email systems. At the end of 2018 the team ran into some hard technical and commercial limitations with a well-known competitor’s toolset they were using and needed another way. Enter Twan van Beers... During the 2018 Christmas break, with the support of his family, Twan invested his personal time to develop a comprehensive PowerShell module-based solution that could be used by internal consultants. This was the genesis of PowerSyncPro. A directory synchronisation tool that would simplify the process of syncing multiple directories or tenants to help streamline migration projects – an issue that had come up time and time again - Read more on our blog at https://thearchitects.cloud/ or check out the links below. Links: Home page (https://powersyncpro.com) The Business Benefits of PowerSyncPro (https://powersyncpro.com/the-business-benefits-of-powersyncpro/) The Business benefits of PowerSyncPro Migration Agent (https://powersyncpro.com/powersyncpro-migration-agent/the-business-benefits-of-powersyncpro-migration-agent/)

"Back by popular demand" - even if they do say so themselves! In this episode we are excited to welcome back to the show Tarek Dawoud and Mark Morowczynski from Microsoft's Identity CXP team. We discuss the current state of Identity and dive into Conditional Access, phish-resistant MFA, the latest threats and why attacks only get better, they never get worse. Tarek and Mark share some great tool tips and we close the episode by talking about Mark's new KQL book and how KQL is fast becoming an essential skill. Here are the links to content mentioned in the episode: Microsoft Digital Defense Report (https://aka.ms/mddr) Road to the cloud - Moving from AD to AAD. (https://aka.ms/AD2AAD) Video explaining how passkeys are phishing resistant (https://aka.ms/PhishingResistantExplained) Entra ID assessment for customers to examine their environments (https://aka.ms/ZTAssess) Hiding in the clouds - app consent and permissions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxOHcqHxpi8) AzureADToolkit - script to go look at the over permissioned apps (https://github.com/microsoft/AzureADToolkit) Legacy Protocol Workbook (https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-sentinel-blog/azure-sentinel-insecure-protocols-workbook-implementation-guide/ba-p/1197564) Identity workbooks (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/monitoring-health/howto-use-workbooks#access-microsoft-entra-workbooks) Tarek Dawoud is an expert of 10+ years in Microsoft's Identity division serving on the core directory team and for the past 4 years on the Customer Success Team. He is now the lead of the architect team writing white papers and creating workshops and reference architectures to facilitate customers' Identity journey to the cloud. Mark Morowczynski is a Program Manager in the Identity CXP team. He works with some of the largest and most complex customers on their deployment of Azure AD. You can find Mark on Twitter (https://twitter.com/markmorow) Check out Mark's book "The Definitive Guide to KQL" - Coupon code 'KUSTO' (https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/store/definitive-guide-to-kql-using-kusto-query-language-9780138293383)

If you follow the latest developments in the Entra space, you have no doubt come across Merill Fernando. In this episode Merill joins us for a great discussion as we geek out about Entra and authentication in general. Why is it called Entra (RIP AAD!)? Merill sheds some light on the name change, we talk about AD FS and its relevance today, discuss the deprecation of AzureAD and MSOnline PowerShell modules and introduce some of the great tools and resources he's developed for the community. Merill Fernando is a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft and Senior member of the "Customer Success Team" engaging with Microsoft Entra customers and guiding them through deployments, planning, debugging and driving feedback into the feature teams. Merill has a weekly newsletter on all things Microsoft Entra and is the creator of cmd.ms & idPowerToys.com. You can connect with Merill on Twitter (https://twitter.com/merill) or on YouTube (https://youtube.com/@merillx) Here are some links to Merill's work: * Entra Newsletter - https://entra.news * Merill's site - https://merill.net Here are the links the Identity Architecture Series discussed in the episode: * Azure Active Directory Core Store: Data centers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8ZPjSxNte0 * Azure Active Directory Core Store: Scale units - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcKO44GtHh8 * Azure Active Directory Core Store: Read and write replicas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeLDtcpKc-U Are you interested in learning from others in the community? Give these folks a follow: * Nathan McNulty - https://twitter.com/NathanMcNulty * Eric Mannon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emannon * Dr. Nestori Syynimaa - https://twitter.com/DrAzureAD * Rod Trent - https://twitter.com/rodtrent

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Nic and I had the great pleasure of talking to John Kindervag. I once read about John that he has "forgotten more about technology than most people learn in their careers" and I'm sure after listening to this episode you'll understand why he is referred to as the Godfather of Zero Trust. In this episode we discuss the origins of Zero Trust and some of the history behind it. John also talks about why trying to control the attack surface is a fool's errand and introduces the concept of a protect surface. With over 25 years of experience as a practitioner and industry analyst, John Kindervag is one of the world’s foremost cybersecurity experts and is known for creating the transformational Zero Trust Model of cybersecurity. At Illumio, John is responsible for driving the adoption of Zero Trust Segmentation through high-touch advocacy and forward-thinking thought leadership. You can connect with John on LinkedIn

We recently had a great conversation with Joe Flynn about modern endpoint management and how the way we manage our devices has changed over the years - we reminisce about the old ways and talk the future of Active Directory. We also discuss management friction, current hybrid work trends and scenarios where technologies like Windows 365 just make sense. Joe Flynn is a Director and Distinguished Engineer at Insight. With more than 25+ years in the IT industry, Joe loves that technology is constantly changing and providing new challenges — pushing him to learn and absorb more each day. Joe is passionate about technology and the business outcomes that it can provide. You can connect with Joe on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeflynn2/)

It's Cyber Security Awareness month and in this episode, we talk to Shannon Garcia about the realities of the security industry and have an honest discussion about some of the areas where we could be doing more to raise awareness and educate our organizations, customers and stakeholders. Shannon shares some fundamental guidance, and we discuss how we could and should be learning from highly publicized incidents and breaches that occur far too often these days. Shannon Garcia is an experienced Senior Leader with a demonstrated history of working in the computer and cybersecurity industry. Skilled in Cybersecurity, Business Management, Program/Project Management, Business Process Improvement, and Building/Leading High Performing Teams. Shannon is a strong and passionate leader focused on helping businesses improve their security posture by maturing their security capabilities and processes. You can connect with Shannon on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannongarcia/) Be sure to check out Shannon's YouTube channel CyberSec Round Table (https://www.youtube.com/@cybersecroundtable)

It's ALWAYS DNS! We've all fallen victim to DNS at some point in our careers. In this episode we are once again joined by Robby Pedrica as we discuss DNS architecture and security - we've been deploying DNS the same way for a long time and perhaps it's time we look at our deployments and consider if they could be more secure. We discuss DNS in large enterprise environments and why monitoring DNS traffic is important, but also look at home use and how DNS can be a valuable privacy tool. Robby recently put together a great blog post on DNS security which is worth a read, you can find [it here - (https://www.xstore.co.za/stuff/2023/06/dns-security-2/) Robby Pedrica is a IT & Network Security Consultant and Owner of XStore. Robby has been in the IT industry for 33 years, and has focused on the data storage, network security and Linux for the last 23 years. Robby have specializes in firewalling across numerous products, storage virtualization solutions and Linux administration with load-balancing, cluster storage environments and databases amongst others. You can connect with Robby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbypedrica/) Be sure to check out Robby's Blog (https://www.xstore.co.za/stuff/)

Same product, new name - RIP Azure AD/long live Entra ID! In this episode we're joined by long-time friend of the show Michael Van Horenbeeck to discuss the recent Entra related announcements and Microsoft's expansion into Security Service Edge (SSE) with two new products – Microsoft Entra Internet Access and Microsoft Entra Private Access. We've all heard the TLAs PIM, PAW, and talk of Tier0 configurations, but what are these and how are these relevant to the modern admin? Should we be evolving the way we manage our environments or is it just a matter of buying new technologies to hopefully keep us ahead of bad actors? Michael shares his thoughts. Michael Van Horenbeeck specializes in a variety of products and services from the Microsoft 365 product stack, more specifically within Enterprise Mobility + Security, Azure Active Directory, Office 365, etc. He is one of the handful experts in the world to hold both the Microsoft Certified Solutions Masters for Messaging certification and the Office Apps & Services MVP award at the same time. Over the last 18 years, he has worked with various technologies and solutions from different vendors, mainly focusing in the area of Security, Messaging, Collaboration and Intelligent Communications. He works with customers around the globe, helping them to design, implement, migrate, consolidate and secure various solutions and services based on Microsoft's M365 offerings. You can also find him speaking at several international conferences such as Microsoft Ignite, TechSummits, Mobile Workplace Conference. Follow Michael on Twitter (https://twitter.com/vanhybrid) also be sure to check out Microsoft 365 Security For IT Pros here (https://m365securitybook.com)

In this episode we're joined by long-time friend Robby Pedrica as we talk about Open-source software. We asked Robby about Open-source technologies in the enterprise and discussed the history, ins and outs of using Open-source projects in your environment. Robby Pedrica is a IT & Network Security Consultant and Owner of XStore. Robby has been in the IT industry for 33 years, and has focused on the data storage, network security and Linux for the last 23 years. Robby have specializes in firewalling across numerous products, storage virtualization solutions and Linux administration with load-balancing, cluster storage environments and databases amongst others. You can connect with Robby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbypedrica/) Be sure to check out Robby's Blog (https://www.xstore.co.za/stuff/)

What is insider risk and how does it differ from an insider threat? Did you know that these are not always bad actors or malicious acts? We were curios about insider risk management, insider threat detection and everything that goes along with it, so we asked Zach Luze to unpack this vast topic for us. Zach Luze is the Microsoft Cloud and Data Security Advisory Lead at Kudelski Security. Zach is an experienced information security professional with a passion for data security and insider risk management. You can connect with Zach on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachluze/)

If you were to open your Twitter/LinkedIn/Mastodon feed at the moment, it is undoubtedly filled with AI posts - while some of these might be interesting or even somewhat useful, the majority likely include the words "RIP" and some profession or job function. There is so much AI FUD around right now and we wanted to find out if the hype was worth listening to. Is Skynet going to take over and put us all out of a job? We thought we'd ask an expert and that's exactly what we did when we recently talked to AI MVP Akanksha Malik. Akanksha Malik is a Data Consultant, a Microsoft AI MVP and an international speaker. After studying Financial Maths and Actuarial Science at UCC, Ireland, she realised she wanted to work with people as well as numbers. As a consultant, she works with clients to help them solve problems by making more informed decisions with data. Akanksha is a firm believer of diversity and inclusivity. She loves machine learning, and that it is becoming more accessible to everyone. She is an avid advocate for women in STEM and is currently the network director of Women Who Code Melbourne and advisory board member for Tech Diversity Lab. You can follow Akanksha on Twitter (https://twitter.com/akankshamalik96) Be sure to check out some of her projects here: Paths Uncovered - (https://www.pathsuncovered.com) Global AI - The Podcast - (https://twitter.com/GlobalAIPodcast) Women Who Code Melbourne - (https://www.womenwhocode.com/melbourne)

In this episode we geek out about home automation, Azure and training cognitive services to recognize llamas. Wait.. sound weird? Maybe, but we had a blast talking to MVP Lars Klint about life on his farm in the high country of Victoria in Australia and how he uses technology to automate (and amuse) Be sure to check out the following links: * Follow the Llama Drama here (https://llamacam.com.au) * LarsKlintTech YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@LarsKlintTech) * Microsoft Azure in Action (https://www.manning.com/books/microsoft-azure-in-action) Lars Klint is a Senior Developer Advocate at Pluralsight and an Azure instructor with A Cloud Guru. In addition to being a Microsoft MVP and community leader, Lars is a published author, aspiring Microsoft Azure expert and part time classic car collector. You can connect with Lars on Twitter (https://twitter.com/larsklint)

Exchange Server 2013 officially reached its end of support on April 11, 2023. What exactly does end of support mean? What should you do if your organization still relies on Exchange 2013 for email? In this episode I'm joined by Microsoft MVP Jeff Guillet, and we attempt to answer these questions and more. We also discuss the recent Microsoft announcement to throttle and block email from persistently vulnerable Exchange servers to Exchange Online (https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/exchange-team-blog/throttling-and-blocking-email-from-persistently-vulnerable/ba-p/3762078?WT.mc_id=M365-MVP-9501) Be sure to check out the following resources: Exchange 2013 end of support roadmap (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/exchange-2013-end-of-support?view=o365-worldwide) How to Setup Exchange Management Tools in Environments without Exchange Server (https://blog.expta.com/2022/10/how-to-setup-exchange-management-tools.html) A New Tool to Manage Exchange-related Attributes Without Exchange Server (https://practical365.com/a-new-tool-to-manage-exchange-related-attributes-without-exchange-server/) Jeff Guillet is a Microsoft Exchange Certified Solutions Master (MCSM), Office Apps & Services MVP and the founder and CEO of EXPTA Consulting. He works primarily with Microsoft products (Exchange, Office 365, Lync Server, Windows Server, Active Directory, Hyper-V, etc.) for mid-large customers (5,000+ users) and is a published author, speaker and technical editor. You can connect with Jeff on Twitter (https://twitter.com/expta) and check out his blog (https://blog.expta.com)

We're Back! Happy 2023 to all - and yes, I realize that it's February. We often talk on this podcast about cyber readiness and the important of having a plan but, felt it would be important to unpack that a talk about what is means in practical terms. In this episode we welcome back our friend Fran Donoso to explain what cyber readiness entails and provide some great advice to help you and your organization get ready for when you have to deal with an incident. Francisco Donoso is the Vice President of Global Security Strategy at Kudelski Security, a global pure-play security services provider. His passion and hobby is researching and understanding Nation-State hacking or “APT” capabilities and tools. He has been on the forefront of research into the Equation Group’s post-exploitation tools and capabilities since their release by the Shadow Brokers and has spoken about this research at Derbycon, Thotcon, Microsoft Bluehat, and other conferences. You can connect with Fran on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Francisckrs) Be sure to check out our blog: https://thearchitects.cloud/2023/02/01/episode-72-cyber-readiness/

A CISO, or chief information security officer, is a senior-level executive who oversees an organization's information, cyber, and technology security. We recently had a fun conversation with our friend and CISO Sachin Surajbali about what is means to be a CISO. Sachin gave us a glimpse into a day in the life of a CISO, how to delicately balance all the technical and non-technical aspects of the role and why it is important to not be a hindrance to the business. Sachin also offers some great advice for any aspiring CISOs. Sachin Surajbali is an experienced Chief Information Security Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the financial industry. Certified Information Security Manager, Certified Information Security System Professional & Certified Cloud Security Professional. Strong information technology professional with a Management Advancement Programme accreditation from Witwatersrand Graduate School of Business. You can find Sachin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachin-surajbali-54108023/)

We recently had a great time talking to fellow Microsoft MVP Tom Arbuthnot about all things Microsoft Teams - covered some of the great community work Tom is involved with and discussed Teams call quality, meeting etiquette and how work from home has brought about a massive increase in meetings for many of us. Warren also gives some interesting financial advice *(Not intended to be taken as real financial advice..). Tom Arbuthnot is the Co-Founder of Empowering.Cloud and Solutions Director at Pure IP. A Microsoft MVP and Microsoft Certified Master, Tom stays up to date with industry news and developments and has the opportunity to share information and opinions on TomTalks.blog, the UCToday.com Microsoft Podcast and his TomTalks.email list. He regularly speaks at events around the world. He is highly engaged with the Microsoft community in person and online. You can find Tom on Twitter - https://twitter.com/tomarbuthnot Be sure to check out: * Tom Talks - https://tomtalks.blog * empowering.cloud - https://empowering.cloud

We love Exchange Server! No, really - I've personally been working with Exchange Server in some form or fashion since Exchange Server 5.5 in the late '90s and in some circles that makes me a late bloomer. It is difficult to ignore what seems like an endless list of day-zero vulnerabilities that have plagued our old friend over the last 12 - 18 months. These vulnerabilities have seen security researchers pointing the finger and the tech press calling Exchange Server a security liability. It's 2022, should you really still be hosting your own email? In this episode, Nic and I discuss the relevance of Exchange Server and attempt to answer this question. During this episode we refer to a couple of recent articles, here are the links: Your Microsoft Exchange Server Is a Security Liability - https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-exchange-server-vulnerabilities/It Really is Time to Say Goodbye to On-Premises Exchange - https://practical365.com/time-to-dump-exchange-server/

We apologize for the poor audio at the beginning of this episode - we're not sure what happened, but it does improve as the episode progresses. What is DevOps? The answer will often differ depending on who you ask. In this episode we asked Prashanth from Chef that question. He shares some great insights with us, including how DevOps practices can be used in an infrastructure and IT operations context. We also delve into Infrastructure as code (IaC) and its usefulness for provisioning and configuration management. Prashanth Nanjundappa is the VP, Product Management at chef.io. He is a Product Leader with 20 years of global experience in building & launching Enterprise and Consumer products with a proven expertise in building B2B SaaS and PaaS products at scale across Healthcare, Cloud Telephony, CRM, Analytics, Video/Metadata domain. You can find Prashanth on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashanthhn/)

Microsoft first announced the deprecation of Basic Authentication in September 2019 with the intention of starting the retirement process in October 2020. Those plans were subsequently postponed and needless to say it's been a long journey for many organizations to prepare for the inevitable. Sadly though, it seems not everyone received the memo and there are many organizations that still use basic auth extensively. Our old friend, Greg Taylor has been examining the telemetry and shared some interesting insights with us. We talk more about this change, what it means for you and how you can prepare for it (if you haven't already!) The clock is ticking.. Greg Taylor is a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft and is focused on Exchange Online protocols and security in Microsoft 365. Greg spent many years as part of the Exchange Engineering and Customer Experience teams, designing and building Exchange features, working with large enterprise customers, presenting at public events and working with technology communities. Greg also ran the Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) and Architect (MCA) and Exchange Ranger Programs for Microsoft, an elite 3-6 week in-person Redmond based program, training Microsoft and partner consultants and engineers how to design and troubleshoot the world’s largest and most complex Exchange deployments. You can find Greg on Twitter (https://twitter.com/gregtaylor_msft) Not sure if and how this affects you and your organization or interested to know more? Check out: Deprecation of Basic authentication in Exchange Online(https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/clients-and-mobile-in-exchange-online/deprecation-of-basic-authentication-exchange-online)

In this episode we chat to James "UCMadScientist" Arber. Some of you may know him as the guy who ran Doom on a Sonus/Ribbon SBC 1000 or set fire to a Polycom CX series phone, but James is also extremely knowledgable when it comes to all things Microsoft Teams. We had a lot of fun talking about the current state of Teams, room systems, devices, and the importance of using your dongle. James Arber, a.k.a "UCMadScientist" is an experienced UC Consultant and one of only 4 Microsoft Unified Communications MVP's in Australia. Skilled in Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Lync, VoIP deployment and troubleshooting. Microsoft Community Contributor and regular presenter at the Melbourne UC UserGroup. Father of 4 with a hint of "Mad Scientist" and a dash of car nut.. You can connect with James on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesarber/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/UCMadScientist) and be sure to check out his blog (https://www.ucmadscientist.com) Don't forget to check out our blog: https://thearchitects.cloud/2022/08/17/episode-66-use-your-dongle/

As an IT professional, governance and compliance have never been the sexiest of concepts. For many of us, these are things that distract us once a year when they require the yearly tick-in-the-box. It is important that we face the reality of the world we live in though and understand that we do have a responsibility of bridging two worlds. In this episode we had the opportunity to sit down with Rufaro Warinda to talk all about compliance, ISO 27001, CIS and a whole bunch of other acronyms. Rufaro does a fantastic job of explaining various concepts like the difference between legislative and regulatory compliance and we also take a look at how Microsoft technologies map to the new ISO controls. Rufaro Warinda is a Modern Work Cloud Analyst. He has a qualification in Industrial Engineering with an emphasis on process optimization, business analysis, security, compliance and identity management in the modern workplace (M365 & Azure). He has experience in the implementation of Information Security Management Systems (ISO/IEC 27001:2013), in order to assist organizations with maintaining governance and industry best practices as they expand into the digital workspace. You can connect with Rufaro on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rufaro-warinda-975b26187/) Here's a link to Rufaro's really handy reference New ISO 27001:2022 controls & How Microsoft Saves the Day.(https://thearchitects.cloud/downloads/ISO_27001_and_Microsoft_365.pdf)

We recently had a lot of fun connecting with Koos Goossens to talk about Microsoft Sentinel. Koos has a wealth of knowledge and shared some great tips on getting started with Sentinel, the importance of cost management and why a product != process. Koos Goossens is passionate about all things Microsoft Cloud and Security related. In his current role. he has been focussing on implementing Microsoft Sentinel and improving Security Operation Centers by helping with the development of new detections and fine-tuning, but also applying processes for automatic enrichments and investigations. KQL and Azure Logic Apps are two of my new best friends. You can connect with Koos on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/koos-goossens/) and can also check him out on Medium (https://medium.com/@koosg) Here's a link to Koos's blog on how to Optimize your Microsoft Sentinel pricing (https://medium.com/wortell/optimize-microsoft-sentinel-pricing-ca9901840b75)

This episode is all about certifications. I sat my first industry certification exam in the late 1990's and it's safe to say that certifications and the way the industry views them has changed a lot over the years. Are certifications important or even relevant anymore? This can be a very polarizing topic, I recently asked Sly Gittens from Tech Simplified all about it. Sly Gittens is a Partner Technology Strategist at Microsoft and runs the Tech Simplified YouTube channel. A lifelong learner and ever-curious about the world, Sly is committed to personal and professional development for myself and for those around him. His YouTube channel provides resources to help simplify the cloud certification journey. Sly is also incredibly passionate about supporting Women In Technology and has a WIT interview series were he talks to Women who keep moving forward no matter the obstacles in their way. You can connect with Sly on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/slygittens/) and can also check him out on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiZFfxc52ANSYp0Qxm3CKIA)

We recently had the pleasure of talking to a long time friend of the show Jay Gundotra. Jay is incredibly passionate about the community and you have most probably seen the ENow Software booth or attended one of their parties at Ignite or some other industry event. We talk about his journey from Exchange Server specialist to Founder and CEO and how everyone has a unique journey. We also get deep about how it is important to learn from our own experiences - good or bad and how self care is vital to longevity in our industry today. Jay Gundotra is the technical founder and CEO of ENow, a leader in the Microsoft systems management space. With over 20 years of experience in Unified Communications and Network computing, he has led ENow to deliver effective monitoring and analytics software to customers in over 130 countries. This has included enterprise companies like Coca Cola, Volkswagen, NYSE, Facebook, DirectTV, CBRE, NBA and Wendy’s. You can connect with Jay on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-gundotra-19079a/)

In this episode we had the pleasure of talking to Kexin Ye and hearing her inspirational story of personal growth and how she went from selling Fair trade "coffee to fighting to tech". We also talk about chaos engineering, technical debt and the importance of a sound cloud strategy. If you're interested in chaos engineering, here are some additional links you might want to check out: Chaos engineering (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/resiliency/chaos-engineering) & What is Azure Chaos Studio Preview (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/chaos-studio/chaos-studio-overview) Kexin Ye is a Woman in Tech, 3rd culture kid, entrepreneur at heart and one of the top contestants on Asia’s The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition. You can connect with Kexin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kexin-ye) Don't forget to check out our blog: https://thearchitects.cloud/2022/03/16/episode-61-inner-warrior/

We're back for our first episode of 2022! We had so much fun catching up in-person in Cape Town last month to record this one. In this episode we're joined by fellow MVP Alistair Pugin to talk through some of our predictions for 2022. Will 2022 be the year of spend? We talk about hybrid cloud, organizational maturity, in-person conferences and Exchange "bugs". I tried to find a link to the Microsoft product rename site referenced in episode, but I can't figure out where I saved it - if this is your project or you know about it, please let us know on twitter. Alistair has worked in various capacities in multiple verticals from retail – manufacturing to government, spanning 50 to 50000 users utilizing all aspects of pure Enterprise Information Management. His current role as a Microsoft Azure and Office Apps and Services MVP in South Africa, provides him with a mechanism to assist companies with designing their Cloud collaboration environment using “best of breed”, proven methodologies to foster innovation and growth through an Content Services framework while incorporating a Knowledge Management strategy. You can connect with Alistair on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AlistairPugin)

I really miss in-person conferences and I'm sure I'm not the only one. We've always enjoyed being able to connect with new and old friends and peers, not to mention how incredibly enjoyable it is for us to record our episodes in person. In this episode we talk to Microsoft's Laurent Bugnion about conferences and events - we cover everything from imposter syndrome, why in-person events may never be the same again and how they have worked tirelessly to scale and make virtual events more engaging for everyone. During the episode, Laurent talks about the following resources: * Laurent's Website - https://galasoft.ch * Learn Live - http://aka.ms/learnlive Laurent Bugnion works as Senior Cloud Developer Advocate for Microsoft after almost 10 years spent working for IdentityMine and Valorem, two leading firms in Microsoft technologies. He is one of the foremost experts for XAML and C# based development. He codes in Windows, WPF, Xamarin (iOS and Android), Unity, ASP.NET. During his free time, Laurent writes for technical publications such as MSDN Magazine, and his blog is on blog.galasoft.ch. He is a frequent speaker at conferences such as Microsoft MIX, Build, TechEd, VSLive, TechDays and many other international events. You can connect with Laurent on Twitter - https://twitter.com/LBugnion

Data Security is top of mind for many organizations at the moment with so many of them transitioning to a permanent work from home or hybrid working model. There is however so much more to protecting your data than encrypting it or implementing a DLP tool. In this episode we have a great conversation with Ernie Anderson about Data Security - what it is, where to start, what to consider and why you shouldn't just run out and buy a tool right away. Ernie Anderson has over 20 years of professional experience in Information Technology, of which 19 have been focused on cybersecurity consulting. He has a proven track record of working with cross-industry Chief Information Security Officers (“CISOs”) and Chief Information Officers (“CIOs”) to define cybersecurity strategies and establish risk-driven cybersecurity programs that are both enablers of the business and a value proposition to customers. Ernie’s technical foundation enables him to translate strategic vision into tactical solutions and implementation projects. He currently leads Kudelski Security's Services practice, which includes strategic leadership and the development of capabilities, staff planning, opportunity identification and capture, and the delivery of projects. You can connect with Ernie on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernieanderson/

Ever wondered what a SIEM is? How about SOAR? In this episode we have a fantastic conversation with ML who helps us understand what these are, how they are different and even how they can work together. We also cover a few other security-related topics and ML shares some great insights and recommendations. Mari-Louise (ML) is the co-founder and director of Port443 (Pty) Ltd. Focusing on platform based cyber security automation and orchestrations, Port443 democratizes security across all industries across MEA. Prior to starting Port443, she performed multiple functions for over 6 years at Internet Solutions (a Division of Dimension Data), most notably responsible for technical product development across multiple solutions. In 2019 ML took on the role of Head of Product & Technical development for Dimension Data Security (the MEA regions for NTT Security). Responsible for the deployment and development of Managed Security Services across Middle East and Africa. She has keen eye for identifying breakthrough technologies and a mantra that “everything is figoureoutable”, enjoys innovation and the pursuit of efficiency via software based platforms. You can connect with ML on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mari-loui...)

If you follow the Microsoft productivity space, you have no doubt seen or heard about the "Autodiscovering the Great Leak" research paper recently published by Amit Serper, a security researcher at Guardicore. The paper details more than five months' research into the Autodiscover service used by Microsoft Exchange. Amit's research was picked up and in many instances misreported by the tech press, which in turn caused a certain degree of panic. We're deeply passionate about Exchange and have been for a very long time, so we thought it would be a good idea to sit down with Amit to talk through his research and better understand his findings. During the episode, Amit talks about the following resources: * https://detectionlab.network * https://autodiscover-vulnerable-tlds.com Amit Serper is a security researcher that spent almost a decade in the Israeli intelligence community where he worked in vulnerability research, exploit development and designed the architectures of uniquely complicated, highly reliable, one-of-a-kind communication systems. During his 9 year tenure in the IDF and Israeli government, he received 4 certificates of excellence and two commendations. During his career he has been on both the red and blue sides, joined an early stage start-up to build EDR products from scratch on various operating systems, conducted low level operating system research, reverse engineered malware, performed countless IR engagements, helped build a global research team and brand, and stopped a few global attacks (NotPetya, BadRabbit, Operation softcell to name a few). Amit is a frequent public speaker at security conferences all over the world and shares his research and knowledge in various blog posts, conferences, and podcasts. You can find Amit on Twitter - https://twitter.com/0xAmit

We've often joked on the show that Microsoft is the world's largest security vendor and when you consider their massive investment in security-related R&D and innovation it really isn't far from the truth. We had a great time sitting down with Microsoft's Stephen Revel recently to talk about the security features and functionality available to customers in Microsoft 365 and hopefully debunk the myth that you can't be secure without having an M365 E5 license or additional investments in third-party solutions. Stephen Revel is a Modern Workplace Senior Technical Specialist for security at Microsoft with almost 18 years’ experience designing, implementing and migrating Microsoft based infrastructures. You can find Stephen on Twitter (https://twitter.com/technical_drunk) or connect with him on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenrevel/)

We've all heard the statement "Fast, Cheap or Good? Pick two" and it seems this continues to ring true. Does the current rate of innovation and change in technology come at the expense of quality? We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with our friends Martina Grom and Tony Redmond to discuss this and hear about what has been keeping them busy lately. Martina Grom is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional and Microsoft Regional Director. Martina loves Cloud technologies, social media & security and running. Martina is the co-founder & CEO of https://atwork.at You can connect with Martina on Twitter - https://twitter.com/magrom Tony Redmond has been writing about electronic mail since 1992 and is widely regarded as one of the foremost commentators on Microsoft collaboration technology. Tony has written 15 books and is the lead author of Office 365 for IT Pros which is the most practical and up-to-date guide to everything Office 365 related. I encourage you to follow Tony on Twitter - https://twitter.com/12Knocksinna