Misplacement of schema in AllowedHostPathVolumesInKubernetesClusterList Policy Parameter?
In the Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark, the policy parameter `AllowedHostPathVolumesInKubernetesClusterList` defines a `schema` object nested under metadata. Is this placement intentional, or should the schema be defined at the top level of the parameter https://github.com/Azure/azure-policy/blob/303a0000a3b9d1aed7361c69edaafd4340d37df7/built-in-policies/policySetDefinitions/Azure%20Government/Security%20Center/AzureSecurityCenter.json#L4132
Query for NZ ISM versions
What are the different between NZ_ISM_Restricted_v3_5 and nz_ism.? azure-policy/built-in-policies/policySetDefinitions/Regulatory Compliance/NZ_ISM_Restricted_v3_5.json at master · Azure/azure-policy · GitHub azure-policy/built-in-policies/policySetDefinitions/Regulatory Compliance/nz_ism.json at master · Azure/azure-policy · GitHub Also, I see the latest version of NZ ISM is 3.6. Will we have the latest update for NZ ISM?
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 SlotAnnouncing Microsoft cloud security benchmark v2 (public preview)
Overview Since its first introduction in 2019, the Azure Security Benchmark and its successor Microsoft cloud security benchmark announced in 2023, Microsoft cloud security benchmark (“the Benchmark”) has been widely used by our customers to secure their Azure environments, especially as a security bible and toolkit for Azure security implementation planning and helping the security compliance on various industry and government regulatory standards. What’s new? We’re thrilled to announce the Microsoft cloud security benchmark v2 (public preview), a new Benchmark version with the enhancement in following areas: Adding artificial intelligence security into our scope to address the threats and risks in this emerging domain. Expanding the prior simple basic control guideline to a more comprehensive, risk and threats-based control guide with more granular technical implementation examples and references details. Expanding the Azure Policy based control measurements from ~220 to ~420 to cover more new security controls and expanding the measurements on the existing controls. Expanding the control mappings to more industry regulations standards such as NIST CSF, PCI-DSS v4, ISO 27001, etc. Alignment with SFI objectives to introduce Microsoft internal security best practices to our customers. Microsoft Defender for Cloud update In addition, you will soon see the Benchmark dashboard embedded into the Microsoft Defender for Cloud with additional 200+ Azure Policy mapped to the respective controls, allowing you to monitor the Azure resources against the respective controls in the Benchmark. Value proposition recap Please also refer to How Microsoft cloud security benchmark helps you succeed in your cloud security journey if you want to understand more on the value proposition of Microsoft cloud security benchmark.Azure Policy - Configure backup on virtual machines with a given tag
I wonder if somebody could sanity check something for me with this please in case it's something I could be missing. We have this existing policy configured in a customers tenant (https://www.azadvertizer.net/azpolicyadvertizer/345fa903-145c-4fe1-8bcd-93ec2adccde8.html After creating a VM and allocating the correct tag etc. it didn't automatically have the backup policy assigned to it. With the policy assignment itself it didn't even appear as a non-compliant resource. I went through the checks to make sure it was the same region, correct tag, correct rsv and policy, which all appeared to look fine. When remediating it still wasn't pulling the resource through. When I went into the definition detail to see what could be amiss, I noticed the list of WindowServer image SKU's that were listed (image attached here https://i.stack.imgur.com/1YPpM.png. As I was sanity checking everything, I looked at the VM to see that the SKU wasn't actually in this list (2019-datacenter-smalldisk-g2). As every SKU is listed specifically it makes me think this image has just been missed off and needs adding? Rather than it getting captured by one of the SKU's listed. I can add the VM manually to the existing RSV for now but for future ref, is there a way I can raise this if my findings are indeed correct?Experience with Automanage Machine Configuration
Hi, I am experimenting with Automanage Machine Configuration and find the overall experience and documentation very poor. I am wondering if there are others who have experience with automanage and can point me towards additional documentation. I have built an example implementation which I am using as my lab setup: https://github.com/JelleBroekhuijsen/azure-automanage-example What I am experiencing is that the compliance-state reporting seems to be very inconsistent. Sometimes these sample configurations reports everything being compliant while maybe 30 minutes later the same configuration is marked as incompliant (while the VM is observably in a compliant state). Additionally, there seems to be no option to get support or report issues with the GuestConfiguration-extension (for Windows) or the GuestConfiguration PowerShell module. For instance, in my experimenting with the module I found that calling the PackageManagement DSC resource from within a configuration leads to a conflict with the embedded PackageManagement module in the windows extension. I found a workaround for this, but I have no way to report this issue.
Protecting Your Azure Key Vault: Why Azure RBAC Is Critical for Security
Introduction In today’s cloud-centric landscape, misconfigured access controls remain one of the most critical weaknesses in the cyber kill chain. When access policies are overly permissive, they create opportunities for adversaries to gain unauthorized access to sensitive secrets, keys, and certificates. These credentials can be leveraged for lateral movement, privilege escalation, and establishing persistent footholds across cloud environments. A compromised Azure Key Vault doesn’t just expose isolated assets it can act as a pivot point to breach broader Azure resources, potentially leading to widespread security incidents, data exfiltration, and regulatory compliance failures. Without granular permissioning and centralized access governance, organizations face elevated risks of supply chain compromise, ransomware propagation, and significant operational disruption. The Role of Azure Key Vault in Security Azure Key Vault plays a crucial role in securely storing and managing sensitive information, making it a prime target for attackers. Effective access control is essential to prevent unauthorized access, maintain compliance, and ensure operational efficiency. Historically, Azure Key Vault used Access Policies for managing permissions. However, Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) has emerged as the recommended and more secure approach. RBAC provides granular permissions, centralized management, and improved security, significantly reducing risks associated with misconfigurations and privilege misuse. In this blog, we’ll highlight the security risks of a misconfigured key vault, explain why RBAC is superior to legacy Access Policies and provide RBAC best practices, and how to migrate from access policies to RBAC. Security Risks of Misconfigured Azure Key Vault Access Overexposed Key Vaults create significant security vulnerabilities, including: Unauthorized access to API tokens, database credentials, and encryption keys. Compromise of dependent Azure services such as Virtual Machines, App Services, Storage Accounts, and Azure SQL databases. Privilege escalation via managed identity tokens, enabling further attacks within your environment. Indirect permission inheritance through Azure AD (AAD) group memberships, making it harder to track and control access. Nested AAD group access, which increases the risk of unintended privilege propagation and complicates auditing and governance. Consider this real-world example of the risks posed by overly permissive access policies: A global fintech company suffered a severe breach due to an overly permissive Key Vault configuration, including public network access and excessive permissions via legacy access policies. Attackers accessed sensitive Azure SQL databases, achieved lateral movement across resources, and escalated privileges using embedded tokens. The critical lesson: protect Key Vaults using strict RBAC permissions, network restrictions, and continuous security monitoring. Why Azure RBAC is Superior to Legacy Access Policies Azure RBAC enables centralized, scalable, and auditable access management. It integrates with Microsoft Entra, supports hierarchical role assignments, and works seamlessly with advanced security controls like Conditional Access and Defender for Cloud. Access Policies, on the other hand, were designed for simpler, resource-specific use cases and lack the flexibility and control required for modern cloud environments. For a deeper comparison, see Azure RBAC vs. access policies. Best Practices for Implementing Azure RBAC with Azure Key Vault To effectively secure your Key Vault, follow these RBAC best practices: Use Managed Identities: Eliminate secrets by authenticating applications through Microsoft Entra. Enforce Least Privilege: Precisely control permissions, granting each user or application only minimal required access. Centralize and Scale Role Management: Assign roles at subscription or resource group levels to reduce complexity and improve manageability. Leverage Privileged Identity Management (PIM): Implement just-in-time, temporary access for high-privilege roles. Regularly Audit Permissions: Periodically review and prune RBAC role assignments. Detailed Microsoft Entra logging enhances auditability and simplifies compliance reporting. Integrate Security Controls: Strengthen RBAC by integrating with Microsoft Entra Conditional Access, Defender for Cloud, and Azure Policy. For more on the Azure RBAC features specific to AKV, see the Azure Key Vault RBAC Guide. For a comprehensive security checklist, see Secure your Azure Key Vault. Migrating from Access Policies to RBAC To transition your Key Vault from legacy access policies to RBAC, follow these steps: Prepare: Confirm you have the necessary administrative permissions and gather an inventory of applications and users accessing the vault. Conduct inventory: Document all current access policies, including the specific permissions granted to each identity. Assign RBAC Roles: Map each identity to an appropriate RBAC role (e.g., Reader, Contributor, Administrator) based on the principle of least privilege. Enable RBAC: Switch the Key Vault to the RBAC authorization model. Validate: Test all application and user access paths to ensure nothing is inadvertently broken. Monitor: Implement monitoring and alerting to detect and respond to access issues or misconfigurations. For detailed, step-by-step instructions—including examples in CLI and PowerShell—see Migrate from access policies to RBAC. Conclusion Now is the time to modernize access control strategies. Adopting Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) not only eliminates configuration drift and overly broad permissions but also enhances operational efficiency and strengthens your defense against evolving threat landscapes. Transitioning to RBAC is a proactive step toward building a resilient and future-ready security framework for your Azure environment. Overexposed Azure Key Vaults aren’t just isolated risks — they act as breach multipliers. Treat them as Tier-0 assets, on par with domain controllers and enterprise credential stores. Protecting them requires the same level of rigor and strategic prioritization. By enforcing network segmentation, applying least-privilege access through RBAC, and integrating continuous monitoring, organizations can dramatically reduce the blast radius of a potential compromise and ensure stronger containment in the face of advanced threats. Want to learn more? Explore Microsoft's RBAC Documentation for additional details.Script or Query for Management Group Compliance Statistics
I've been trying to reproduce the Azure Portal Compliance statistics for a Management Group in a PowerShell script or Resource Graph query without much luck. What I'd like to do is reproduce the numbers like compliance percentage, number of compliant / non-compliant resources, in the portal display. And run a daily script or query to track the numbers over time. (Without doing screen shots every day.) Just to be clear, I've attached a screenshot of a compliance screen for management group TEST1. I want to automate calculation of the Overall Resource Compliance (46%, 317 out of 692), and the policies/initiatives compliance state and resource compliance percentages at the bottom of the screen. I'm only interested in the resource compliance percentages below a threshold like 90% in order to help guide our remediation efforts. I've found several scripts and resource graph queries online but none seem to address management group scope. And even the ones that produce numbers for subscription scope don't seem to match the portal numbers. Has anyone successfully reproduced the portal MG compliance numbers with a script or quiery? Or, is it possible to obtain the logic behind the portals' MG scope compliance code? Seems like we should be able to reproduce the numbers shown by the console. Thanks.
Restrict Cost Consumption by using Azure Automation, Budget and Policy
Video See the demo video by using below link Demonstration Video Automation Runbook Logic Logic which set tag value once threshold exceeds # Authenticate using Managed Identity (recommended for Automation Accounts) Connect-AzAccount -Identity # Define Subscription ID and Reset Tag $subscriptionId = (Get-AzContext).Subscription.Id $tags = @{ "cost exceeded" = "yes" } # Resetting the tag value # Update the tag Update-AzTag -ResourceId "/subscriptions/$subscriptionId" -Tag $tags -Operation Merge Write-Output "Tag 'cost exceeded' reset to 'yes' for subscription $subscriptionId" Logic which reset tag value every month # Authenticate using Managed Identity (recommended for Automation Accounts) Connect-AzAccount -Identity # Define Subscription ID and Reset Tag $subscriptionId = (Get-AzContext).Subscription.Id $tags = @{ "cost exceeded" = "no" } # Resetting the tag value # Update the tag Update-AzTag -ResourceId "/subscriptions/$subscriptionId" -Tag $tags -Operation Merge Write-Output "Tag 'cost exceeded' reset to 'no' for subscription $subscriptionId" Azure Policy Logic { "properties": { "displayName": "budget", "policyType": "Custom", "mode": "All", "metadata": { "version": "1.0.0", "createdBy": "f6bb4303-e52d-4cba-9790-01f0798164b7", "createdOn": "2025-03-13T05:08:05.8483517Z", "updatedBy": "f6bb4303-e52d-4cba-9790-01f0798164b7", "updatedOn": "2025-03-13T06:32:35.1740944Z" }, "version": "1.0.0", "parameters": {}, "policyRule": { "if": { "allOf": [ { "field": "type", "notEquals": "Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions" }, { "value": "[subscription().tags['cost exceeded']]", "equals": "yes" } ] }, "then": { "effect": "Deny" } }, "versions": [ "1.0.0" ] }, }
