AI transformation starts with security. This theme echoed throughout Microsoft Ignite 2024, with security talks drawing large crowds and securing top spots in the conference’s busiest sessions.
Hundreds of security and IT professionals gathered early for Microsoft Ignite Security forumwhich began with insights from Microsoft security product managers on threat intelligence and AI research. The event really began with a opening speech from Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, who highlighted the critical role of data governance in the AI era, particularly highlighting upcoming changes to Microsoft Purview.
“In the age of AI, data governance plays an even more critical, central and important role,” Nadella declared.
Microsoft Ignite 2024: key announcements and innovations
Charlie Bell, Microsoft’s executive vice president of security, and Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president, provided an overview of the current security landscape and Microsoft’s innovative responses to its challenges.
Jakkal highlighted the importance of AI in supporting security professionals, illustrating this with examples of how Microsoft Security Copilot and AI from Microsoft Research Labs have been used to improve threat identification .
One of the biggest announcements was the general availability of Microsoft Security Exposure Management. This innovative solution provides security professionals with a graph-based approach to proactive threat protection, dynamically creating a comprehensive view of the entire attack surface.
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Managing Microsoft Security Exposures
Microsoft’s new Security Exposure Management solution provides a unified view of assets and their connections, enabling in-depth assessments of an organization’s security posture.
This approach minimizes excessive permissions and credential risks by establishing and maintaining comprehensive asset inventories.
Microsoft Security Copilot was a major topic of interest, with nearly 70% of Fortune 500 companies already using Microsoft 365 Copilot. The growing influence of the Copilot stack is set to expand further with the introduction of Azure AI Foundry, which enables organizations to build, customize and manage next-generation AI applications and agents at scale.
Additionally, the Microsoft Entra suite, designed to secure employee access and automate identity lifecycle workflows, was highlighted for its growing capabilities.
During Microsoft’s General Security Session, speakers explored how AI can improve cyber defense by more effectively predicting, detecting, and responding to threats. AI-based detection already identifies patterns in network traffic, and automated responses minimize negative impacts on organizations.
Following the buzz from Ignite, Microsoft Security is hosting a series of AMA sessions on December 3. These sessions will feature experts ready to dive into topics such as Security Copilot, Entra Suite, Defender for Cloud and Security Service Edge (SSE), and be broadcast on LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
Sessions to watch today, December 3, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. (Pacific Time): Safety Co-Pilot
Learn how to quickly respond to cyberthreats and assess risk exposure with insights from the product team. - 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. PST: Microsoft Entra Suite
Learn best practices for securing access to cloud-native and on-premises applications. - 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. PT: Microsoft Defender for the Cloud
Get feature-specific recommendations and learn about the latest updates. - 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. PT: Security Service Edge (SSE)
Learn about Microsoft’s partnerships and integrated security solutions. - 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. PT: Managing Microsoft Security Exposures
Learn how to maintain a strong security posture with a unified view of your attack surface. - 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. PT: Security for AI
Prepare your infrastructure to safely adopt AI and protect sensitive data.
Microsoft Ignite 2024 showed how AI transformation requires robust security measures, paving the way for future innovations and partnerships in the cybersecurity landscape.
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