Petri Dish
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- Petri Dish
Russell Smith hosts Petri Dish, a podcast for Microsoft system engineers and administrators looking to keep up to date with the latest trends in IT.
Latest Episode: Still Fighting Endpoint Fires? How to Scale IT Change Without the Chaos
Petri Dish Episodes
90% of AI Token Spend “Goes Nowhere” — What CIOs Must Measure Now
In this episode of Petri Dish, we’re looking at one of the most important shifts happening in enterprise work right now: the rise of AI-powered document creation. Joining me is Jean-Marc Chanoine, Chief Sales Officer at Templafy, a company that’s been at the forefront of integrating AI and automation into the everyday tools knowledge workers...
Identity Is The New Perimeter: The Microsoft Digital Defense Report’s Biggest Wake-Up Calls
Attackers aren’t breaking in—they’re logging in. In this episode, we unpack the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2025 and what it reveals about today’s identity-first threat landscape: infostealers, hybrid ransomware operations, and social engineering that blends into “normal” activity. Joining the conversation are Chloé Messdaghi (strategic advisor on AI governance and cybersecurity at Microsoft) and Etan...
Agentic AI Is Coming to the Enterprise. But Can We Actually Trust It?
Everyone is talking about AI agents but very few organizations are actually running them in production. Teams are experimenting, launching pilots, and building demos… and then getting stuck. In this episode of Petri Dish, I’m joined by Giovanni Carraro, SVP of Global Strategic Alliances at Kyndryl, to unpack why that gap exists and what it...
AI Copilots at Scale: How DDN Powers Fast, Secure Enterprise AI
In this episode of Petri Dish, Russell Smith sits down with Wendy Stusrud, Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales at DDN to talk about what it really takes to make enterprise copilots and chatbots succeed at scale. Wendy shares why she joined DDN as the company doubles down on AI, and how DDN positions itself...
What If Identity Governance Wasn’t Overhead BUT Your Strongest Security Control?
In this episode, Russell sits down with Ramiro Calderon, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, Jef Kazimer, Principal Product Manager on the Microsoft Security Entra Identity Platform, and Tee Earls, Product Area Lead for Entra ID Governance, to unpack why identity governance is no longer just about compliance but it’s foundational to Zero Trust and modern...
Active Directory Update: RC4 Deprecation, 2025 DC Problems and OU Structure Tips
In this episode of Petri Dish, Russell Smith sits down with Principal Technologist Craig Birch to break down several major Active Directory changes that every IT administrator needs to know right now. We cover three big topics shaking up the identity and Windows Server world: 1. Kerberos RC4 Deprecation Microsoft is enforcing the removal of...
How AI Is Changing Remote Desktop Management
In this episode of Petri Dish, I talk to Devolutions CTO, Marc-André Moreau, and we dive into the latest in how AI is changing remote desktop management. Learn how Large Language Models (LLMs) and Model Context Protocol (MCP) are helping IT administrators automate tasks, boost efficiency, and unlock new opportunities. Whether you’re an early adopter...
Top 3 AD Security Fixes You MUST Do Now! (With Sean Metcalf)
Join Russell Smith as he sits down with Sean Metcalf, one of only 100 Microsoft Certified Masters in Active Directory and Identity Security Architect at TrustedSec. Craig Birch also joins the interview, Principal Technologist at Cayosoft, for an in-depth conversation on the future of Identity and Access Management. In this episode, we cover: 🔗 Links...
Zulip – The Open-Source Team Chat That Puts You in Control
In this episode, I sit down with Alya Abbott, Chief Operating Officer of Zulip, the open-source team chat platform that’s changing the way organizations communicate. Alya shares how Zulip stands apart from competitors like Slack and Teams, offering organizations true data ownership, flexible self-hosting, and powerful topic-based threading for organized, efficient collaboration. The conversation is...
Cayosoft Guardian Protector Is Changing IAM Security for Everyone. And It’s Free!
What if you could protect your organization from the latest AD and Entra ID threats without expensive tools or complicated setups? In this interview, I talk to Dmitry Sotnikov and Craig Birch, about how Cayosoft’s free, agentless Guardian Protector tool is changing the game for organizations on a budget. Discover how Guardian Protector provides instant threat and change alerts,...
Data-Centric Security: The Mindset Shift Every CIO Needs
How is AI reshaping the world of data security and compliance? In this episode of Petri Dish, industry experts break down the latest trends from the Kiteworks 2025 Data Security and Compliance Risk Report, revealing why visibility, data sovereignty, and the human factor are now at the heart of enterprise risk. Discover how organizations are...
How 75,000+ Orgs Secure the Cloud: Inside Maester & Other Free Tools
In this episode of Petri Dish, I talk to Merill Fernando, Principal Product Manager for Entra at Microsoft, and we discover how his free community tools, like Maester, are helping over 75,000 organizations automate security checks, prevent misconfigurations, and visualize complex policies. Learn insider tips on Zero Trust Security, open source collaboration, and the future...