Episode 7
How to Secure Local Admins with Intune EPM
Matt Call on Securing Windows with Intune Management
In this week’s episode of ThreatCast, Ru Campbell is joined by Matt Call, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, who shares insight on his journey from consulting to product engineering, touching on the challenges associated with implementing changes across endpoints and the vulnerabilities created by over-privileged user accounts. Ru and Matt close out the episode by considering the security trends on the horizon, and what they mean for those in the industry.
Overview
Implementing security and system changes across a vast userbase can be a challenge for security teams. But over-privileged accounts with unmanaged (or unchecked) levels of access create vulnerabilities. Matt and Ru discuss how organisations can balance the need for wide-reaching control with a secure privileged access policy, along with the most effective tools available for the job within the Microsoft Security suite.
Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM) is built into Microsoft Intune, housing all configuration management within one Admin Centre. Matt details the tool’s capabilities, the use-cases he’s encountered, and how simplifying what can be a unwieldy process can assist teams in staying on top of who has access to what.
Matt also highlights the broader impact of his team’s work on the user community. He explains how their efforts in developing and refining features directly benefit professionals who rely on these tools daily, and how this feeds into the collaborative culture at Microsoft that drives innovation. He highlights how cross-team collaborations and user feedback are integral to refining security features, fostering continuous improvement, and enabling Microsoft to stay ahead of emerging threats.
We also touch on the future of security management and the ongoing evolution of Microsoft’s products. Matt provides insights into upcoming trends and his team’s preparations for new challenges, underscoring Microsoft’s commitment to maintaining a leading edge in security innovation and how it continues to adapt to meet evolving user needs.
What is covered?
- What are the main challenges in implementing new security settings and managing Defender for Endpoint?
- Why do organisations need a robust EPM policy?
- How can security teams balance the need for control over user devices with the vulnerabilities associated with over-privileged accounts?
- How does the collaborative culture at Microsoft drive innovation in security management?
- What trends and challenges in security management is Microsoft preparing for in the future?