About

Erik Stiphout

Hi, I’m Erik Stiphout. I’m a Lead Architect based in the Netherlands, working on Microsoft security, identity and AI for organizations across the globe.

What this blog is about

Organizations are creating AI agents faster than they can keep track of them. Every agent needs an identity, access to do its job, and a person who is responsible for it. Too often, that last part is missing.

This blog is about getting the basics right: identity and governance for AI agents in Microsoft 365, using Microsoft Entra and Microsoft Agent 365. Who owns an agent, what it can access, when that access ends, and what happens when the responsible person leaves.

Why “Secure Loop”

Good governance is never a one-time task. It is a loop: request, approve, use, expire, review, and repeat. Security only holds if that loop keeps running.

What you can expect

  • Practical posts, tested in a lab environment
  • Plain language, written for readers across Europe and beyond
  • Honest notes on gaps, licensing traps and things that don’t work as expected

Certifications

Frontier Transformation Engineer
Microsoft Certified Trainer 2026
Microsoft Security Community Champion 2025

I’m a Microsoft Frontier Transformation Engineer and hold Microsoft’s Certified Trainer (MCT) accreditation. My certifications span security, identity, and AI, including:

  • Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100)
  • Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator Associate (SC-401)
  • Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect (AB-100)
  • Implement Agent 365 to observe, govern, and secure AI Apps, Copilot & Agents

Microsoft has also recognized me as a Security Community Champion and Security Community Influencer for contributions to the Microsoft Security community.

I’ve been Microsoft certified since 2001, starting with my MCP on Windows 2000. My earlier certifications include Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert, MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure, MCSE: Productivity, MCSA: Windows Server 2012, and several Microsoft 365 and Exchange Server credentials.

See my full certification history on my Microsoft Learn transcript.

Get in touch

You can find me on LinkedIn.