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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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.

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

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.