Understanding roles within the Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a key part of studying for the SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst exam. This article will delve into the different roles one can allocate when configuring Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and how to successfully assign these roles to users.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Roles
The primary roles for Microsoft Defender for Cloud are:
- Security reader: A security reader can view security settings and policies, but cannot make changes. They can also view alerts, but not dismisse them.
- Security admin: A security admin can view and edit security settings, policies, and dismiss alerts.
- Defender for Cloud admin: Apart from viewing and editing security settings and dismissing alerts, a Defender for Cloud admin can manage security configurations.
The following table provides an easy comparison between these roles:
| Role | View Security Settings | Edit Security policies | Dismiss Alerts | Manage security configurations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security reader | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Security admin | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Defender for Cloud admin | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Configuring Roles
Configure the roles according to your users’ need to know, following the principle of least privilege. To assign roles to users within your organization, carry out the following steps:
- Select Security Center from the Azure portal.
- Select the setting Access control (IAM).
- Choose Add > Add role assignment.
- Select a role to assign from the drop-down menu.
- Input the email or name of the team member you wish to assign the role to.
- Click Save.
This is a brief example of assigning the Security Reader role to a team member:
#Select Security Center
Select-AzSubscription -SubscriptionName “your subscription name”
#List available roles
Get-AzRoleDefinition | Where-Object { $_.Name -like “*Security Reader*” }
#Assign role
New-AzRoleAssignment -SignInName john.doe@example.com -RoleDefinitionName “Security Reader” -Scope “/subscriptions/your_subscription_id”
Using Azure Active Directory Groups for Role Assignment
It’s good practice to assign these roles to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) groups instead of individual users. Doing so simplifies IAM governance by reducing the number of role assignments. It also makes transitioning roles easier when team members join or exit projects.
To create an Azure AD group and assign a role to it:
- From the Azure portal, open Azure Active Directory.
- Select Groups > New group.
- Fill in the required group details.
- Click No members selected to add members to the group.
- Save the group.
- Then follow the same role assignment process as you would with a user.
Conclusion
Understanding how Microsoft Defender for Cloud roles operate and being able to configure them correctly is a crucial part of the SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst exam. By correctly configuring these roles, you can ensure the right balance of access and security within your organization’s cloud environment.
Practice Test
True or False: Microsoft Defender for Cloud has a built-in role named ‘Security Reader’.
Answer: True
Explanation: The ‘Security Reader’ role allows for viewing security policies, alerts, and recommendations in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
What is the correct role name for granting permissions to view and edit security policies, view security states, edit security settings, and view alerts and recommendations in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
- A) Security Administrator
- B) Security Contributor
- C) Security Reader
- D) Security Reviewer
Answer: A. Security Administrator
Explanation: The Security Administrator role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud includes all these responsibilities.
True or False: Every user with a Reader role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud can view security reports.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Reader role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud does not permit viewing security policies, security states, or alerts and recommendations.
True or False: ‘Security Reader’ and ‘Reader’ are the same roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Answer: False
Explanation: ‘Security Reader’ is a built-in role that allows for viewing security policies, alerts, and recommendations while ‘Reader’ role doesn’t have these permissions.
What role should be assigned to a user in Microsoft Defender for Cloud who needs to view security alerts but does not need to edit security settings?
- A) Security Administrator
- B) Security Auditor
- C) Security Reader
- D) Security Contributor
Answer: C. Security Reader
Explanation: The Security Reader role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud has the ability to view security policy, alerts, and recommendations.
True or False: In Microsoft Defender for Cloud, you need to be a Global Administrator to configure roles.
Answer: True
Explanation: Yes, one must be a Global Administrator to configure roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
What role would you assign to a team member who needs to manage and remediate security recommendations in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
- A) Security Reader
- B) Security Contributor
- C) Security Manager
- D) Security Administrator
Answer: B. Security Contributor
Explanation: A Security Contributor has the ability to manage and remediate security recommendations in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
True or False: You can create custom roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Answer: True
Explanation: Yes, you can create custom roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud to make sure each role has only the necessary permissions.
A user with which role cannot dismiss the security recommendations in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
- A) Security Reader
- B) Security Contributor
- C) Security Manager
- D) Security Administrator
Answer: A. Security Reader
Explanation: A Security Reader does not have permissions to dismiss security recommendations, only view them.
True or False: Each role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud comes with a set of predefined permissions which cannot be changed.
Answer: False
Explanation: While each role has a default set of permissions, these can be customized to suit specific needs.
If you want a team member to manage security configurations and policies, and also to view and remediate security recommendations, which role should you assign them in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
- A) Viewer
- B) Administrator
- C) Security Administrator
- D) Security Contributor
Answer: D. Security Contributor
Explanation: The Security Contributor role is responsible for managing security configurations and policies, and also to view and remediate security recommendations.
True or False: Security Reader role can perform network hardening actions in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Answer: False.
Explanation: The ‘Security Reader’ role only has the permission to view security policies, alerts, and recommendations. It can’t perform network hardening actions.
True or False: The ‘Owner’ role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud can delegate roles to other users.
Answer: True.
Explanation: The ‘Owner’ role has full control over all resources, including the ability to delegate roles to other users.
In Microsoft Defender for Cloud, who has the ability to change security configuration, suggest hardening tasks and dismiss alerts?
- A) Security Contributor
- B) Security Manager
- C) Security Reader
- D) Security Administrator
Answer: A. Security Contributor
Explanation: Security Contributor has privileges to change security configuration, suggest hardening tasks and dismiss alerts.
Which default role is required to configure alerts and remediate issues in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
- A) Security Reader
- B) Security Administrator
- C) Security Contributor
- D) Security Manager
Answer: B. Security Administrator
Explanation: The ‘Security Administrator’ role has the ability to configure alerts and remediate security issues. It’s the highest level of access in Security Center.
Interview Questions
What is Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a cloud-based service offered by Microsoft that provides threat protection across the organization’s hybrid workloads in the cloud and on-premises.
What is the primary purpose of configuring Microsoft Defender for Cloud roles?
The main purpose of configuring Microsoft Defender for Cloud roles is to grant access to various resource types to different users according to their job role. This ensures that each user has the specific permissions they need to access resources and perform their tasks.
What are the two main types of roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
The two main roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud are Security Reader and Security Admin.
What are the capabilities of a Security Admin in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
A Security Admin has full access to Microsoft Defender for Cloud. They can view security policies, view security states, edit security policies, view and dismiss alerts, view health issues, and remediate security recommendations.
What permissions does a Security Reader role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud have?
A Security Reader role can view security policies, view security states, view alerts and view health issues. However, they do not have the ability to edit security policies or remediate issues.
What type of access does a Security Remediation Contributor role have in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
A Security Remediation Contributor has the ability to remediate security recommendations and may also have the ability to perform actions that can affect the resources of the organization when remediating security issues.
How can the Defender for Cloud roles be assigned?
Roles can be assigned to Microsoft Defender for Cloud at different scopes using Azure RBAC (Role-Based Access Control). These scopes can be at the management group, subscription, or resource group level.
Can a user have multiple Microsoft Defender for Cloud roles?
Yes, a user can have multiple Microsoft Defender for Cloud roles, and the collective permissions will be the sum of all assigned roles.
What is Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a method of regulating access to computer or network resources based on the users’ roles within the organization. RBAC lets employees have access rights only to the information they need to do their jobs.
What is the process to configure roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
To configure roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, you start by going to the Azure portal. Then navigate to Microsoft Defender for Cloud, select the ‘Identity & Access Management’ option, and finally, assign the roles to users.
What role do you need to configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud roles?
To configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud roles, you need to have Owner or User Access Administrator permissions on the Management Group or Subscription.
Can I customize the roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
No, the roles in Microsoft Defender for Cloud are predefined and cannot be customized.
What role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud is appropriate for a user who needs to view reports but not make any changes?
The Security Reader role is appropriate for a user who needs to view reports but not make any changes.
What is the role necessary to dismiss alerts in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
The role necessary to dismiss alerts in Microsoft Defender for Cloud is the Security Admin.
How can one revoke a person’s role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
A person’s role in Microsoft Defender for Cloud can be revoked by going to the Azure portal, selecting the specific role under the ‘IAM’ tab, and then selecting ‘Remove’ next to the individual’s name.
extutorials.com