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Microsoft Defender for Cloud
For security operations teams managing Microsoft 365 and Azure environments, knowing which event logs to monitor in the Defender portal is fundamental. The right logs give you visibility into identity threats, device compromise, and policy violations before they escalate. Here are the most critical event log categories: ## 1. Sign-In Logs (Entra ID) **Location:** Microsoft Entra ID > Sign-in logs Monitor failed sign-ins, unfamiliar locations, Conditional Access failures, and risky sign-ins flagged by Identity Protection. Identity is the primary attack surface—these logs detect credential compromise and lateral movement. ## 2. Audit Logs (Entra ID) **Location:** Microsoft Entra ID > Audit logs Track changes to user accounts, privilege escalations, Conditional Access modifications, and application consent grants. Unauthorized administrative changes can bypass security controls. ## 3. Device Compliance Logs (Intune) **Location:** Microsoft Intune > Devices > Monitor Monitor non-compliant devices, enrollment failures, and policy errors. Non-compliant endpoints represent unmanaged risk. ## 4. Threat & Vulnerability Management **Location:** Microsoft Defender > Endpoints > TVM Track critical vulnerabilities, missing updates, and exposed credentials. Proactive vulnerability management prevents exploitation. ## 5. Alerts and Incidents (Defender XDR) **Location:** Microsoft Defender > Incidents & Alerts Your central SOC dashboard—monitor high-severity alerts for ransomware, credential theft, and lateral movement across endpoints, identities, email, and apps. ## 6. Cloud App Activity Logs **Location:** Defender for Cloud Apps > Activity log Detect unusual file downloads, admin activity from unmanaged devices, and OAuth app permissions. These logs reveal unauthorized data exfiltration and risky SaaS behavior. ## 7. Email Threat Logs **Location:** Microsoft Defender > Email & Collaboration > Threat Explorer Monitor phishing attempts, malware attachments, and spoofed emails. Email remains the most common attack vector. ## 8. Cloud Security Alerts **Location:** Microsoft Defender for Cloud > Security alerts Track misconfigurations, policy violations, and threats across Azure subscriptions and hybrid workloads. Essential for cloud infrastructure protection and compliance monitoring. ## How to Use These Logs Effectively 1. Set up automated alerts in Sentinel 2. Establish baselines to detect anomalies 3. Correlate across sources for full attack context 4. Automate response with AIR features 5. Review high-severity logs weekly **Microsoft Defender XDR Documentation:** https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/defender/ **Entra ID Monitoring:** https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/monitoring-health/ **Microsoft Defender for Cloud:** https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/ Monitoring the right logs is the foundation of a strong security posture. Start here, tune your alerts, and build the visibility your SOC needs. #MicrosoftDefender #CyberSecurity #SOC #DefenderXDR #ThreatHunting #SecurityOperations #EntraID #Microsoft365 #ZeroTrust #DefenderForCloud
Updating SDK for Java used by Defender for Server/CSPM in AWS
Hi, I have a customer who is Defender for Cloud/CSPM in AWS. Last week, Cloud AWS Health Dashboard lit up with a recommendation around the use of AWS SDK for Java 1.x in their organization. This version will reach end of support on December 31, 2025. The recommendation is to migrate to AWS SDK for Java 2.x. The issue is present in all of AWS workload accounts. They found that a large amount of these alerts is caused by the Defender CSPM service, running remotely, and using AWS SDK for Java 1.x. Customer attaching a couple of sample events that were gathered from the CloudTrail logs. Please note that in both cases: assumed-role: DefenderForCloud-Ciem sourceIP: 20.237.136.191 (MS Azure range) userAgent: aws-sdk-java/1.12.742 Linux/6.6.112.1-2.azl3 OpenJDK_64-Bit_Server_VM/21.0.9+10-LTS java/21.0.9 kotlin/1.6.20 vendor/Microsoft cfg/retry-mode/legacy cfg/auth-source#unknown Can someone provide guidance about this? How to find out if DfC is going to leverage AWS SDK for Java 2.x after Dec 31, 2025? Thanks, Terru
Automate Defender for Cloud settings: FIM, Vulnerability Assessment, and Guest Configuration Agent
I’m working on automating the configuration of Microsoft Defender for Cloud – Server Plans across multiple subscriptions (100+), including any newly deployed subscriptions. The goal is to avoid manual changes and ensure compliance from day one. Current Setup: I’ve used the built-in policy: Configure Microsoft Defender for Servers plan, which successfully enables: Defender for Cloud Plan P2 Endpoint Protection Agentless scanning I attempted to copy this policy and add parameters for Vulnerability Assessment, but the assignment fails with an error. What I’ve Tried: For File Integrity Monitor: Policy name → Configure ChangeTracking Extension for Windows virtual machines For Vulnerability Assessment: Policy name → Configure machines to receive a vulnerability assessment provider Assigning these policies works on my non-prod subscription, but the toggle in Defender for Cloud → Environment Settings remains No. Challenge: How can I ensure these options (File Integrity Monitoring, Vulnerability Assessment, and preferably Guest Configuration Agent) are automatically enabled for: All existing subscriptions Any new subscriptions created in the future Goal: No manual intervention in Defender for Cloud portal Fully automated via Azure Policy or another recommended approach uestions: Is there a way to extend the built-in policy or create a custom initiative that enforces these settings at the subscription level? Are there ARM templates, Bicep modules, Powershell scripts or REST API calls that can toggle these settings programmatically? Any best practices for ensuring compliance across multiple subscriptions? Any help is much appreciated and looking forward to your expertise! Thank you in advance. Best Regards, Pascal SlotAbout Defender for Cloud aggregated logs in Advanced Hunting
Hi, I create this threat hoping that the Microsoft team will read and hopefully provide insights about future changes and roadmap. When SOC teams use a non-Microsoft SIEM/SOAR, they need to export logs from M365 and Azure, and send them to the third-party SIEM/SOAR solution. • For M365 logs, there is the M365XDR connector that allows exporting logs using an Event Hub. • For Azure logs, we used to configure diagnostics settings and send them to an Event Hub. This began to change with new features within Defender for Cloud (c.f. picture).: • Defender for Resource Manager now sends Azure Activity logs to M365XDR portal, and can be exported using M365XDR Streaming API • Defender for Storage now sends logs to M365XDR portal, and can be exported using M365XDR Streaming API (c.f. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yraeks8c8hg&t=1s). This is great as it is easy to configure and doesn't interfere with infrastructure teams managing operational logs through diagnostic settings. I have two questions : • Is there any documentation about this? I didn't find any? • What can we expect in the future weeks, months regarding this native logs collection feature through various Defender for Cloud products? For example, can we expect Defender for SQL to send logs to M365XDR natively? Thanks for you support!
MISRA support in Defender
I want to check for MISRA C code compliance. The idea is to check for MISRA C compliance when asking for a Pull Request. If the code fails on those checks, the PR will not be created. This way, we enforce MISRA compliance before integrating the code to the repository. I am not seeing MISRA in the list of standards under - Regulatory Compliance>>Subscriptions>> Security Po;iciesRuntime protection - Microsoft Defender for Cloud DevOps Security (Defender CSPM)
Hi team! The current support status for Microsoft Defender for Cloud DevOps Security (Defender CSPM) and runtime protection across services are this one : Fully Supported for Runtime Protection Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) are there more runtime in the product roadmap (Azure Container Apps, AWS, Fargate for Amazon ECS, Azure Functions, AWS Lambda)? Thanks
Microsoft Defender for Cloud - Servers & Apps Question
Hi, while learning about the Microsoft Defender for Cloud (MDC) Cloud Workload Protection (CWP), I have seen below points. Servers: When we opt for MDC CWP for servers, I see Agentless scanning for machines and along with it below, But we already have "Carbon Black" which handles the above role of Guest Configuration agent. So, my question is, If I enroll for MDC - Cloud workload protection: As we need to have a security/defender tool installed on Azure machines (In this case Guest Configuration agent). Would this then replace "Carbon Black" as we already, have it? Or do we see this MDC - Cloud workload protection for Servers as additional apart from Carbon Black? Apps: We have our Azure Apps protected by Cloudflare and VNet Integration which are with our firewall-based routes, do we still need to enroll for App Service protection by MDC CWP. Please advise on above 2 areas. ThanksDefender for Servers
Defender for servers is part of Defender for Cloud CWP. We do not use this product, however we have interest in logging Servers both on-premise and multi cloud tenants to Sentinel workspace. Couple of ways to accomplish: Defender for Servers in passive - Since we're currently not subscribed can we get data in with ARC + AMA + Defender extension across multi cloud tenant? Objective is to NOT pay for Defender for Servers p1/p2 instead log Events for detections Azure Monitor Agent and Data Collection Rule with logging level (Common, Minimal, Custom) I've ideas on both but I'm leaning towards Defender for Servers in passive with Defender Extension and AMA. Will this automatically get charge as part of Defender for Server CWP or it flat out won't work if not enabled? I can't get straight answer on this from anyone and I don't have full blown tenant owner permission to test this. When asked there is wait time to get response from other teams. I'm interested getting data in via Defender in Passive relying and relaying partner as Defender Extension and ARC+AMA. Let me know your thoughts!
DevOps Security: MDC-ADO integration through Service account
Hi All, Is it possible to integrate MDC-ADO Integration with Service Account? When I attempted to authorize ADO in MDC during the integration process, it appears to only accept individual accounts. Does anyone have insights on how to utilize a Service Account for this integration?Cost Calculator for Defender for Cloud (Public Preview)
Did you know Microsoft Defender for Cloud has a built-in cost calculator to easily calculate the costs of protected resources in your cloud environment? No? Well, I didn’t either until I stumbled upon the button in the MDC portal myself. Apparently, Microsoft announced the preview for the MDC cost calculator last month, on February 19, 2025. With this post, I’m sharing my experience with this new cost calculator for Microsoft Defender for Cloud, providing guidance and comparing available options to calculate the costs. https://myronhelgering.com/cost-calculator-for-defender-for-cloud/
