Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast

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 such as Visual Studio Code and the Azure Bicep extension, to exploring the intuitive features that make Bicep so powerful. Discover how Bicep’s functions, objects, and simplified syntax improve your workflow, offering a more readable and maintainable alternative to traditional ARM templates. Whether you’re an Azure admin or a developer, this episode provides a clear path to building and managing Azure resources effectively with Bicep. Tune in and start coding your infrastructure with confidence! Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Microsoft Ignite What is Bicep? Bicep functions Quickstart: Create Bicep files with Visual Studio Code Azure/azure-quickstart-templates ˚Decompiling ARM template JSON to Bicep Learn modules for Bicep About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 Desktop on Apple Silicon. Scott's hot take - virtualizing Windows 11 on a Mac is better than running it on native hardware. Listen in as Ben and Scott talk through Windows on ARM, whether a virtual machine might be best for you to try out Windows on ARM, pitfalls of application compatibility, and when you might just want to consider a remote desktop session instead to get your Windows work done from a Mac. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Meet the Surface Pro 11th Edition Microsoft announces Copilot Plus PCs with built-in AI hardware The Ultimate Solution: Windows 11 in a virtual machine + Parallels Desktop + Mac Computers with Apple silicon Azure Cobalt 100-based Virtual Machines are now generally available Unified inbox in Outlook for Mac MMR Call Redirection for Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365 now available How emulation works on Arm Exploring Windows on ARM: The Future of Computing About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 processes and strengthen your infrastructure using these powerful tools. Tune in to level up your automation and security game! Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Maester Installation guide Maester Tests Entra ID - Security Config Analyzer Tests Writing custom tests Pester Use the What If tool to troubleshoot Conditional Access policies Secure Cloud Business Applications (SCuBA) Project https://github.com/cisagov/ScubaGear  About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes What is Microsoft Sentinel? Deployment guide for Microsoft Sentinel Plan costs and understand Microsoft Sentinel pricing and billing Log retention plans in Microsoft Sentinel Prepare for multiple workspaces and tenants in Microsoft Sentinel Centrally manage multiple Microsoft Sentinel workspaces with workspace manager (Preview) Sentinel Content Packs Free data sources Automate threat response with playbooks in Microsoft Sentinel About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 protects. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Episode 382 – Securing the Modern Workplace: Exploring Microsoft Entra ID Security Defaults, Conditional Access Policies, and Microsoft Secure Score Episode 383 – Securing Azure: Monitoring and observing your Azure estate What is Microsoft Defender for Cloud? Common questions about Defender for Cloud? Common questions about data collection, agents, and workspaces About Azure Update Manager Align responsibilities across teams About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 importance of capturing and analyzing security logs to detect and respond to potential threats. Next, we delve into Azure Monitor data sources and data collection methods. Azure Monitor provides a comprehensive set of tools to collect, analyze, and act on telemetry data from your cloud and on-premises environments. Finally, we discuss how the components of Azure Monitor can be used for managing and analyzing the vast amounts of data generated in your Azure environment. We’ll explore how this platform supports advanced analytics, helps you identify trends and anomalies, and enables proactive threat detection. Whether you’re a cloud architect, security professional, or IT admin, this episode offers practical advice and strategies for leveraging observability to enhance your security posture in Azure. Tune in to discover how you can better protect your organization by implementing effective observability practices. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Announcing mandatory multi-factor authentication for Azure sign-in Azure security logging and auditing Azure Monitor data sources and data collection methods Azure Monitor data platform Extend Azure with Azure Native ISV Services About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 maturity with the Microsoft Cloud. Whether you’re an IT administrator, security professional, or just someone keen on understanding how to secure your digital workspace, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical tips to help you leverage these security tools. Tune in to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your organization is protected against the evolving threat landscape! Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Security defaults in Microsoft Entra ID Microsoft Secure Future Initiative Every Microsoft employee is now being judged on their security work What is Conditional Access? Conditional Access policy templates Episode 256 – Conditional Access All The Things? Microsoft security portals and admin centers Track your Microsoft Secure Score history and meet goals Assess your security posture with Microsoft Secure Score About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Elgato's New Stream Deck POWER-UPS make streaming even easier USB Hub - Multiport adapter for Stream Deck + Helping our customers through the CrowdStrike outage Azure status history Update on the SharePoint Files dataset Datasets, regions, and sinks supported by Microsoft Graph Data Connect microsoftgraph / dataconnect-solutions MGDC for SharePoint: New, Updated and Upcoming Datasets Step-by-step: Gather a detailed dataset on SharePoint Sites using the Microsoft Graph Data Connect About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. 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 Post-Breach Fixes: Snowflake Adds Mandatory MFA What Is Identity Theft Insurance? Move to cloud authentication with the AD FS migration tool! Use AD FS application migration to move AD FS apps to Microsoft Entra ID Migrate from AD FS to Microsoft Entra ID for identity management https://setup.cloud.microsoft/ Microsoft ordered employees in China to only use iPhones due to security threats About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2, 14 Oz, App-Controlled Heated Coffee Mug with 80 Min Battery Life and Improved Design, Black Azure Verified Modules What, Why, How  Module Indexes Module Support Terraform Modules Community Calls John Savill - Azure Verified Modules Overview About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 you're familiar with AWS EC2 and Spot fleet, this is effectively the equivalent in Azure. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes GoveeLife WiFi Freezer Thermometer Alarm, Remote App Alert with Anti-False, Wireless Smart Temperature Monitor Sensor, 2 Years Free Data Storage Export, Digital Thermometer for Refrigerator Pool Tub EC2 Fleet – Manage Thousands of On-Demand and Spot Instances with One Request Azure Compute Fleet PREVIEW Announcing the Public Preview of Azure Compute Fleet Build 2024: Microsoft Announces New Azure Virtual Machines for AI and Cloud-Native Workloads What is Azure Compute Fleet? (Preview) FAQ for Azure Compute Fleet Deploying Azure Compute Fleet virtual machines - YouTube About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 approaching the multiple embedded experiences in it, and how to think about building a corpus of knowledge and truly leveraging it as an assistant and accelerator for upping your security game in your Microsoft cloud. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes “Unprecedented” Google Cloud event wipes out customer account and its backups A joint statement from UniSuper CEO Peter Chun, and Google Cloud CEO, Thomas Kurian What was the recent outage caused by? Microsoft Copilot for Security Microsoft Security Copilot to be available April 1 as a capacity-based service Microsoft Copilot for Security - Pricing Manage usage of security compute units in Copilot for Security What is Microsoft Copilot for Security? Microsoft Copilot for Security experiences Copilot for Security prompting tips - Create effective prompts About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. 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 eSignature in Microsoft 365 | OD17 Unveiling the Newest OneDrive Capabilities OneDrive Adds New Offline Capabilities Work with OneDrive web app when offline The Intrazone - Add to OneDrive About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 and learn how Global Secure Access can help you secure your digital world. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes What is Global Secure Access (preview)? Global Secure Access clients Global Secure Access client for Windows (preview) Global Secure Access (preview) traffic forwarding profiles Learn about Microsoft Entra Private Access Learn about Microsoft Entra Internet Access for all apps How to use the Global Secure Access (preview) enriched Microsoft 365 logs About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Trusted launch for Azure virtual machines Supported SKUs Enable Trusted launch on existing Azure VMs Deploy a VM with trusted launch enabled Enable Trusted launch on existing Azure VMs Trusted Launch FAQ About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 with endpoint detection and response policies. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Microsoft Intune troubleshooting Manage endpoint security in Microsoft Intune Manage BitLocker policy for Windows devices with Intune Use FileVault disk encryption for macOS with Intune Monitor device encryption with Intune Endpoint security firewall rule migration tool overview Enforce compliance for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint with Conditional Access in Intune Endpoint detection and response policy for endpoint security in Intune Manage approved apps for Windows devices with App Control for Business policy and Managed Installers for Microsoft Intune About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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 management experience, how MDM and MAM come into play, and how App protection policies protect your corporate data. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Overview of Windows Autopilot App protection policies overview App configuration policies for Microsoft Intune Policies for Office apps About the sponsors Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

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 are available. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Washington's Dream - SNL - YouTube Microsoft Intune plans and pricing Microsoft Intune licensing Device-only licenses Microsoft Intune planning guide Get started with your Microsoft Intune deployment Supported operating systems and browsers in Intune Manage endpoint security policies on devices onboarded to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Import custom ADMX and ADML administrative templates into Microsoft Intune (public preview) Create a Settings Catalog policy using your imported GPOs in Microsoft Intune (public preview) Password and account lockout policies on Microsoft Entra Domain Services managed domains About the sponsors Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

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 find out! Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Microsoft 365 Copilot 'generally available' – if you can afford 300 seats Expanding availability of Copilot for Microsoft 365 Where can I get Microsoft Copilot? Microsoft Copilot help & learning Copilot in Microsoft Teams help & learning Email coaching with Copilot in Outlook Copilot in OneNote help & learning Copilot Pro plans & licensing About the sponsors Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

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 discussing why you should use these features, how to set them up, and their options. Additionally, we'll cover the differences between the two features, such as the fact that Microsoft 365 Backup does not require an Azure subscription, unlike Microsoft 365 Archive. We'll also delve into the policies, frequency and retention, and recovery options for each service. Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options. Show Notes Microsoft 365 Backup Microsoft 365 Backup - Microsoft Adoption Overview of Microsoft 365 Backup (Preview) Set up Microsoft 365 Backup (Preview) Pricing model for Microsoft 365 Backup (Preview) Microsoft 365 Roadmap - Feature ID 188799 Microsoft 365 Archive Microsoft 365 Archive - Microsoft Adoption Overview of Microsoft 365 Archive (Preview) Set up Microsoft 365 Archive (Preview) Pricing model for Microsoft 365 Archive (Preview) Microsoft 365 Roadmap - Feature ID 171100 About the sponsors Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.