Microsoft Sentinel is designed to provide a holistic view of your entire enterprise across all your connected data sources. It’s crucial to configure Microsoft Sentinel connectors correctly to sync with the services of Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. This article will guide you in performing such configurations for these services.
Microsoft Sentinel connectors for Microsoft 365 Defender
Microsoft 365 Defender, formerly known as Office 365 ATP, is a robust platform designed to stop attacks across various dimensions. To configure its connectors with Microsoft Sentinel, you’ll first need to enable the Microsoft 365 Defender connector in Microsoft Sentinel.
- From the Azure portal, go to Microsoft Sentinel > Data connectors.
- Locate the “Microsoft 365 Defender” connector.
- Click on Open connector page.
- Turn “Auto-enabled” to “On” in the configuration settings.
- Click on Apply changes.
Under the cover, Microsoft Sentinel connects to the Microsoft security Graph API to bring all these alerts in your Sentinel workspace.
Do remember you will need permissions as a global administrator, security administrator or Microsoft Sentinel contributor to perform these actions.
Microsoft Sentinel connectors for Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Microsoft Defender for Cloud, previously known as Azure Defender, needs to be configured with Microsoft Sentinel to ensure seamless cloud security operations.
To configure its connectors with Microsoft Sentinel, follow these steps:
- From the Azure portal, navigate to Microsoft Sentinel > Data connectors.
- Find “Azure Security Center” connector.
- Open the connector page.
- Under settings, change “Auto enabled” to “On.”
- Click on Apply changes to save them.
Microsoft Sentinel retrieves alerts from Defender for Cloud through Azure Security Center. Just as with the Microsoft 365 Defender connector, you’d need permissions as a global administrator, security administrator, or Microsoft Sentinel contributor to perform these configuration tasks.
These connectors enable you to analyze and manage security incidents, offering full visibility across both your Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Defender for Cloud environments.
Conclusion
To conclude, Microsoft Sentinel is a powerful SIEM tool that can be easily connected with other Microsoft security services like Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Defender for Cloud through data connectors. This seamless integration allows security analysts to respond quickly to security incidents and threats, central to the responsibilities of a role like an SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst.
As a best practice, always ensure that your connectors are regularly updated, as Microsoft frequently enhances and adds more capabilities to these connectors, reflecting new features and improvements. Also, do not forget to set relevant alerts in the Microsoft Sentinel to get notified about any suspicious activities or changes in your connected environment.
Practice Test
True or False: Microsoft Sentinel is used to provide centralized threat detection capabilities for Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM service that provides intelligent security analytics for your entire enterprise.
Multiple select: What are some capabilities of Microsoft Sentinel?
- a) Threat detection
- b) Real-time analysis
- c) Email screening
- d) All of the above
Answer: a, b
Explanation: Microsoft Sentinel primarily offers threat detection and real-time analysis capabilities.
Single select: You need to configure Microsoft Sentinel to integrate with Microsoft 365 Defender. Which of these needs to be enabled?
- a) Microsoft 365 Defender Integration
- b) Microsoft 365 Compliance Center
- c) Microsoft SharePoint Online
- d) Microsoft Teams
Answer: a. Microsoft 365 Defender Integration
Explanation: Microsoft Sentinel supports direct integration with Microsoft 365 Defender, which should thus be enabled.
True or False: The Microsoft Defender for Cloud connector in Microsoft Sentinel requires “Reader” permissions in the destination workspace.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: As per Microsoft’s official documentation, the Microsoft Defender for Cloud connector in Sentinel requires Reader permissions in the Azure workspace to read logs.
Single select: Microsoft Sentinel connectors are mostly used for…?
- a) Deploying applications
- b) Managing user accounts
- c) Communicating with colleagues
- d) Collecting security data from different sources
Answer: d. Collecting security data from different sources
Explanation: Microsoft Sentinel connectors allow Microsoft to collect security-related data from a wide range of sources.
True or False: Microsoft Sentinel connectors can only get data from Microsoft services.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Along with Microsoft services, Microsoft Sentinel connectors can also gather data from other cloud or on-premises solutions.
Multiple select: Which of the following roles can configure Microsoft Sentinel connectors?
- a) Azure Sentinel Reader
- b) Azure Sentinel Contributor
- c) Azure Sentinel Responder
- d) Global Administrator
Answer: b, d
Explanation: Both the Azure Sentinel Contributor and Global Administrators are required to configure Microsoft Sentinel connectors.
Single select: When the Microsoft Defender for Cloud connector is connected to a workspace, who can view the data collected?
- a) Azure Sentinel Responder
- b) Global Administrator
- c) Everyone in the organization
- d) Azure Sentinel Reader
Answer: d. Azure Sentinel Reader
Explanation: Azure Sentinel Readers have permissions to view data collected in the Azure workspace.
True or False: Microsoft Sentinel does not require any additional configurations to integrate with Microsoft 365 Defender.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: To integrate Microsoft Sentinel with Microsoft 365 Defender, certain configurations like enabling the Microsoft 365 Defender connector is needed.
Single select: Which of the following components is not a part of the Microsoft 365 threat protection suite?
- a) Microsoft Defender for Office 365
- b) Microsoft Defender for Identity
- c) Microsoft Defender for Endpoints
- d) Microsoft Defender for Windows
Answer: d. Microsoft Defender for Windows
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Windows is not a part of the Microsoft 365 threat protection suite, but is a component of the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
Interview Questions
What is Microsoft Sentinel?
Microsoft Sentinel is a scalable, cloud-native, security information event management (SIEM) and security orchestration automated response (SOAR) solution from Microsoft. It delivers intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence across the enterprise, providing a single solution for alert detection, threat visibility, proactive hunting, and threat response.
What is the purpose of Microsoft Sentinel connectors?
The purpose of Microsoft Sentinel connectors is to ingest data from various sources such as cloud services and on-premises software. The ingested data can then be used for analysis, detection, and response to security threats.
Can you explain what Microsoft 365 Defender is?
Microsoft 365 Defender is an integrated threat protection solution that uses automated investigation and remediation to protect against threats across idenfication, information protection, threat recognition, and security organization.
How does Microsoft Defender for Cloud work with Microsoft Sentinel?
Microsoft Defender for Cloud works with Microsoft Sentinel by sending its logs, alerts, and vulnerability assessments to Microsoft Sentinel. This provides a comprehensive view of the organization’s security posture and enables proactive hunting for threats.
What roles can configure Microsoft Sentinel?
The Global Administrator and Security Administrator roles can configure Microsoft Sentinel.
What are the main steps to configure Microsoft Sentinel connectors for Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
The main steps to configure these connectors are: enabling diagnostic settings in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, sending logs to the appropriate workspace, and connecting Microsoft 365 Defender to Microsoft Sentinel in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal.
How do you access the Microsoft Sentinel dashboard to configure connectors?
You can access the Microsoft Sentinel dashboard from the Azure portal. Go to the Sentinel blade in the portal to begin configuring connectors.
Are there any costs associated with data ingestion for Microsoft Sentinel?
Yes, there is a cost associated with ingesting data into Microsoft Sentinel. The cost depends on the amount of data ingested.
Can you use Microsoft Sentinel connectors to ingest data from third-party services?
Yes, Microsoft Sentinel supports the ingestion of data from many popular third-party services through its wide range of connectors.
What are some of the data types that can be ingested via Microsoft Sentinel connectors?
Data types that can be ingested via Microsoft Sentinel connectors include alerts, logs, and vulnerability assessments among other kinds of security-related data.
How does Microsoft 365 Defender integrate with Microsoft Sentinel?
Microsoft 365 Defender integrates with Microsoft Sentinel by using the Microsoft 365 Defender connector. This sends Microsoft 365 Defender incidents directly into Microsoft Sentinel as separate incidents.
Can you use APIs to configure Microsoft Sentinel connectors?
Yes, you can use APIs to configure Microsoft Sentinel connectors. This enables streamlined and automated management of these connectors.
Why might you want to configure Microsoft Sentinel to receive logs from Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
You might want to configure this integration to gain a comprehensive view of your security stance across both your cloud and on-premises environments, and to facilitate proactive threat hunting.
Does Microsoft Sentinel use Machine Learning for threat detection?
Yes, Microsoft Sentinel uses machine learning and artificial intelligence for advanced threat detection, including anomaly detection and behavioural analytics.
What is the typical processing time for data sent from Microsoft Defender for Cloud to Microsoft Sentinel?
The typical processing time can vary, but generally, it may take between 15 minutes to a couple of hours for the data to become available in Microsoft Sentinel.