Creating custom workbooks is an integral part of preparing for the SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst exam. By creating and leveraging these custom workbooks, you’re not only able to compile all your study material in one place, but you’re also able to construct a tailored learning journey that best suits your individual studying style and needs.
In Azure Sentinel, workbooks are a collection of visual and non-visual resources that you can customize to your unique operational requirements. They are instrumental for candidate preparation as they conveniently combine data visualizations, logs, metrics, and a host of other Azure Monitor data.
Creating custom workbooks for your SC-200 Microsoft Security Operation Analyst exam preparation
Now, let’s look at how you can create custom workbooks for your SC-200 Microsoft Security Operation Analyst exam preparation.
- Navigate to your Azure Sentinel dashboard.
- On the navigation panel, click on ‘Workbooks’.
- Next, click on ‘New’. You’ll then get a blank canvas to start creating your custom workbook.
Creating a Custom Workbook
Creating a custom workbook can be bifurcated into two primary steps:
A. Choosing and Arranging Components
Once you open a blank workbook, you can begin adding components. Just click on the ‘Edit’ button and you can add a range of features, like tables, charts, and metric insights, among others. These components can be moved and resized to create the ideal layout for your use.
B. Linking Data to Components
In addition to choosing your preferred components, you can also link data sources to your chosen components. With built-in interactive query capabilities, you can build complex analytics models and use rich visual mapping to understand and explore your data.
Let’s consider an example: Say you’re studying for the threat protection aspect of the SC-200 exam.
- You can add a table for threat indicators and associated details.
- You can link your tables to the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center data source.
As a result, your workbook will be populated with recent threat intelligence data, providing you with real-time, contextual data as you study.
You might want to compare different threat types. For this, you can add a Comparison Matrix component and then link this to your data source too. This way, your custom workbook visualizes different threat types comparative analyses side-by-side.
By making full use of Azure Sentinel’s custom workbooks facility, you can make your study preparation interactive, insightful, and dynamic, reinforcing learning and enhancing retention throughout the studying period.
Remember to save your changes regularly when putting together your workbook. When you are finished, you can click the done editing button. Your workbook will be saved and ready for use.
The ability to create custom workbooks not only eases the SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst Exam preparation but also equips you with the knowledge to leverage this essential tool in your professional career later on. By tailoring data analytics and visualization to your needs, you can effectively harness vast amounts of data for targeted action and insights.
Practice Test
True or False: Custom workbooks in Azure Monitor can be shared across multiple Azure subscriptions.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Custom workbooks can be shared across multiple Azure subscriptions. They provide reusable and shareable reports based on your log data.
Which of the following aspects can be customized in Azure workbooks?
- A. Layout
- B. Queries
- C. Controls and parameters
- D. Data visualization options
Answer: A, B, C, D
Explanation: Azure workbooks are fully customizable. You can modify the layout, write and modify queries, add controls and parameters, and choose your preferred data visualization options.
True or False: You need admin-level permissions to create custom workbooks in Azure.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You do not need admin-level permissions to create custom workbooks, but you do need the relevant permissions to access the necessary data sources.
Which of the following is not a feature of custom workbooks in Microsoft Azure?
- A. Ability to create interactive reports
- B. Ability to export data to Excel
- C. Ability to visualize log data
- D. Ability to automatically migrate data between databases
Answer: D
Explanation: While custom workbooks allow interactive reporting, data visualization, and data export to Excel, they do not facilitate automatic data migration between databases.
Multiple select: What are the benefits of creating custom workbooks in Azure Monitor?
- A. Shareable across subscriptions
- B. Fully customizable reports
- C. Automatic data deletion after certain time period
- D. Ability to visualize and analyze data
Answer: A, B, D
Explanation: Custom workbooks offer several benefits like sharability, customization, and data visualization but they do not offer automatic data deletion.
True or False: Custom workbooks support data from both logs and metrics in Azure.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Custom workbooks do support both logs and metrics, enabling detailed and flexible analysis in Azure.
Single select: Which of the following user role can create and manage shared workbooks?
- A. Reader
- B. Contributor
- C. Owner
- D. Both B & C
Answer: D
Explanation: Both Contributors and Owners can create and manage shared workbooks in Azure. Readers can only view the shared workbooks.
True or False: When a custom workbook is shared, it is automatically shared with all Azure users.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: When a custom workbook is shared, it is not automatically shared with all Azure users; sharing needs to be explicitly set for each user or user role.
True or False: Custom workbooks can only display data in tabular form.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Custom workbooks not only display data in tabular form but also support various types of data visualizations like charts, graphs, and timelines.
Single select: What is the primary purpose of custom workbooks in Azure?
- A. Data storage
- B. Data Analysis
- C. Data Migration
- D. Data Encryption
Answer: B
Explanation: Custom workbooks in Azure are primarily used for data analysis, helping to analyze and visualize data from different data sources.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of creating custom workbooks in the Azure Sentinel workspace?
Creating custom workbooks in the Azure Sentinel workspace allows users to gather, visualize, and analyze data from connected data sources in a customized manner. It’s useful for monitoring specific aspects of your environment or for creating reports tailored to your organization’s requirements.
How can you share a custom workbook in Azure Sentinel?
Custom workbooks in Azure Sentinel can be shared by saving the workbook as a template and then distributing it to other members of the workspace. Alternatively, you can export the workbook as a JSON and then import it in the other workspace.
Can you modify the pre-built workbooks provided by Azure Sentinel?
Yes, Azure Sentinel’s pre-built workbooks can be cloned and modified to meet your custom requirements.
How do you edit a custom workbook in Azure Sentinel?
To edit a custom workbook, go to Azure Sentinel > Workbooks. Choose the workbook you want to edit, and select Edit in the Commands bar.
What role does Azure Monitor play in creating Azure Sentinel custom workbooks?
Azure Monitor provides the data that Azure Sentinel uses in its custom workbooks. Azure Monitor collects, analyzes, and acts on telemetry data from your cloud and on-premises environments.
What is the Analytics pane in Azure Sentinel used for?
The Analytics pane in Azure Sentinel is used to create, manage, and view alerts and detections related to security incidents.
What type of data can you include in a custom workbook?
You can include a wide range of data in a custom workbook, including data from Log Analytics, data from Azure Monitor, and data from any connected data sources.
Can custom workbooks display real-time data?
Yes, custom workbooks can display real-time data. Azure Sentinel ingests data in near-real time, and the workbooks can reflect this data as it’s updated.
Is programming knowledge required to create custom workbooks in Azure Sentinel?
No, programming knowledge is not required. Azure Sentinel’s workbook provides a robust user interface that allows users to create custom visuals without having to write any code.
Is it possible to integrate threat intelligence data into a custom workbook?
Yes, threat intelligence data can be integrated into a custom workbook. Azure Sentinel’s Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs) can be connected to the workbook to populate it with IOCs and other threat intel.
How can Azure Logic Apps be used with custom workbooks?
Azure Logic Apps can be used to automate responses to certain triggers or conditions detected in the custom workbook, such as sending email notifications or launching remediation scripts.
What are parameters in the context of Azure Sentinel custom workbooks?
Parameters can be used to dynamically control what data is displayed in a workbook. For example, you can create a string parameter that allows users to enter a value that is used to filter the results displayed on the workbook.
What type of visualizations is supported in custom workbooks?
Custom workbooks in Azure Sentinel support many types of visualizations, including line charts, area charts, bar charts, tables, lists, and metric visualizations.
What happens if a template of a custom workbook is deleted?
If a template of a custom workbook is deleted, the workbook itself will still exist, but it can no longer be instantiated from that template.
Can you export a custom workbook?
Yes, Azure Sentinel allows you to export a custom workbook as a JSON file, which can then be imported into a different workspace.