About

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Available for consulting

I'm Anand —
Microsoft security is my craft.

IT professional, Microsoft security consultant, and content creator based in India. I've spent 15 years in the trenches of endpoint management and identity security — and I share everything I learn through this blog and YouTube channel.

This website is my personal space. No company, no team — just one person who loves the Microsoft security stack and wants to help other IT pros navigate it faster than I did.

Read the Blog → YouTube Channel
15+
Years in IT
30+
Projects Delivered
5K+
Devices Managed
12+
Certifications
Anand — Microsoft Security Consultant
Available
Anand · itanand21
Microsoft Security · Content Creator · India
My story

From IT support desk to Microsoft security specialist

I started in IT support around 2009 — fixing computers, managing printers, answering helpdesk tickets. Not glamorous, but it's where I developed a genuine curiosity for how technology works and how it fails.

Over the next few years I moved into systems administration, then into Microsoft 365 and device management. The shift happened naturally — organisations were migrating everything to the cloud and someone needed to manage it securely. I leaned into that.

"I couldn't find honest, lab-tested guides for the Microsoft security stack. So I started documenting everything myself — and that became this blog."

By 2020 I had delivered Zero Trust deployments, Intune migrations, and Sentinel SIEM builds for SMBs across the UK. In 2023 I launched modernworkplacesecurity.com and the YouTube channel — because the content I needed when I was learning simply didn't exist.

Today I work as an independent consultant helping organisations implement Intune, Defender, Purview, and Sentinel. Everything I publish is lab-tested in my own Microsoft 365 E5 tenant before I write a single word.

A typical week

What my days actually look like

Between consulting work and content creation — here's how I spend time in the Microsoft security world.

🖥️
Day Job — IT Consulting
I work full-time in IT — deploying Intune policies, troubleshooting Defender alerts, and reviewing Sentinel dashboards in real production environments every single day.
🔬
Lab Time — Testing New Features
Evenings and weekends are lab time. When Microsoft releases something new in Intune, Defender, Purview or Sentinel, I spin it up in my E5 lab tenant and document exactly what happens.
✍️
Writing & Recording
I publish at least one blog post per week and one YouTube video — lab-tested guides, product news breakdowns, and real-world lessons from consulting projects.
The journey

How I got here

2009 — 2013
IT Support & Helpdesk
Started at the helpdesk — Windows, Active Directory, on-premise Exchange. Built the foundation everything since has relied on.
2013 — 2017
Systems Administrator
Moved into sysadmin — SCCM, Windows imaging, patch management at scale. First real exposure to enterprise device management and why it matters for security.
2017 — 2020
Microsoft 365 & Intune Specialist
Led migrations from on-premise Exchange and AD to M365, deployed Intune in co-management with SCCM, and started building Conditional Access policies.
2020 — 2023
Microsoft Security Consultant
Specialised in Zero Trust, Defender XDR, and Intune. Delivered 30+ projects across UK SMBs — Intune migrations, Sentinel SIEM builds, Purview DLP rollouts, Cyber Essentials Plus.
2023 — Present
Content Creator + Independent Consultant
Launched modernworkplacesecurity.com and YouTube channel. Publishing real Microsoft security guides weekly. Consulting on Intune, Defender, Purview, and Sentinel projects from India — working with UK and global clients remotely.
Content I create

What this blog and YouTube are actually about

I focus on the Microsoft security stack — the products IT admins deal with every day that have almost no honest, practical content online.

🖥️
Microsoft Intune
Device enrolment, compliance policies, Autopilot, app deployment, co-management with SCCM — beginner to advanced, all lab-tested.
MDM MAM Autopilot SCCM
🛡️
Microsoft Defender
Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, Identity, and the unified XDR portal. Alert tuning, KQL threat hunting, incident response.
Defender XDR KQL EDR
🔭
Microsoft Sentinel
Building Sentinel workspaces from scratch, data connectors, analytics rules, UEBA, and automated playbooks.
SIEM SOAR KQL
📋
Microsoft Purview
DLP policies, sensitivity labels, insider risk management, AI prompt protection, and Copilot readiness — data governance made practical.
DLP Labels Compliance
🔐
Zero Trust & Entra ID
Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, and building Zero Trust architecture using native Microsoft tools on an SMB budget.
Entra ID Zero Trust MFA
📰
Monthly Security News
I break down what actually changed in Intune, Defender, Purview, Sentinel, and M365 every month — in plain English, with context.
News Monthly M365
Proficiency

Technical skills

Honest self-assessment — where I spend my time and what I know best.

Microsoft Intune95%
Entra ID / Zero Trust90%
Microsoft Defender XDR85%
Microsoft Purview80%
Microsoft Sentinel78%
PowerShell & KQL82%
SCCM / ConfigMgr75%
Azure & DevSecOps72%
Credentials

Microsoft certifications

I pursue certifications to validate knowledge I'm already using daily — not to collect badges.

🏅
MD-102
Endpoint Administrator
Associate
🏅
SC-300
Identity & Access Admin
Associate
🏅
SC-200
Security Operations Analyst
Associate
🏅
AZ-104
Azure Administrator
Associate
🏅
MS-102
M365 Administrator Expert
Expert
🏅
SC-100
Cybersecurity Architect
Expert
🏅
SC-400
Information Protection Admin
Associate
🎯
Next up
MD-102 Renewal · SC-200
In Progress

Technologies I use and write about every week

Microsoft IntuneDefender XDRMicrosoft SentinelMicrosoft PurviewEntra IDOffice 365Conditional AccessWindows AutopilotZero TrustJAMFSCCMKQLPowerShellAzure DevOpsMicrosoft CopilotLog Analytics Microsoft IntuneDefender XDRMicrosoft SentinelMicrosoft PurviewEntra IDOffice 365Conditional AccessWindows AutopilotZero TrustJAMFSCCMKQLPowerShellAzure DevOpsMicrosoft CopilotLog Analytics
Common questions

Things people ask me

Are you available for consulting work?
Yes — I take on consulting projects alongside my full-time role, usually remotely. I specialise in Intune deployments, Zero Trust architecture, Defender XDR, and Sentinel SIEM builds. Get in touch via the contact form and let's have a quick call to see if I'm a good fit.
Is this a company or just you?
Just me. "Modern Workplace Security" is my personal brand — not a company or a team. I'm an individual IT professional who consults and creates content on the side.
How do you test everything you publish?
I have a Microsoft 365 E5 lab tenant. Before I write a guide or record a video, I actually do the thing — enrol a device, configure a policy, build an analytics rule — and document exactly what happens, including when things go wrong.
Can I suggest a topic for the blog or YouTube?
Absolutely — drop a comment on any YouTube video or use the contact form. If it's something I can test in my lab and it would genuinely help other IT pros, I'll add it to the queue.
Do you offer training or one-to-one sessions?
Not as a formal product currently, but I do occasional one-to-one sessions for individuals learning Intune or Microsoft security. Get in touch and we can discuss what you need.
Say hello

Want to work together or just follow along?

Whether you have a project in mind, a question about something I've written, or want to suggest a YouTube topic — I'd love to hear from you.

Get in Touch → Browse the Blog
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