Microsoft Defender for Cloud monitors all your Azure resources by default. However, you can select which resources you want to cover by updating your Defender for Cloud settings. The resources can be an Azure subscription, a Management Group, or even resources in other clouds.
Follow these steps to configure Defender for Cloud settings:
- On the Defender for Cloud dashboard, select the settings icon.
- Choose General Settings, then under the features you want to enable or disable, click on “Edit.”
- Change the settings as required, select “Save,” and make sure you understand that these settings apply to all resources in your subscription.
Selecting Target Subscriptions
Under Defender for Cloud, you may choose specific subscriptions to target. Selecting target subscriptions determines the coverage and cost for your coverage plan in Defender for Cloud.
To select target subscriptions:
- Go back to the settings page, and under “Microsoft Defender Plan,” select “Pricing & settings.”
- You’ll see a list of your subscriptions, and you can choose to cover each one with the Standard or Free tier as required.
Configuring Workspaces
A workspace in Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a container that holds data. Here’s how you configure workspaces for your settings:
- Choose the settings icon again from the Defender for Cloud dashboard.
- Under “Workspace settings,” choose the subscription you want to configure workspaces for.
- Each subscription will have a workspace associated with it, and you can let Defender for Cloud automatically create one or select “Use existing” to pick a pre-existing workspace.
It’s crucial to note that workspaces are part of Azure Monitor Log Analytics and you will incur additional charges for log data stored in your workspace.
Conclusion
Knowledge about configuring settings in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, including selecting target subscriptions and workspaces, is important for those preparing for the SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst exam. With its robust settings, Microsoft Defender for Cloud can provide a nuanced level of control over your cloud security resources.
Remember, proper configuration leads to enhanced security, cost-efficiency and meets the specifics of your business needs. So, spend enough time fully understanding these configurations and settings.
Practice Test
Microsoft Defender for Cloud can only be configured to target subscriptions in the same Azure AD tenant.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud only allows for the targeting of subscriptions under the same Azure AD tenant.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud can guard resource groups and individual assets.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud is designed with varying levels of granularity, allowing for the protection of entire regions, resource groups, and even individual assets within resource groups.
Configuring Azure Logic Apps in Microsoft Defender for Cloud’s settings is a recommended strategy in automated responses to security alerts.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: Azure Logic Apps are one way to automate responses to security alerts, providing the ability to customize responses based on specific conditions in security alerts.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud can secure any cloud platform, irrespective of vendor.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 2) False
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a service provided by Microsoft and is primarily designed to secure Microsoft Azure workloads.
Logging data from Azure resources to a workspace can be established through Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud can be used to facilitate the flow of log data from Azure resources to log analytics workspaces.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud cannot use Azure Sentinel for security posture management.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 2) False
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud can be integrated with Azure Sentinel for a comprehensive security posture management solution.
Which of the following is not a component of the Microsoft Defender for Cloud’s capabilities?
- 1) Vulnerability management
- 2) Azure AD management
- 3) Network hardening
- 4) Secure score
Answer: 2) Azure AD management
Explanation: While Microsoft Defender for Cloud does provide a multitude of capabilities, Azure AD management is not one of them.
One should always enable automatic provisioning on all subscriptions in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 2) False
Explanation: Whether or not to enable automatic provisioning depends on the specific needs and structure of an organization; it isn’t always beneficial to have it enabled on all subscriptions.
The Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides security recommendations based on your workspace settings.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: The Microsoft Defender for Cloud analyses your configurations and provides suggestions for enhancing the security posture of your workloads.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud only supports Azure Log Analytics for data storage.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud predominantly utilises Azure Log Analytics as a data store for collecting security and audit logs.
The same workspace cannot be used across multiple subscriptions in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 2) False
Explanation: The same Log Analytics workspace can be used across multiple subscriptions in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, promoting data consolidation and broader understanding of the security landscape.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud supports configuration of alert rules to send notifications.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud includes the ability to configure alert rules, allowing for notifications to be sent in response to certain detected events.
Security baselines in Microsoft Defender for Cloud define the configuration of a secure workspace.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: Security baselines in Microsoft Defender for Cloud provide common security settings that represent known, secure configurations and are used to define the configuration of a secure workspace.
It is impossible to configure email notifications for alerts in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 2) False
Explanation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud allows for alert configuration, including email notifications for specified security events.
The Azure Security Benchmark is an industry-agnostic foundational set of controls that the Microsoft Defender for Cloud utilizes.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: 1) True
Explanation: The Azure Security Benchmark is indeed an industry-agnostic foundational set of controls in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, providing recommendations for your overall cloud security posture.
Interview Questions
Which tab in Microsoft Defender for Cloud is used to set a target subscription for its features?
The Settings tab is used to set a target subscription for Microsoft Defender for Cloud features.
How can you choose a workspace for Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
You can choose a workspace for Microsoft Defender for Cloud through the Defender settings under the “Workspace settings” section.
What is the function of Microsoft Defender for Cloud workspace settings?
Workspace settings in Microsoft Defender for Cloud let you associate a Log Analytics workspace with your subscription. It receives the security data needed for threat detection, security analysis, and protection.
Can you assign multiple workspaces to a single subscription in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
No, you can’t assign more than one workspace to a subscription in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
How do you determine the log data retention period in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
You determine the data retention period in the Log Analytics workspace settings. You can access it from the “Data retention” option under “General” settings in your Log Analytics workspace.
What are the possible retention periods for data in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
The Log Analytics workspace allow to retain data from 31 to 730 days.
Is it possible to use Microsoft Defender for Cloud with a workspace that is in different subscription?
Yes, it is possible to use Microsoft Defender for Cloud with a workspace in a different subscription.
How can you modify the default settings of Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
You can modify the default settings of Microsoft Defender for Cloud from the “Pricing & settings” page. Here, one can modify settings related to data connection, email notifications, and other components.
Can you configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud to automatically discover and onboard certain resources?
Yes, you can configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud for automatic discovery and onboarding of certain resources from the “Auto provisioning” settings page.
What is the prerequisite for using Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
To fully utilize Microsoft Defender for Cloud, you must have at least READ permissions, and to configure policies and settings Security Admin, Security Reader, or Owner permissions are required.
How can resources be exempted from Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Resources can be exempted from Microsoft Defender for Cloud by adding them to the exemption list in the specific Defender plan’s settings.
What is the role of the “Security contact” in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
The “Security contact” is a person or group who receives security incident notifications and health monitoring alerts from Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Does Microsoft Defender for Cloud support multi-tenancy?
Yes, Microsoft Defender for Cloud supports multi-tenancy, enabling service providers to protect multiple tenants using separate configurations.
How can one enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud recommendations on Azure Resources?
This can be enabled by going to Azure Defender plans in Azure Policy under Authoring, where one can assign the desired policies to their resources.
What is the purpose of managing subscriptions in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Managing subscriptions in Microsoft Defender for Cloud allows you to protect multiple subscriptions simultaneously. Each subscription can have its settings, data sources, and alert notifications.