How to use Microsoft Defender for Cloud effectively
You get real benefits from Microsoft Defender when you treat cloud security as something you do all the time. Make a plan for how you will use it, set up important protections, and check on things every day to keep getting better. With helpful tips and Secure Score, you can see how you are doing and connect with other Microsoft security tools.
Automatic finding of sensitive data lowers the chance of leaks.
Checking all the time finds threats before they get worse.
Attack path analysis and helpful details help you fix big problems fast.
Companies see fewer big incidents, respond faster, and follow rules better.
Key Takeaways
Make a clear plan before you use Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Ask your team to help early. This stops confusion and helps you do well.
Turn on all the Defender features you need. Connect all your cloud and on-premises resources. This gives you full protection and makes things easy to manage.
Use Secure Score often to check your security health. Follow its tips to make your protection better, one step at a time.
Check security alerts often. Start with the most serious ones. Act fast to stop threats before they cause harm.
Use automation to answer threats faster. This cuts down on manual work. It makes your security stronger and easier to handle.
Microsoft Defender Setup
Planning and Adoption
Start with Microsoft Defender by making a good plan. Make sure your security setup fits what your group needs. Here are some steps to help you begin:
Give people only the access they need. This keeps things safe and follows the least privilege rule.
Make security rules that match your company’s needs and laws. Change the suggestions so they work for your business.
Set up data collection. Use Log Analytics and Azure Monitor agents. Pick the right places to keep your logs.
Add all your resources. Bring in both Azure and non-Azure items for full protection.
Watch your environment all the time. Look for new or changed resources. Use just-in-time VM access to keep virtual machines safe.
Get ready for problems. Make a plan to respond. Use alerts and workflow automation in Microsoft Defender to find and fix issues fast.
Tip: Many groups have trouble at this stage. Some people do not want to stop using old tools. Others worry about adding new systems. Teams may have different goals or not know much about the cloud. Make a clear plan for moving and get everyone involved early. This stops confusion and keeps your project going well.
Enabling Features
After planning, turn on the right features to keep your environment safe. Here is how you can do it step by step:
Log in to the Azure portal and open Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Turn on Microsoft Defender for your Azure subscription. This gives you important security features like Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), recommendations, asset inventory, secure score, and compliance checks.
Go to Environment settings and choose the subscription or workspace you want to protect.
Turn on all Microsoft Defender plans for your subscription. This protects storage accounts, SQL servers, open-source databases, and more.
Turn on auto-provisioning of Log Analytics agents. This makes sure all your machines get the right monitoring tools.
Save your settings. Microsoft Defender will now set up the monitoring parts you need.
You should also pay attention to these important settings:
Turn on threat detection for all resources. This keeps your environment safe all the time.
Change security rules for each resource type. This gives you better protection.
Make policy rules automatic to meet standards like ISO, HIPAA, or NIST.
Use the secure score to check and improve your security.
Plan regular scans for weaknesses. Fix any problems you find.
Turn on Just-in-Time VM access. This closes open ports and lowers attack risks.
Use adaptive application controls. Only let trusted apps run.
Manage all your cloud and hybrid resources in one place.
Connect with other Microsoft security services, like Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft Sentinel.
Use automation for alerts and fixes. This keeps your defenses strong and ready.
Connecting Resources
To get the best from Microsoft Defender, connect all your cloud and on-premises resources. This gives you one place to see your security and helps you manage risks everywhere.
Microsoft Defender works with Azure, AWS, and on-premises places. You can watch for threats, follow rules, and find weak spots from one dashboard.
For AWS, use IAM roles and CloudFormation stacks. Make a service role with the right permissions, set up an AWS connector in Azure, and use the CloudFormation template in your AWS account.
For on-premises machines, use Azure Arc. Set up a Log Analytics workspace, register the needed Azure resource providers, and make a service principal for onboarding. Run the install script on your machines to connect them as Azure Arc-enabled resources.
After you add your resources, check that everything shows up in the Microsoft Defender inventory. Use the portal to look at security tips and keep your security strong.
Note: Always use the least privilege rule when giving roles. Do not use Owner accounts for onboarding. Service principals help you add resources safely.
Microsoft Defender also helps you set up rules and see what is happening. It connects to your apps with secure API connectors. You get full access to user, group, and activity data. The system checks permissions, user lists, and files, then keeps this information up to date. You can do things like stop users, take away passwords, or quarantine files right from the console. Alerts and notifications tell you about important events. You can also use sensitivity labels and control file sharing to keep your data safe.
By following these steps, you build a strong and unified security setup. You get clear control over all your resources, so it is easier to protect your group from threats.
Secure Score
Understanding Metrics
It is important to know how Secure Score works. Secure Score uses the Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark. It puts security tips into groups called controls. Each control has a set number of points. You get points when your resources are healthy and follow the rules. The system adds up your points for each control to make your total score. If you have more than one subscription, the score uses weights based on how many resources you have. The score updates every eight hours.
Tip: You must fix all recommendations in a control to raise your score for that control. Fixing only some does not help.
Improving Score
You can do simple things to make your Secure Score better. Try these steps:
Turn on Defender for Cloud Apps for everyone.
Connect your cloud apps to watch what users do.
Set up OAuth app rules to get alerts for risky app permissions.
Use a log collector to find shadow IT activity.
Make activity rules to spot strange actions, like admin work from unknown places.
Look at and use more rules, like file, access, and session rules.
You should also:
Turn on multi-factor authentication and use role-based access controls.
Make sure devices follow rules and have antivirus protection.
Keep data safe with DLP rules and sensitivity labels.
Control app permissions and keep third-party connections safe.
Use big recommendations, like Defender for Endpoints and Office 365 protections.
Use the Secure Score dashboard to check and follow steps to get better.
Reviewing Recommendations
Check security tips often to keep your environment safe. The system sends a weekly email to resource owners with their tips. Make it a habit to check these tips every week. This helps you fix problems fast and keeps your Secure Score high. You can also change email settings to tell managers or change how often you get emails. Checking tips often helps you stay safe and keep strong security.
Alerts and Response
Viewing Alerts
You should check security alerts often to keep things safe. Microsoft Defender for Cloud shows alerts in the Azure portal. Each alert tells you about the problem and what to do next. You will see which resource is affected. Alerts come from many places, like workload protection plans in Azure, hybrid, and multicloud environments.
Alerts are sorted by how serious they are. This helps you know what to fix first. Microsoft Defender for Cloud puts alerts into groups:
You can look at alerts in the Azure portal. You can also export them or send them to SIEM, SOAR, or ITSM tools. This helps you study alerts more. Cloud Security Explorer helps you find and sort risks. You can use its simple search to look for risky resources. You do not need to know hard query languages. This tool shows you which resources have the most risk. It helps you focus on the biggest problems.
Tip: Always start with high-severity alerts. These usually mean your resources face real threats.
Mitigating Threats
When you see an alert, act fast to lower risk. Many groups using Microsoft Defender for Cloud respond in about 30 minutes. Quick action helps stop threats before they cause harm.
Try these steps to handle threats:
Update Microsoft Defender with the newest virus definitions and patches.
Turn on real-time protection to scan files as they run.
Plan regular scans when people are not using the system much.
Use cloud-based protection for faster threat finding.
Turn on exploit protection to block malware using software flaws.
Use Tamper Protection to stop changes to Defender settings.
Set up Windows Defender Firewall to block unwanted access.
Use SmartScreen in browsers to block phishing and bad downloads.
Turn on Network Protection to stop apps from reaching bad sites.
Use Microsoft security baselines for strong settings.
Turn on Secure Boot in BIOS/UEFI to allow only trusted software.
Teach users about phishing and social engineering tricks.
Check incident details and look at affected devices in Security Center.
Use advanced hunting tools to look deeper into threats.
Add threat intelligence to learn about attacker methods.
Work with your security team to pick the best fix.
Take action, like isolating devices or updating policies.
Write down what you did for future checks and rules.
Close the incident after fixing it and review your steps.
Set up automation and playbooks to make future responses faster.
Check and update your Defender settings often to keep up with new threats.
Cloud Security Explorer helps you pick which threats to fix first. It shows you details about each alert, like which resources are open to the internet or have sensitive data. This helps you focus on the most important risks.
Note: Always write down your actions. This helps with audits and makes your response better over time.
Automating Actions
You can use automation to respond to threats faster and do less work. Microsoft Defender for Cloud can do some actions by itself to stop threats before you or your team act. For example, Defender can:
Quarantine malware right away, so it cannot spread.
Isolate devices during a ransomware attack to stop more damage.
Remove bad processes, clean up, and fix devices in minutes.
Automated investigation and fixes run in the background. This means you spend less time on manual work. It helps you respond to threats quickly. All automated actions are saved in the audit log. This gives you proof for rules like HIPAA and GDPR.
You can also connect Defender with other Microsoft security tools. This lets you use automated responses across endpoints, user accounts, and cloud resources. Connecting with Secure Score and the compliance center helps you track and report on your automated defenses.
Callout: Automated response actions help you stop threats faster than manual steps. They also make your security stronger and easier to manage.
Key Features
Threat Protection
Microsoft Defender for Cloud helps keep your cloud safe from many threats. It protects things like servers, containers, databases, storage, APIs, and more. Here is what each type gets:
You also get help with attack surface reduction and network protection. There is endpoint detection and response too. Defender for Cloud works with other Microsoft security tools like Sentinel and Defender for Endpoint. You can set up automatic actions to stop threats. You can send alerts to SIEM or SOAR systems. This helps you act fast and keep things safe.
Vulnerability Management
It is important to find and fix weak spots before attackers do. Microsoft Defender for Cloud gives you two ways to check for problems: agentless and agent-based. These work for servers, containers, and registries. You get:
Always-on checks and real-time finding of weak spots.
Security tips that show you the biggest problems.
Steps to track and fix issues.
Dashboards that show your exposure score and top risks.
You can block unsafe apps and use tools to fix problems. If you follow the tips quickly, your Secure Score goes up and your risk goes down.
Compliance Tools
You need to follow rules to keep your data safe. Defender for Cloud checks your resources with rules like GDPR, NIST, PCI DSS, and ISO. The compliance dashboard shows how you are doing and points out problems.
You can set up alerts to know when compliance changes. Always-on checks and quick action on tips help you stay safe and follow the rules.
Tip: Check your dashboards often and follow new tips. This keeps your cloud safe and helps you pass audits.
To use Microsoft Defender for Cloud well, do these steps: First, log in to the Azure Portal and set up your security plans. Next, change your environment settings and turn on protection like agentless scanning. Then, start tools that check for weak spots and protect endpoints. After that, save your settings and begin watching your system all the time. Make and manage cloud security rules to make your security better.
Getting better all the time helps you spot risks early, get quick feedback, and keep things safe. You should look at tips often and check how you are doing.
Keep learning with these resources:
FAQ
How do you enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud on a new subscription?
First, open the Azure portal. Go to Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Pick your subscription from the list. Click on "Environment settings." Turn on the Defender plans you want. Save your changes. Now Defender will watch your resources.
What should you do if you see a high-severity alert?
You need to act fast. Look at the alert details in the Azure portal. Follow the steps given to fix the problem. Write down what you did for later. Always start with high-severity alerts to keep things safe.
Can you connect non-Azure resources to Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Yes, you can. Use Azure Arc to add on-premises or multicloud resources. Put the Azure Arc agent on your machines. Register them in the Azure portal. This lets you protect everything from one place.
How often should you review Secure Score recommendations?
Check your Secure Score dashboard every week. Look at new tips and fix problems quickly. Doing this often keeps your security strong and helps your score.
Does Microsoft Defender for Cloud support compliance monitoring?
Yes, it does. Defender for Cloud has a compliance dashboard. You can see how you match up with rules like GDPR, PCI DSS, and ISO. Set alerts for changes in compliance. Use the dashboard to get ready for audits and keep your environment safe.