Why Monitoring & Security Posture Matter

Identity and governance are not “set and forget.” Even with RBAC, Policies, and Key Vault in place, organizations need continuous monitoring, security posture assessment, and threat detection. Azure provides Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel to help architects design a secure, monitored, and compliant environment.

1. Defender for Cloud

Definition:

• A Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) + Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP).

Key Features:

• Security Score → overall assessment of compliance posture.

• Recommendations → fix misconfigurations (e.g., unencrypted disks, open ports).

• Workload protection → VMs, AKS, SQL, Storage, App Services.

• Integration with regulatory compliance frameworks (ISO, PCI, HIPAA).

Best Use Cases:

• Continuous compliance monitoring.

• Proactive hardening of workloads.

• Securing hybrid workloads (via Arc).

2. Microsoft Sentinel

Definition:

• A cloud-native SIEM (Security Information & Event Management) + SOAR (Security Orchestration Automated Response).

Key Features:

• Collects logs from Azure, on-prem, SaaS, and 3rd-party security solutions.

• Correlates signals across identity, apps, and infrastructure.

• Built-in analytics rules and machine learning for threat detection.

• Automates responses with playbooks (via Logic Apps).

Best Use Cases:

• Enterprise-wide threat detection.

• Incident response with automation.

• Correlation of multi-cloud and hybrid signals.

3. Azure Monitor & Log Analytics

• Azure Monitor → metrics, alerts, dashboards.

• Log Analytics → query logs with KQL (Kusto Query Language).

• Together with Sentinel, provide visibility across infrastructure, apps, and security.

Design Considerations

1. Integration

• Use Defender for Cloud for preventive security posture.

• Feed alerts into Sentinel for real-time incident detection.

• Use Log Analytics for deep forensic analysis.

2. Cost Management

• Sentinel charges by ingested data volume (GB/day).

• Optimize with data retention policies and filters.

3. Automation

• Build Sentinel playbooks with Logic Apps for common responses (e.g., block IP, disable user).

• Automate remediation of misconfigurations via Defender recommendations.

Example Enterprise Scenario

A multinational manufacturer requires:

• Continuous compliance with ISO and GDPR.

• Real-time alerts for suspicious logins.

• Automated response to ransomware indicators.

Correct design:

• Use Defender for Cloud for compliance assessments and recommendations.

• Ingest logs into Sentinel for SIEM analysis.

• Configure Sentinel playbooks for auto-blocking risky IPs.

• Use Log Analytics for auditing failed logins and admin actions.

Confusion Buster

• Defender for Cloud vs Sentinel

  • Defender = proactive hardening & posture.

  • Sentinel = reactive threat detection & incident response.

• Azure Monitor vs Sentinel

  • Monitor = operational performance.

  • Sentinel = security incidents & threats.

• SIEM vs SOAR

  • SIEM = detection (collect/analyze).

  • SOAR = response (automate remediation).

Exam Tips

• “Which service provides security score and compliance recommendations?” → Defender for Cloud.

• “Which service correlates logs for threat detection?” → Microsoft Sentinel.

• “Which service queries logs with KQL?” → Log Analytics.

• “Which feature automates incident response?” → Sentinel Playbooks.

What to Expect in the Exam

• Direct Q: “Which service provides cloud-native SIEM in Azure?” → Microsoft Sentinel.

• Scenario Q: “Company requires compliance checks + recommendations for hardening workloads.” → Defender for Cloud.

• Scenario Q: “Company requires real-time incident detection with automated response.” → Sentinel.

• Trick Q: “Azure Monitor is used for SIEM correlation.” → False (that’s Sentinel).