The power of real-time identity protection
Modern day identity attacks are increasing in speed, scale, and sophistication which cause challenges in balancing protection and productivity. Not only do Security Operations Center (SOC) teams and Identity Admins need to balance different tools, workflows, and data, but the majority of customers also operate in a hybrid security environment. By breaking down silos and ensuring seamless collaboration between security and identity teams through Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), enterprises can enhance both security and productivity.
In the latest Secure Employee Access report, we reveal the need for unified access and security tools. The mix of tools create disjointed security strategies, which cause a 79% increase in breaches and operational challenges. Native, comprehensive protection is key to securing identities—the capabilities and integration between Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Defender XDR simplify the tools SOC and Identity teams need in their identity management and threat hunting toolbox.
Protect against identity attacks in real-time
Identity attack numbers are staggering. Reports show 7000 password attacks happen per second, a 146% increase in adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) phishing attacks, and our customers face more than 600M cybercriminal and nation-state attacks every day (source: Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024). This data indicates that real-time risk evaluation is crucial for your identity security teams, because every second matters. Microsoft Entra ID Protection dynamically assesses user and sign-in risk during the authentication flow. Its native capabilities ensure precision, speed, and comprehensive protection without compromising user experience or productivity.
By integrating automated risk evaluation with Conditional Access policies, you create a cohesive and robust defense strategy. As mentioned in the latest blog from Defender XDR, this not only ensures that your security measures are proactive but also aligns your identity and security teams to work seamlessly together. The result is a unified approach that enhances your organization's ability to detect, respond to, and mitigate identity threats effectively.
Effective identity threat detection and response begins with proactive protection. Microsoft’s streamlined authentication assesses user and sign-in risk during the authentication flow in real-time.
When assessing risk to determine if an identity compromise is occurring, it’s essential to evaluate in the authentication context, in real-time. Entra ID Protection operates natively in-line after the credentials are validated by the Security Token Service (STS) and assesses properties of the sign-in such as IP, ASN, location, and user agent to build a profile of compromise. This process occurs in real-time and compares against previous logins and threat signals. With the policies defined by risk-based Conditional Access, the user undergoes remediation or is blocked until further action is taken. Entra ID Protection operates seamlessly with the STS and Conditional Access, delivering unmatched real-time, risk-based protection.
Detect with market-leading leaked credentials reporting
At Microsoft, we process hundreds of millions of leaked credentials every month but what truly sets us apart is our commitment to precision. Every credential we flag has been rigorously validated to confirm it’s both active and poses a real risk. Our near-100% detection precision ensures that leaked credentials are evaluated against active credentials, active leaks, active compromises, and possible compromise scenarios, minimizing false positives and enhancing the efficiency for identity admins. This enhances user productivity by ensuring that they only go through self-service remediation if the credential is valid and matching.
This level of validation eliminates noise and empowers identity security teams to focus on what truly matters. Whether you're investigating alerts or relying on automated remediation through risk-based Conditional Access policies, you can trust that each signal is rooted in real, validated risk.
By combining scale with near-perfect precision, we’re helping organizations move from reactive defense to proactive protection—where every second counts, and every alert drives meaningful action.
Respond with comprehensive integrations between Identity Admins and SOC Analysts
To address these challenges, enterprises must prioritize solutions that not only integrate seamlessly across identity and security workflows, data, tools, teams, and processes. The challenge lies in the sheer complexity of managing disparate identities, workflows, tools, and data across multiple tools and vendors. Without native integration and end-to-end visibility, identity and security teams are left with security gaps they may not realize.
At Microsoft, we view Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) as a partnership between Identity admins and SOC analysts. The portal experience between Entra ID and Defender XDR is optimized to address the unique needs of each role, with unified workflows, visibility, and posture to stay ahead of attacks.
How to solve a common ITDR Scenario
Proactive defense with risk-based Conditional Access
As the identity administrator, your goal is to implement Zero Trust policies that stop threats before they materialize. In this scenario, you’ve configured Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra to evaluate sign-in attempts dynamically. These policies can enforce step-up authentication—such as multifactor authentication (MFA)—based on real-time risk signals.
One of your users is targeted in a password spray attempt. The policy detects the anomalous sign-in behavior in real-time and immediately challenges the user for MFA. The legitimate user successfully completes the MFA challenge, proving their identity and thwarting the attacker.
The entire sequence, from detection to remediation, is automated and logged. Reviewing the sign-in logs confirms that the user experienced minimal disruption, while the organization’s security posture remained intact. This balance of productivity and protection is a core tenet of Zero Trust.
Coordinated response with XDR
Now, consider a more complex scenario. As a SOC analyst, you’re investigating a coordinated attack that involves multiple entities, including hybrid users operating across cloud and on-premises environments.
Microsoft XDR has correlated signals across the attack chain and surfaced the incident for investigation. Notably, the platform has already taken decisive action: the affected user account has been disabled automatically in both Entra ID and Active Directory. This containment step occurred in real time, minimizing the attacker’s window of opportunity.
From the SOC perspective, the integrated visibility across identity, endpoint, and cloud resources enables you to trace the attack path, identify initial access vectors, and ensure comprehensive remediation. These insights also inform future detections and response actions, strengthening your organization’s overall response capability.
This scenario illustrates the importance of collaboration between IAM and SOC teams. In a Zero Trust model, identity protection is not a single role’s responsibility—it’s a shared priority. By aligning identity and security operations, organizations can achieve resilient, end-to-end protection across their digital estate.
Final Thoughts
In today's fast-paced digital environment, the ability to detect and respond to identity threats in real-time is crucial. Microsoft's ITDR solutions offer unparalleled precision and integration, enabling organizations to stay ahead of potential threats. By combining advanced detection mechanisms with policy-driven responses, we provide a robust security solution that protects your digital assets without hindering productivity. Whether you’re managing on-premises systems, cloud-based resources, or hybrid infrastructure, you can trust Microsoft to deliver the security and peace of mind your organization needs.
Read more on this topic
- Learn more about Identity Threat Detection and Response
- Read the SOC Perspective Empowering SOC Analysts: Investigating Identity Threats with Microsoft Defender XDR | Microsoft Community Hub
- Learn more about Entra ID Protection
Learn more about Microsoft Entra
Prevent identity attacks, ensure least privilege access, unify access controls, and improve the experience for users with comprehensive identity and network access solutions across on-premises and clouds.
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