Microsoft Mechanics Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR | Always-on, human-led MXDR Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Stay ahead of real-world threats without overwhelming your team using Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR. Offload high-severity incidents, gain full visibility into every investigation, and follow clear, guided remediation steps so you can contain attacks quickly and confidently, day or night.

Extend your security operations with always-on managed detection and response and proactive threat hunting, so you can uncover hidden risks early, stop threats threats they spread, and strengthen your defenses to prevent future attacks.

Maynald Savatdy, Microsoft Defender Expert, shows how to detect, contain, and hunt threats across your environment with support from human experts.

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Microsoft Defender Experts

00:54 - 24/7 Security Coverage

01:35 - Visibility & guidance actions

03:34 - Incidents and alerts

04:25 - Social engineering attack

05:36 - Defender Experts for hunting

06:34 - Wrap up

► Link References

Get started at https://aka.ms/DefenderExperts

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

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Agents in Microsoft Intune | Automate Policy Creation, Troubleshooting & Fix Guidance Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

Automate device and security policy management by turning written compliance requirements into Intune policies. Use natural language to draft, refine, and deploy configuration profiles, review AI-generated recommendations with confidence scores, and stay in full control before publishing to your environment.

Reduce risk and manual effort by automatically evaluating admin change requests and blocking harmful scripts before deployment. Prioritize vulnerabilities from Defender, translate them into actionable Intune remediation steps, and schedule ongoing fixes.

Jason Githens, Microsoft Intune Principal GPM, shares how to move from reactive security work to continuous, proactive protection. Note: At the time of publishing this video, the Change Review Agent and Policy Configuration Agent are in public preview and the Vulnerability Remediation Agent is in limited public preview.

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Automate work with Intune Agents 01:08 - Policy Configuration Agent 01:36 - Policy drafts 02:27 - Create a new knowledge source 03:25 - Create a new policy 04:49 - Change Review Agent 06:19 - Vulnerability Remediation Agent 07:46 - Wrap up

► Link References

To get started, go to https://aka.ms/IntuneAgents

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

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AI in Windows 11 Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

Stay productive without changing how you work with new Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI experiences on any Windows 11 PC. Access Copilot and agents right from the taskbar; find answers across your files, email, and meetings, and turn ideas into polished content using voice or text. AI is right there where you already work, so you can move faster, stay in your flow, and make better decisions without switching context, opening other apps or moving to the browser.

And if you do have a Copilot+ PC, you can use fluid voice dictation across apps, find files with natural language search, take action on anything on your screen, and refine writing anywhere, even offline.

Jeremy Chapman, Microsoft 365 Director, shows how whether you're planning projects, collaborating with teammates, or building solutions, you can move faster, stay focused, and turn context into real outcomes.

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Ask Copilot

00:55 - Use voice with Copilot

02:30 - Agents on Windows 11 taskbar

04:19 - Copilot in File Explorer

05:19 - Copilot+ PC capabilities

07:04 - Click to Do

07:52 - Writing Assistance with Copilot

09:15 - Wrap up

► Link References

Check out https://aka.ms/Windows11AI

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social:

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AI with Zero Trust Security Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

Adopt a Zero Trust approach that lets you verify every access request—human, machine, or AI—before it reaches your most critical resources. As AI agents, semantic search, and automation accelerate how work gets done, you can reduce risk by explicitly validating identity, enforcing least-privilege access, and assuming breach across every step of your environment. Apply layered, continuous protection across identities, endpoints, networks, data, AI resources, applications, and infrastructure so attackers can't exploit any weak links.

Michael Madrigal, Security Product Manager, shares how you can protect productivity and keep pace with an evolving threat landscape, by continuously assessing risk, securing resources at runtime, and adapting policies as conditions change.

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Zero Trust for AI

01:41 - Overview of Zero Trust

02:43 - Identities

04:38 - Endpoints

04:50 - How Zero Trust applies to your network

06:51 - How Zero Trust applies to your data

07:31 - How Zero Trust applies to AI resources

08:24 - App Layer

08:31 - Infrastructure

09:49 - Security

10:23 - Wrap up

► Link References

Check out https://aka.ms/GoZeroTrust Watch our series at https://aka.ms/ZTMechanics

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social:

• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics

• Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/

• Enjoy us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msftmechanics/

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Microsoft Entra Agent ID explained Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

Control AI agents as they are created across your environment by treating them like real identities with Microsoft Entra Agent ID. See every agent in one place, understand what it can access, detect agent sprawl early, and apply least-privilege permissions using the same Microsoft Entra tools you already use for users—without introducing new governance models.

Approve and scope agent access with accountability, enforce agent-specific Conditional Access in real time, automatically block risky behavior, and ensure every agent always has an owner, even as people change roles or leave.

Leandro Iwase, Microsoft Entra Senior Product Manager shows how to keep agents operating securely, transparently, and predictably across their entire lifecycle.

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Treat AI Agents Like Real Identities

00:42 - Stop Agent Sprawl

02:26 - Least Privilege with Agent Blueprints

03:39 - Scope Agent Access

05:10 - Create agent specific Conditional Access policies

06:12 - Protect against a sponsor account

07:01 - Agents flagged as risky

07:50 - Ownerless agents

09:00 - Wrap up

► Link References

Check out https://aka.ms/EntraAgentID

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social:

• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics

• Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/

• Enjoy us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msftmechanics/

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New Agents in Microsoft Purview Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

Strengthen your daily security workflow, focus on real risks, act faster, and stay ahead of emerging threats with new agents in Microsoft Purview. Use the Data Security Triage Agent to cut through alert overload, eliminate false positives, and immediately understand which Insider Risk or DLP incidents need your attention. Stay in control with automated user outreach and clear, contextual reasoning behind every alert.

Use the Data Security Posture Agent to uncover risks that hide behind context with natural-language queries. When issues are found, apply labels and trigger security policies right from the insight, helping you proactively prevent data loss. Powered by Security Copilot, these agents give you a faster, smarter, more efficient way to manage data security.

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Agents in Microsoft Purview

00:44 - Data Security Triage Agent

01:48 - Data Security Posture Agent

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social:

• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics

• Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/

• Enjoy us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msftmechanics/

• Loosen up with us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@msftmechanics

How Microsoft Agent 365 works Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

Bring AI agents directly into your daily workflows with Microsoft Agent 365. Agents have their own identity, email, OneDrive and Teams presence, and collaborate just like coworkers. Onboard agents, give them the policies and knowledge they need, and let them work in parallel with you to handle procurement, approvals, research, and updates using the same Microsoft 365 tools you already rely on.

As your use of agents grows, keep full visibility and control. Track every action, understand their impact across your organization, govern permissions with least-privilege access, and manage all agents from a single unified control plane.

Jeremy Chapman, Microsoft 365 Director, shares how you can adopt autonomous agents at scale with confidence, security, and clarity across your business.

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Microsoft Agent 365

01:04 - Agent capabilities

02:48 - Visualize the agent's impact

03:23 - How it works

04:48 - Agent 365 control plane

07:31 - Zero in on risks

08:18 - Agent map

09:10 - Wrap up

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social:

• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics

• Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/

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Microsoft Foundry - Everything you need to build AI apps & agents Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

It's never been easier to build, optimize, and govern AI apps and agents that understand your business context and deliver business impact. Our unified, interoperable AI platform enables developers to build faster and smarter, while organizations gain fleetwide security and governance in a unified portal.

Yina Arenas, Microsoft Foundry CVP, shares how to keep your development and operations teams coordinated, ensuring productivity, governance, and visibility across all your AI projects.

Learn more in this Microsoft Mechanics demo, and start building with Microsoft Foundry at ai.azure.com

► QUICK LINKS:

00:54 - Tour the Microsoft Foundry portal

03:32 - The Build tab and Workflows

05:03 - How to build an agentic app

07:02 - Evaluate agent performance

08:37 - Safety and security

09:18 - Publish your agentic app

09:41 - Post deployment

11:36 - Wrap up

► Link References

Visit https://ai.azure.com and get started today

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

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Formerly Azure AI Foundry and Azure Cognitive Services

Foundry IQ for Multi-Source AI Knowledge Bases Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

Ground your AI agents on your organization's knowledge, pulling from multiple sources at once, connecting the dots automatically, and getting more accurate, context-rich answers without doing manual orchestration with Foundry IQ in Microsoft Foundry. Navigate complex, distributed data across Azure stores, SharePoint, OneLake, MCP servers, and even the web, all through a single knowledge base that handles query planning and iteration for you.

Reuse the Azure AI Search assets you already have, build new knowledge bases with minimal setup, and control how much reasoning effort your agents apply. As you develop, you can rely on iterative retrieval only when it improves results, saving time, tokens, and development complexity.

Pablo Castro, Azure AI Search CVP and Distinguished Engineer, joins Jeremy Chapman to share how to build smarter, more capable AI agents, with higher-quality grounded answers and less engineering overhead.

► Link References

To learn more check out https://aka.ms/FoundryIQ

For more details on the evaluation metric discussed on this show, read our blog at https://aka.ms/kb-evals

For more on Microsoft Foundry go to https://ai.azure.com/nextgen

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social:

• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics

• Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/ • Enjoy us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msftmechanics/

• Loosen up with us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@msftmechanics

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Foundry IQ in Microsoft Foundry

01:02 - How it's evolved

03:02 - Knowledge bases in Foundry IQ

04:37 - Azure AI Search and retrieval stack

05:51 - How it works

06:52 - Visualization tool demo

08:07 - Build a knowledge base

10:10 - Evaluating results

13:11 - Wrap up

Run local AI on any PC or Mac - Microsoft Foundry Local Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

Build powerful AI apps that run locally on any device—Windows, macOS, or mobile—without relying on the cloud using Foundry Local. Leverage full hardware performance, keep data private, reduce latency, and predict costs, even in offline or low-connectivity scenarios.

Simplify development and deploy AI apps across diverse hardware and OS platforms with the Foundry Local SDK. Manage models locally, switch AI engines easily, and deliver consistent, multi-modal experiences, voice or text, without complex cross-platform setup.

Raji Rajagopalan, Microsoft CoreAI Vice President, shares how to start quickly, test locally, and scale confidently.

► QUICK LINKS:

00:00 - Run AI locally

01:48 - Local AI use cases

02:23 - App portability

03:18 - Run apps on any device

05:14 - Run on older devices

05:58 - Run apps on MacOS

06:18 - Local AI is Multi-modal

07:25 - How it works

08:20 - How to get it running on your device

09:26 - Start with AI Toolkit in VS Code with new SDK

10:11 - Wrap up

► Link References

Check out https://aka.ms/foundrylocalSDK

Build an app using code in our repo at https://aka.ms/foundrylocalsamples

► Unfamiliar with Microsoft Mechanics?

As Microsoft's official video series for IT, you can watch and share valuable content and demos of current and upcoming tech from the people who build it at Microsoft.

• Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MicrosoftMechanicsSeries

• Talk with other IT Pros, join us on the Microsoft Tech Community: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftMechanicsBlog

• Watch or listen from anywhere, subscribe to our podcast: https://microsoftmechanics.libsyn.com/podcast

► Keep getting this insider knowledge, join us on social:

• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSFTMechanics

• Share knowledge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft-mechanics/

• Enjoy us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msftmechanics/

• Loosen up with us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@msftmechanics