Take Azure Defender for IoT for a Spin
Intended audience: Security and OT engineering enthusiasts, looking to secure unmanaged critical networks used by IoT/OT devices such as Building Management Systems, Manufacturing, Critical Infrastructure and more! Introduction You’ve read the product materials and would like to get started with securing your IoT/OT network – in this blog post, we will focus on setting up a sensor on your critical networks - without impacting IoT/OT stability or performance (If you missed it, you can read more about the capabilities of Azure Defender for IoT here). The goal of this article is to guide you through setting up a sensor to demonstrate the value of the system, as well as a quick start for securing unmanaged IoT/OT devices. Try it now at no charge Try Azure Defender for IoT - This version includes the agentless security provided via the integration of CyberX, a Microsoft company, plus the ability to connect to Azure Sentinel. Preparing your environment Azure Defender for IoT monitors unmanaged devices that are used in Operational Technology (OT) environments such as manufacturing, building management systems (BMS), life sciences, energy and water utilities, oil & gas, and logistics. In the most basic configuration, Setting up your environment can be taken in 4 easy steps: 1. Setup a sensor The software for the sensor may be installed on physical servers or as a virtual machine. The sensor installation files can be downloaded from the Azure Defender for IoT portal, on the “Getting Started” -> “Network Sensor” tab. Log into your Azure Account and download the ISO installer for the sensor. Install the ISO from USB on a VM or physical server (see Hardware Guide and Installation Guide) Make sure to make a note of the administrative login credentials presented during the installation process. If your setup includes multiple sensors, you can also download the optional “On-Premises Management Console” which allows you to manage and monitor large sensor deployments. More on this in the Installation Guide, Chapter 8 2. Monitor a SPAN port The sensor implements non-invasive passive monitoring with Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) and Layer 7 Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to extract detailed IoT/OT information in real-time, even across diverse automation equipment from all major OT suppliers such as: Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, GE, Emerson, Siemens, Honeywell, ABB, Yokogawa, etc. Locate a managed LAN switch connected to IoT/OT devices. These switches can typically be set up with monitoring ports (also called SPAN or mirror ports). Utilizing this technique, the sensor will passively monitor the OT network, without creating any traffic which might impact or risk devices on the network. Connect the monitoring port to the sensor’s monitoring interface (typically the first available ethernet card) For more information and configuration examples, see the Network Deployment Guide, Chapter 5 - “Traffic Monitoring.” 3. Register and Activate the Sensor Once the sensor has been connected to the monitor port – it will immediately begin to analyze the network traffic. The next step is to login to the sensor and activate it with an activation file available for your account, in the Azure Defender for IoT portal. Log into your Azure Account select the “Onboard” sensor button (underlined below): Next, fill in the sensor name and subscription details. The button for "cloud-connected" will optionally send alert information into IoT Hub and Sentinel for further analysis. If you have an air-gapped or completely on-premises implementation with no connection to the cloud, disable the "cloud-connected" button below before you generate your license. Download the activation file. This will be used in the next step to activate the sensor. Login to the sensor’s IP address, with the administrative credentials shown during the installation process. On the next screen – upload the activation file from the previous step. For more information and detailed steps, see the Onboarding Guide. 4. Start Exploring Now you’ve successfully installed your first sensor and you can start using the system – view the asset inventory, zoom in on the network map or generate a risk report. Conclusion Thank you for reading this blog post. There will be more blog posts to follow, which will enable you to get the best of out your system, which will include: what to do when malware is detected, connecting to Azure Sentinel, or simulating attack vectors, so please check back with us soon. Learn more with these educational resources: Watch our Ignite session showing how Azure Defender for IoT and Azure Sentinel are combined to investigate multistage attacks that cross IT/OT boundaries, using the TRITON attack on a petrochemical facility as an example. Watch our Tech Community webinar describing MITRE ATT&CK for ICS, an OT-focused version of the well-known MITRE ATT&CK framework originally developed for IT networks. Watch our SANS webinar featuring the head of Microsoft’s datacenter security program, about securing building automation systems using continuous OT security monitoring. Stay tuned for an upcoming webinar during which we’ll do a technical walkthrough of how to deploy and use Azure Defender for IoT. Troubleshooting No traffic is monitored on the sensor. Check that the monitoring port is connected to the correct ethernet port. Make sure the port is indeed a SPAN port by monitoring bandwidth on the port. For more troubleshooting, see the Network Setup Guide, Appendix 1 I cannot find a device in the Asset Inventory Make sure the device is connected to the network. Search for its MAC address in the Asset Inventory – if it is active, it will appear on the list.
Latest Threat Intelligence (July 2025)
Microsoft Defender for IoT has released the July 2025 Threat Intelligence package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file). Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. Each package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month) researched and implemented by Microsoft Threat Intelligence Research - CPS. The CVE scores are aligned with the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). Starting with the August 2023 threat intelligence updates, CVSSv3 scores are shown if they are relevant; otherwise the CVSSv2 scores are shown. Guidance Customers are recommended to update their systems with the latest TI package in order to detect potential exposure risks and vulnerabilities in their networks and on their devices. Threat Intelligence packages are updated every month with the most up-to-date security information available, ensuring that Microsoft Defender for IoT can identify malicious actors and behaviors on devices. Update your system with the latest TI package The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file), for more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft Docs. MD5 Hash: 8581e1e0d30133191885115d73b38cf9 For cloud connected sensors, Microsoft Defender for IoT can automatically update new threat intelligence packages following their release, click here for more information.Latest Threat Intelligence (February 2024)
Microsoft Defender for IoT has released the February 2024 Threat Intelligence package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file). Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. Each package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month) researched and implemented by Microsoft Threat Intelligence Research - CPS. The CVE scores are aligned with the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). Starting with the August 2023 threat intelligence updates, CVSSv3 scores are shown if they are relevant; otherwise the CVSSv2 scores are shown. Guidance Customers are recommended to update their systems with the latest TI package in order to detect potential exposure risks and vulnerabilities in their networks and on their devices. Threat Intelligence packages are updated every month with the most up-to-date security information available, ensuring that Microsoft Defender for IoT can identify malicious actors and behaviors on devices. What's new? Log4j - optimized alerts when interoperating with endpoint AV. Update your system with the latest TI package The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file), for more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft Docs. MD5 Hash: 9e66792f9c3132094054bd61fa1a0e42 For cloud connected sensors, Microsoft Defender for IoT can automatically update new threat intelligence packages following their release, click here for more information.Latest Threat Intelligence (October 2023)
Microsoft Defender for IoT has released the October 2023 Threat Intelligence package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file). Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. Each package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month) researched and implemented by Microsoft Threat Intelligence Research - CPS. The CVE scores are aligned with the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). Starting with the August 2023 threat intelligence updates, CVSSv3 scores are shown if they are relevant; otherwise the CVSSv2 scores are shown. Guidance Customers are recommended to update their systems with the latest TI package in order to detect potential exposure risks and vulnerabilities in their networks and on their devices. Threat Intelligence packages are updated every month with the most up-to-date security information available, ensuring that Microsoft Defender for IoT can identify malicious actors and behaviors on devices. Update your system with the latest TI package The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file), for more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft Docs. MD5 Hash: 75cb715ae9174fc57abac68ebebc5d48 For cloud connected sensors, Microsoft Defender for IoT can automatically update new threat intelligence packages following their release, click here for more information.Latest Threat Intelligence (March 2023)
Microsoft Defender for IoT has released the March 2023 Threat Intelligence package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file). Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. Each package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month) researched and implemented by Microsoft Defender for IoT’s security research team, Section 52. Guidance Customers are recommended to update their systems with the latest TI package in order to detect potential exposure risks and vulnerabilities in their networks and on their devices. Threat Intelligence packages are updated every month with the most up-to-date security information available, ensuring that Microsoft Defender for IoT can identify malicious actors and behaviors on devices. Update your system with the latest TI package The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file), for more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft Docs. MD5 Hash: 982bf4ffa90508ba4475c80c4d4a6bd6 For cloud connected sensors, Microsoft Defender for IoT can automatically update new threat intelligence packages following their release, click here for more information.Latest Threat Intelligence (October 2022)
Microsoft Defender for IoT has released the October 2022 Threat Intelligence package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file). Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. Each package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month) researched and implemented by Microsoft Defender for IoT’s security research team, Section 52. This Threat Intelligence update contains CVEs released during September. CVEs provide a reference method for publicly known information security vulnerabilities and exposures. Updated CVEs published over the last month are available for reference on the MITRE site, in the National Vulnerability Database site (NVD) as well as IoT/OT specific ICS-CERT. Along with the release of this TI package, provided below further guidance for affected Schneider Electric and Siemens devices which are commonly used in industrial networks. Package Updates With this release, Microsoft Defender for IoT has expanded vulnerability detection capabilities for Siemens industrial equipment including: Siemens RUGGEDCOM RST2288P Siemens RUGGECOM RST2288 Siemens SCALANCE XM-400 Siemens SIMATIC IPC3000 Smart v3 The October Threat Intelligence package contains high-severity CVEs, including CVE-2022-37300. This vulnerability could allow unauthorized users access through weak recovery mechanisms for forgotten passwords in Schneider Electric EcoStruxureTM Control Expert, EcoStruxureTM Process Expert, and Modicon M580 and M340 controller read and write modes when communicating over Modbus data protocols. CVE-2022-37300 Analysis Modbus is a standard communication protocol, which transmits signals from a wide range of devices and controls to controllers and often used to connect to a remote terminal unit (RTU) in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. An attacker abusing this vulnerability can easily recover the password of the controller granting them permissions to change settings, change software and ladder logic installed on the controller which affect device behavior, and delete files. This vulnerability can also allow an attacker to install custom firmware on the controller, conferring device control even if the password is later updated by network operators. Guidance Microsoft Defender for IoT researchers encourage you to review the implementation of the Siemens and Schneider Electric industrial devices included in the October Threat Intelligence package and to patch devices when relevant in order to reduce your attack surface. With the publication of this vulnerability Schneider Electric has issued updates to affected devices and recommended mitigations for customers who cannot update their devices. Given the nature of the vulnerability, Microsoft Defender for IoT strongly recommends immediately patching affected devices and following Schneider Electric’s published mitigations: Use strong passwords and refrain from using default credentials. Segment networks and configure firewalls to block unauthorized access to TCP port 502. Configure devices, access lists and communications according to guidelines issued by Schneider Electric. Use virtual private networks between devices. Secure files and their transfer with encryption and secure communication protocols. Only access files from trusted sources. Customers are recommended to update their systems with the latest TI package in order to detect potential exposure risks and vulnerabilities in their networks and on their devices. Threat Intelligence packages are updated every month with the most up-to-date security information available, ensuring that Microsoft Defender for IoT can identify malicious actors and behaviors on devices. If you would like more information about these CVEs or have concerns about your security posture, please do not hesitate to reach out. Update your system with the latest TI package The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file), for more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft Docs. MD5 Hash - 4126b21d3a5f2e79a350207ee40e5dca For cloud connected sensors, Microsoft Defender for IoT can automatically update new threat intelligence packages following their release, click here for more information.
Microsoft Defender for IoT -New Release (OT v22.2.4)
Microsoft is excited to announce a new software release of Microsoft Defender for IoT. To learn more, visit Azure Defender for IoT Release Notes | Microsoft Docs Download links available at Defender for IoT Management Portal - Microsoft Azure. What's New? Category Item Inventory and map Merge and Delete devices via device inventory Last seen value in the device details pane is replaced by Last activity Any user with Admin permissions will be able to delete devices via device inventory page New protocol support Honeywell Discovery Honeywell EUCN Schneider TSAA ServiceNow integration Users can now query CVEs for specific device Users can correlate alerts on Splunk with devices from the CMDB Alerts New alert columns with timestamp data - will be available on the sensor (cloud side will be available only on the next release) Learning button will be displayed by default in the alerts page About Defender for IoT Azure Defender for IoT provides agentless, network-layer security, provides security for diverse industrial equipment, and interoperates with Azure Sentinel and other SOC tools. Continuous asset discovery, vulnerability management, and threat detection for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, operational technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) can be deployed on-premises or in Azure-connected environments.Latest Threat Intelligence (May 2022)
Microsoft has released the May 2022 Threat Intelligence update package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file). Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. MD5 Hash - 542b8cffe15b91d1c9bc5f9895f1fd2a This package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month). The current release includes detection rules and IOCs implemented by Section 52 security researchers for: Pipedream/Incontroller modular attack framework and toolkit. The custom tools enable threat actors to conduct automated attacks, search for devices on networks, and disrupt operations and access. For more information, please read the following the recent alert on APT Cyber Tools Targeting ICS/SCADA Devices. BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware. BlackCat operators use previously compromised credentials to gain access to systems, deploy malicious scripts and disable security features. The ransomware has affected over 60 entities worldwide. For detailed IOCs and mitigation guidelines, please see the FBI Flash report for more information. Industroyer2 malware. The Industroyer variant is self-contained and highly customizable, allowing threat actors to adapt the malware to specific devices on OT networks. Updated CVEs (CVEs provide a reference method for publicly known information security vulnerabilities and exposures) published over the last month and are available for reference on the MITRE site, in the National Vulnerability Database site (NVD) as well as IoT/OT specific ICS-CERT. Update your system with the latest TI package: Microsoft Defender for IoT now pushes new threat intelligence packages to cloud-connected sensors upon release, click here for more information. Starting with sensor version 10.3, users can automatically receive up-to-date threat intelligence packages through Microsoft Defender for IoT. Working with automatic updates reduces operational effort and ensures greater security. Enable automatic updating on the Defender for IoT portal by onboarding your cloud-connected sensor with the toggle for Automatic Threat Intelligence Updates turned on. Additionally, the package can be downloaded from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal, under Updates: To update a package on a single sensor: Go to the Microsoft Defender for IoT Updates page. Download and save the Threat Intelligence package. Sign into the sensor console. On the side menu, select System Settings. Select Threat Intelligence Data, and then select Update. Upload the new package. To update a package on multiple sensors simultaneously: Go to the Microsoft Defender for IoT Updates page. Download and save the Threat Intelligence package. Sign into the management console. On the side menu, select System Settings. In the Sensor Engine Configuration section, select the sensors that should receive the updated packages. In the Select Threat Intelligence Data section, select the plus sign (+). Upload the package. For more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft DocsLatest Threat Intelligence (August 2025)
Microsoft Defender for IoT has released the August 2025 Threat Intelligence package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file). Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. Each package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month) researched and implemented by Microsoft Threat Intelligence Research - CPS. The CVE scores are aligned with the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). Starting with the August 2023 threat intelligence updates, CVSSv3 scores are shown if they are relevant; otherwise the CVSSv2 scores are shown. Guidance Customers are recommended to update their systems with the latest TI package in order to detect potential exposure risks and vulnerabilities in their networks and on their devices. Threat Intelligence packages are updated every month with the most up-to-date security information available, ensuring that Microsoft Defender for IoT can identify malicious actors and behaviors on devices. Update your system with the latest TI package The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file), for more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft Docs. MD5 Hash: 6d6cf3931c4e7ad160a74d4fad19a89c For cloud connected sensors, Microsoft Defender for IoT can automatically update new threat intelligence packages following their release, click here for more information.Latest Threat Intelligence (June 2025)
Microsoft Defender for IoT has released the June 2025 Threat Intelligence package. The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file). Threat Intelligence updates reflect the combined impact of proprietary research and threat intelligence carried out by Microsoft security teams. Each package contains the latest CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), IOCs (Indicators of Compromise), and other indicators applicable to IoT/ICS/OT networks (published during the past month) researched and implemented by Microsoft Threat Intelligence Research - CPS. The CVE scores are aligned with the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). Starting with the August 2023 threat intelligence updates, CVSSv3 scores are shown if they are relevant; otherwise the CVSSv2 scores are shown. Guidance Customers are recommended to update their systems with the latest TI package in order to detect potential exposure risks and vulnerabilities in their networks and on their devices. Threat Intelligence packages are updated every month with the most up-to-date security information available, ensuring that Microsoft Defender for IoT can identify malicious actors and behaviors on devices. Update your system with the latest TI package The package is available for download from the Microsoft Defender for IoT portal (click Updates, then Download file), for more information, please review Update threat intelligence data | Microsoft Docs. MD5 Hash: 06f35a3010697d7978bf89a13f6ae27e For cloud connected sensors, Microsoft Defender for IoT can automatically update new threat intelligence packages following their release, click here for more information.
