Defender for Cloud is a tool C and threat protection. It strengthens the security posture of your cloud resources, and with its integrated Microsoft Defender plans, Defender for Cloud protects workloads running in Azure, hybrid, and other cloud platforms.
Defender for Cloud provides the tools needed to harden your resources, track your security posture, protect against cyber-attacks, and streamline security management.
Defender for Cloud fills three vital needs as you manage the security of your resources and workloads in the cloud and on-premises :
Key Features of Defender for Cloud
Strengthen Your Security Posture
Defender for Cloud proactively identifies vulnerabilities in your cloud configurations, helping you address weaknesses before they can be exploited by attackers. Here's how it works:
Continuous Security Assessment
Defender for Cloud continuously scans your Azure resources for misconfigurations, outdated software, and other security weaknesses. This ongoing assessment helps ensure your cloud environment remains secure over time.
Prioritized Remediation Recommendations
Once vulnerabilities are identified, Defender for Cloud prioritizes them based on severity and potential impact. This allows your security teams to focus on the most critical issues first and remediate them efficiently.
Integration with Azure Policy
Defender for Cloud can integrate with Azure Policy to enforce security best practices and prevent misconfigurations from being introduced in the first place.
Shield Against Cyberattacks
The solution leverages advanced threat protection capabilities to detect and prevent a wide range of cyberattacks, including malware, ransomware, and unauthorized access attempts. Here's how it delivers on this promise:
Real-time Threat Detection
Defender for Cloud monitors your cloud environment for suspicious activity in real time. This allows it to identify and block potential threats before they can cause damage.
Machine Learning-Powered Threat Intelligence
Microsoft leverages its global threat intelligence network to continuously update Defender for Cloud with the latest information about known threats and vulnerabilities. This ensures your security posture remains effective against evolving cyberattacks.
Endpoint Protection Integration
Defender for Cloud can integrate with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to provide comprehensive protection for your cloud workloads and virtual machines.
Simplify Security Management
Defender for Cloud streamlines the management of your cloud security by consolidating security tools and automating routine tasks. This allows your IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives and innovation. Here are some ways it simplifies management:
Centralized Security Console
Defender for Cloud provides a single pane of glass for managing all your cloud security needs. This eliminates the need to switch between multiple tools and simplifies security posture monitoring.
Automated Security Tasks
Defender for Cloud can automate routine security tasks such as vulnerability scanning, threat detection, and incident reporting. This frees up valuable IT resources to focus on more strategic initiatives.
Security Orchestration and Automation Response (SOAR)
Defender for Cloud integrates with SOAR tools to automate incident response workflows, enabling your security teams to respond to threats more quickly and effectively.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Modes
Defender for Cloud is offered in two modes -
Without enhanced security features (Free)
Defender for Cloud with all enhanced security features
o Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
o Vulnerability assessment for virtual machines, container registries, and SQL resources
o Multi-cloud security
o Hybrid security
o Threat protection alerts
o Track compliance with a range of standards
o Access and application controls
o Container security features
o Breadth threat protection for resources connected to Azure
Combinations of environments
Microsoft Defender for Cloud supports virtual machines and servers on different types of hybrid environments:
Only Azure
Azure and on-premises
Azure and other clouds
Azure, other clouds, and on-premises
Posture management and workload protection
Microsoft Defender for Cloud's features covers the two broad pillars of cloud security: cloud security posture management and cloud workload protection.
Cloud security posture management (CSPM)
In Defender for Cloud, the posture management features provide:
Visibility - to help you understand your current security situation
Hardening guidance - to help you efficiently and effectively improve your security
When you open Defender for Cloud for the first time, it will meet the visibility and strengthening goals as follows:
Generate a secure score for your subscriptions based on assessing your connected resources compared with the guidance in Azure Security Benchmark. Use the score to understand your security posture and the compliance dashboard to review your compliance with the built-in benchmark.
Provide hardening recommendations based on any identified security misconfigurations and weaknesses. Use these security recommendations to strengthen the security posture of your organization's Azure, hybrid, and multi-cloud resources.
Cloud workload protection (CWP)
Defender for Cloud offers security alerts that are powered by Microsoft Threat Intelligence. It also includes a range of advanced, intelligent protections for your workloads. The workload protections are provided through Microsoft Defender plans specific to the types of resources in your subscriptions.
Hybrid Monitoring with Microsoft Defender
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Cost
When you enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud, we automatically enrol and start protecting all your resources unless you explicitly decide to opt-out. For any resource that is protected by Defender for Cloud, you will be charged per the pricing model below.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is free for the first 30 days. Any usage beyond 30 days will be automatically charged as per the pricing scheme below.
Benefits of Defender for Cloud
Enhanced Security Visibility
Gain a centralized view of your cloud security posture, allowing you to identify and address potential risks quickly and effectively. Defender for Cloud consolidates security data from across your Azure resources, providing a holistic view of your security landscape. This comprehensive overview empowers your security teams to make informed decisions about resource allocation and prioritize remediation efforts based on potential impact.
Proactive Threat Detection
Benefit from advanced threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. Defender for Cloud leverages Microsoft's global threat intelligence network to identify and block emerging threats in real-time. Machine learning algorithms continuously analyze security data to detect suspicious activity and potential breaches, allowing you to take action before they can compromise your cloud environment.
Simplified Security Operations
Automate routine security tasks and streamline incident response procedures, freeing up valuable IT resources. Defender for Cloud automates time-consuming tasks such as vulnerability scanning, log management, and security alert triage. This frees up your IT security team to focus on more strategic initiatives, such as threat hunting and incident response planning. In addition, Defender for Cloud integrates with SOAR tools to automate incident response workflows, enabling your security teams to respond to threats faster and more efficiently.
Reduced Security Costs
By proactively mitigating security risks, Defender for Cloud can help you minimize the impact of potential breaches and associated financial losses. Data breaches can be costly, resulting in lost revenue, reputational damage, and regulatory fines. Defender for Cloud's proactive approach to security helps you prevent breaches from occurring in the first place, saving your organization significant time and money.
Improved Regulatory Compliance
Defender for Cloud simplifies compliance efforts by providing tools to track and maintain adherence to industry regulations and security standards. Many organizations are subject to strict data privacy regulations. Defender for Cloud can help you meet these compliance requirements by providing audit trails, security reports, and automated configuration management tools. This allows you to demonstrate to regulators that you are taking steps to protect sensitive data.