The cloud is the future of enterprise operations, but it also brings with it a number of new risks, and the
requirement that companies implement more comprehensive, continuous, and agile approaches to
cybersecurity. With Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel, two of Microsoft’s industry-leading
cybersecurity solutions, companies can achieve maximum threat detection and response along with
more intelligent, proactive prevention.
In this article, we’ll cover the new imperative to uplevel cybersecurity strategies in general, and how
Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel (and, ideally, the integration of both) can help you do it.
Quick Takeaways:
- Enterprises need all-in-one cybersecurity solutions to effectively protect cloud environments.
- Disparate cybersecurity architecture leads to slower response and recovery.
- Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel are industry-leading security solutions delivered by
Microsoft. - Defender provides real-time resource protection, while Sentinel provides high-level cybersecurity
analytics and intelligence. - Defender and Sentinel also encompass non-Microsoft resources and environments.
- Integrating Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel is the best way to achieve complete,
continuous protection for cloud environments.
Why All-in-One Cybersecurity is a Must
Today, the cloud offers unprecedented capabilities, connectivity, and innovation—but it also comes with
new levels of cybersecurity risk. Decentralized operations and complex cloud infrastructures have created
more vulnerable attack surfaces that cyber adversaries are penetrating at an increasing rate.
It’s resulting in significant financial loss for organizations in every industry. In 2023, the total cost of
single data breach reached historic heights—$4.45M, on average.
These losses are exacerbated by disparate, bolt-on security solutions that can’t communicate fast enough
(if at all) and thus delay effective incident response and disaster recovery.
In order to keep cloud environments protected and respond quickly and effectively when adverse events
occur, organizations need integrated and connected cybersecurity solutions, ideally from a single vendor
with comprehensive tools and software.
For companies operating on any cloud platform, integrating Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel
for cloud security can help to achieve this goal.
What is Defender for Cloud?
Defender for Cloud is a multi cloud endpoint security solution delivering cloud-native security posture
management capabilities across top cloud environments including Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud. It was
named a leader on Gartner’s most recent Magic Quadrant for this category:
Key features and capabilities of Defender for Cloud include:
Multi-layered Defense
Defender for Cloud offers a multi-layered approach to security, providing protection at both the application and platform levels. It ensures threats originating from both internal and external sources are promptly detected and mitigated.
Advanced Threat Protection
Using heuristics and big data analytics, Defender for Cloud can identify a vast array of threats, from DDoS
attacks to previously unknown malware. Its intelligence-driven approach ensures that it's consistently
updated to detect emerging threats.
Vulnerability Management
Defender for Cloud doesn't just react to threats; it proactively identifies potential vulnerabilities in your
Azure resources. By pinpointing configuration weaknesses or outdated software versions, it can help
organizations stay a step ahead of potential attackers.
Integrated Visualizations
The solution provides security dashboards and visualization tools, allowing security professionals to gain
a comprehensive view of their Azure environment's security status. This aids in rapid decision-making
and streamlines security operations.
Automated Response
Upon detecting malicious activity, Defender for Cloud can automatically deploy countermeasures. This
might include quarantining affected resources, blocking malicious IP addresses, or alerting designated
security personnel.
Seamless Integration with Azure Services
Defender for Cloud is natively integrated with a host of Azure services, such as Azure Storage, Azure SQL,
and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). This ensures that regardless of where your data resides or how your
applications are architected, they remain under the protective umbrella of Defender for Cloud.
Regulatory Compliance
Defender for Cloud assists organizations in adhering to regulatory standards by providing compliance
assessments and recommendations. Whether it's GDPR, HIPAA, or any other industry-specific regulatory
framework, Defender for Cloud's insights can guide organizations towards full compliance.
Continuous Monitoring
Operating in real-time, Defender for Cloud continuously monitors all activities across Azure resources.
This persistent vigilance ensures that even the most subtle and covert threats are promptly identified.
How Microsoft Sentinel Goes a Step Further
Microsoft Sentinel helps organizations streamline their cloud security strategy with centralized threat
collection, detection, response, and investigation. It’s an end-to-end SIEM solution with AI-enhanced
security analytics enabling greater threat visibility, alert detection, and proactive hunting.
Key features and capabilities of Microsoft Sentinel include:
High Scalability
As a cloud-native solution, Microsoft Sentinel is easily scalable to meet the demands of large datasets
without the need for additional infrastructure or resources. Enterprises can collect data across all users,
devices, applications, and infrastructure, both on-premises and in multiple clouds.
Intelligent Analytics
At the heart of Sentinel is its AI-driven analytics. It utilizes machine learning models to sift through vast
amounts of data, detecting patterns and anomalies that might signify a security threat, ensuring even
the most sophisticated attacks don't go unnoticed.
Vast Integration Capabilities
Microsoft Sentinel boasts seamless integration with a range of services and tools, both within and
outside the Microsoft ecosystem. Whether you're using other Azure services, Microsoft 365, or
third-party solutions, Sentinel can incorporate their data for a holistic view of your security posture.
Automated Workflows
Microsoft Sentinel's automation capabilities allow for the creation of security orchestration automated
response (SOAR) playbooks. These playbooks can automatically respond to specific security events, from
sending notifications to initiating protective protocols, reducing the manual security workload.
Customizable Dashboards
Sentinel's dashboards can be tailored to the specific needs of security teams, offering a clear and concise
view of the security landscape. This ensures that professionals can focus on what matters most, with the
insights they need at their fingertips.
Community and Collaboration
Microsoft Sentinel's community, known as the Microsoft Sentinel GitHub community, is a treasure trove
of templates, playbooks, and dashboards created by security experts from around the world. This shared
knowledge base accelerates threat detection and response efforts.
Cost Efficiency
Unlike traditional SIEMs, which can be resource-intensive and require significant overhead, Sentinel
operates on a pay-as-you-go model. This ensures organizations only pay for what they use, optimizing
their security investments.
Threat Hunting Tools
For proactive security teams, Microsoft Sentinel offers tools for threat hunting. These tools empower
experts to proactively seek out potential threats or vulnerabilities before they escalate into tangible risks.
Microsoft Copilot for Security: Enhancing Sentinel’s Capabilities
Microsoft Copilot for Security uses AI to enhance cloud security operations, making it easier for teams to
manage threats and respond to incidents. Copilot integrates with Microsoft Sentinel, so security teams
can detect, analyze, and respond to threats instantly through AI-driven insights and automation.
When paired with Sentinel, Copilot provides real-time security data analysis, identifying potential risks
and patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. It also automates threat investigations, saving valuable
time by sorting through vast amounts of security alerts, prioritizing critical threats, and offering
recommendations on addressing them. This feature guides users through the response process, helping
to identify threats and implement solutions.
One of Copilot’s key advantages is that it reduces the need for deep technical expertise. By offering
AI-generated recommendations and automating complex security tasks, even small or inexperienced
teams can improve their security posture without becoming cybersecurity experts.
When using Copilot and Sentinel together, organizations can stay ahead of evolving threats, maintain
better control over their cloud security, and confidently respond to incidents.
Defender and Sentinel Integration: The Ideal Solution
Integrating Microsoft Sentinel and Defender for Cloud offers companies a powerful combination of
proactive defense mechanisms and broad security information management, forming a more holistic and
complete security posture.
By integrating the two, you can gain a single, cohesive view of your security landscape without sacrificing
individual endpoint security management.
You’ll have the real-time threat protection offered by Defender for Cloud for applications and resources
across your cloud environment, while also having the advanced analytics and centralized security data
repository provided by Sentinel.
At the same time, cost optimization opportunities offered by both solutions means you can optimize cost
management while also achieving maximum cybersecurity performance across your enterprise.
To learn more about implementing and integrating Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel on the
cloud, get in touch with a Protera expert today.