Michael Van Horenbeeck
CEO | MVP | MCSM
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Michael Van Horenbeeck is an expert in Cloud Security, Compliance, and Identity Management, holding both the Microsoft Certified Solutions Master (MCSM) certification and the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Security (MVP) award simultaneously.
As CEO and Sr. Architect at The Collective, he leads their security practice, delivering specialized services such as a managed detection and response (MDR) service. He has assisted customers of all sizes globally in designing, implementing, securing, and managing solutions based on Microsoft 365 and Azure.
He is an active community member, author and inspirer of the Microsoft 365 Security for IT Pros e-book, and frequently speaks at events around the world. Follow his insights on Twitter (@vanhybrid), or on his websites m365securitybook.com, m365security.eu and thecollective.eu.
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Topics
Quarter Century, Quarter Million Breaches: Security and Incident Response for AD in 2025
Active Directory turned 25—and while the tech world has evolved dramatically, AD remains the backbone of identity in countless organizations. But with age comes exposure. Attackers still see it as a crown jewel, and breaches often begin (and escalate) right there. This session dives into what happens when AD is compromised—and more importantly, what comes next. We’ll walk through real-world incident response scenarios, common post-breach challenges, and the hard lessons learned along the way. You'll gain practical guidance on recovery, re-hardening, and modernizing your AD security posture—because in 2025, legacy doesn’t mean obsolete. It means critical. Whether you're holding the line or planning your next move, this session will equip you to defend your domain with confidence.
BYOAI: Bring Your Own AI to the Cybersecurity Fight
AI-driven security doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. The use of cloud-hosted AI platforms like OpenAI, Mistral, and others often can become quite expensive. However, open-source AI models are reshaping cybersecurity, offering powerful ways to automate (parts of) the work involved with detecting threats, analyzing risks, and automating defenses—without breaking the bank. In this session, we’ll explore practical strategies for leveraging open-source AI tools, from hands-on threat analysis in Jupyter Notebooks to scalable solutions with Microsoft Azure AI Foundry. Whether you’re looking to enhance threat detection, streamline security operations, or experiment with AI-driven automation, this session will show you how to harness cutting-edge AI for cybersecurity without the enterprise-level costs. Join Michael to see some demos of how you could create your own AI-powered solutions (and agents) do help you stay secure.
(Pun intended) Identity Security on Autopilot: the importance of Identity Governance for ID security
Security isn't just about stopping threats—it's about knowing who has access, why, and whether that access is still appropriate. Unfortulateny, access sprawl is one of the biggest blind spots in enterprise security. In this session, Michael makes the case for Identity Governance as a foundational pillar of any modern security strategy. Learn how Microsoft Entra’s Identity Governance capabilities—from access reviews to entitlement management—can help enforce least privilege, support Zero Trust, and close the often-ignored gaps that attackers love to exploit.
Securing network connectivity with Microsoft Global Secure Access: exploring new frontiers with MS
Over the past couple of years, Microsoft has grown to become a large and mature security vendor. However, even with all its products and services, Microsoft still could not offer an end-to-end security solution. With the release of Global Secure Access, Microsoft hopes (and promises) to close the gaps with other vendors like Palo Alto, Checkpoint, and maybe even compete with point solutions like Zscaler, Palo Alto, or Cato Network. Join Michael in this session to find out if and how Global Secure Access lives up to the promise, how to get started, and get some tips and tricks from the field.
Mastering Microsoft 365 Security: A One-Day Deep Dive into Securing Your Digital Workspace
In today’s interconnected world, your organization’s security is only as strong as its weakest link. With Microsoft 365 at the heart of modern workplaces, ensuring its robust protection is more critical than ever.
This masterclass will empower you to master the tools and techniques to secure your Microsoft 365 environment against evolving threats. Led by an industry expert, this immersive session covers essential topics such as identity and access management, advanced threat protection, compliance, and insider risk management.
You’ll learn how to harness Microsoft 365’s security features to mitigate risks, enhance data protection, and build a resilient digital workspace through real-world examples, hands-on demonstrations, and actionable strategies.
Whether you’re an IT professional, security specialist, or business leader, this masterclass will equip you with the knowledge and skills to take your organization’s security posture to the next level. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain the confidence and expertise to safeguard your organization in a constantly changing threat landscape.
Decentralized Identities: Unlocking the Future with Microsoft Verified ID
The way we prove who we are is changing—fast. As digital ecosystems evolve, traditional identity models are being challenged by a more secure, private, and user-centric approach: decentralized identities. In this engaging session, Michael will demystify decentralized identities and spotlight Microsoft Verified ID, a groundbreaking solution shaping the future of digital trust.
Discover how this innovative technology works, why it’s essential for the future of cybersecurity, and how your organization can take advantage of its cutting-edge features today. From reducing identity fraud to enhancing security with tools like FaceCheck, Michael will provide actionable insights to help you stay ahead in a rapidly shifting landscape.
Join us and explore how you can leverage Microsoft Verified ID to future-proof your organization’s security strategy. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to lead the way in digital identity transformation.
Bridging Identity and Network Security: Unveiling Microsoft Entra Public & Private Access
The boundaries between identity and network security are fading, giving rise to a unified approach that empowers secure, seamless remote access. Enter Microsoft Entra Public and Private Access—a game-changing solution merging traditional network security with modern identity innovations to create a holistic remote and secure internet access framework.
In this session, we’ll explore how Microsoft’s IDNA solution redefines secure connectivity, providing robust access control without compromising performance or user experience. Discover how this cutting-edge approach integrates identity and network strategies to address today’s most pressing security challenges while enabling greater agility and scalability for your organization.
From real-world use cases to actionable implementation strategies, we’ll show you how to leverage Microsoft Entra’s features to modernize your security infrastructure, protect sensitive data, and provide a seamless experience for users.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how Microsoft Entra can transform your approach to remote access and secure internet access—empowering your organization to thrive in a hybrid, cloud-first world.
Protecting the castle: secure foundations for and with Microsoft 365
Despite being the greatest army in their time, the Romans knew that adequately protecting their legions was a very important task. Larger legions would stay in castrums – walled camps – and whilst engaging the enemy, legions would form a ‘testudo’: a formation to shield weaker inner ranks from outside attacks.
The world is constantly under attack and your tenant needs protecting too! In this session, we will discuss how to build secure foundations for and with Microsoft 365 and how to assess security so that you may be able to work in safety. If you want to learn how to best secure your environment, you don’t want to miss this session.
Supercharge your security operations with Microsoft 365 Defender and Azure Sentinel
In this challenging cyber threat landscape, it is important to keep control over what's happening in your environment. With Microsoft 365 Defender and Azure Sentinel, you have two products which can help you to do just that. Both can be used to aggregate incidents and data between different solutions and each have their own strenghts and weaknesses. As with everything: It's paramount to use them the 'right' way. In this session Michael and Thijs will walk you through both products and provide tips and tricks in order to optimize your Microsoft SecOps experience based on real-life experience, from running a SOC.
Red vs. Blue: how to efficiently use Microsoft security solutions to keep your environment secure!
The world of cybersecurity is challenging, but also lots of fun. In this demo-packed session, Michael walks you through a number of real-world scenarios in a true Red Team / Blue Team style. Aside from seeing first hand how attacks can unfold, you'll learn what signals and alerts are generated, or what traces are left behind which you can use to detect and respond to attacks as they are unfolding. You'll not only learn how Microsoft's solutions can help you, but also where some fall short and some out-of-the-box thinking might be required.
Microsoft 365 Security masterclass
Do you want to become a master in understanding, designing, deploying and using Microsoft's latest security products? In this workshop, Michael will show you the ins and outs of the entire Microsoft 365 Security stack. As an added bonus, we'll see how Microsoft Sentinel can best be used to further enhances your security operations.
How to develop and deliver a successful long-term security strategy with Microsoft's solutions
There’s more than one way to bake a cake. The same is true for securing your environment. With the plethora of features available to Microsoft customers, whether it’s a built-in capability or a third-party solution, it’s sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees. But don’t worry: you can have your cake and eat it! In this session, we’ll go through the motions of how to develop and deliver a successful security strategy without having to become a security-expert yourself. We’ll go over some very common (security) requirements and translate them into real-world solutions using real-world examples. If you’re interested to learn more about acronyms like MDE, MDI, MDI, ATP, EMS, MCAS, AIP, OME and why they are important to you, attend this session!
How to efficiently secure and govern identities with Microsoft 365
There's more than one way to catch a rabbit... Securing identities with MFA is required, but only one of the elements to build a strong identity governance approach. In this session, we'll learn how you can leverage the full feature set of Azure AD to protect identities, detect misuse/abuse, govern the lifecycle and combine all of them in an harmonized approach.
Navigating Security Frameworks and Regulations: A Personal Journey Through NIS2, ISO 27001, and more
In a world where cyber threats evolve daily, organizations need more than tools—they need a robust security framework to stay resilient. Join this session for an insightful exploration of two cornerstone frameworks, NIS2 and ISO 27001, and their critical role in safeguarding today’s digital ecosystems.
But this isn’t just about the frameworks. It’s also a deeply personal story. Over the past few years, I’ve navigated the complexities of implementing these standards across diverse organizations, including my own, balancing technical demands with real-world challenges. I’ll share lessons learned, common pitfalls, and practical strategies for aligning your organization’s security practices with these powerful frameworks.
You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how NIS2 and ISO 27001 can strengthen your organization’s security posture, actionable advice to overcome implementation hurdles, and inspiration to embark on or refine your own journey toward compliance and resilience.
Whether you’re starting your security framework journey or seeking fresh perspectives, this session offers the guidance, tools, and relatable insights you need to succeed in an increasingly regulated landscape.
Modern Workplace Conference Paris 2019 Sessionize Event
EXPERTS LIVE NETHERLANDS 2019 Sessionize Event
Techorama Belgium 2019 Sessionize Event
European Collaboration Summit 2017 Sessionize Event
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