Tech Accelerator: Azure security and AI adoption
Plan, build, manage and optimize your Azure deployments and AI projects with a security-first mindset. Learn how Microsoft protects its platform and get in-depth technical guidance from Microsoft experts about how you can use various products and tools to identify security risks in your Azure environments, protect your infrastructure from security threats, secure your AI workloads, and more! April 22, 2025 - now on demand Q&A will remain open for all sessions through Friday, April 25! Security: An essential part of your Azure and AI journey Secure by design: Azure datacenter and hardware security AMA: Azure platform security Enhancing security for cloud migration How to secure your AI environment How to design and build secure AI projects Safeguard AI applications with Microsoft Defender for CloudThis was my preparation for the exam Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100)!
Dear Microsoft 365 Security and Azure Security Friends, When I first read about this certification I was immediately excited! But at the same time I had a lot of respect, because it is an expert certification. I quickly started collecting information. The first thing I learned was that it takes a so-called prerequisite exam to become a Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert certification. The following prerequisite exams are available (only one of these exams must be passed): Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate (SC-200) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/security-operations-analyst/ Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/identity-and-access-administrator/ Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/azure-security-engineer/ Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate (MS-500) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/m365-security-administrator/ I have taken all these prerequisite exams. The two exams AZ-500 and MS-500 helped me the most in preparing for the SC-100 (this is certainly not the case for everyone). In this SC-100 exam you will be quizzed on topics in Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft 365 Defender for Cloud Apps (and all other Defender products), Azure Policy, Azure landing zone, etc. This spectrum is huge, please take enough time to "explore" these "portals" deeply. You don't have to have the technical knowledge down to the last detail. No not at all, in this exam it is important to use all the features and products with the right strategy. This was among other things my way to success! Now to my preparations for the exam: 1. First of all, I looked at the Exam Topics to get a first impression of the scope of topics. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/cybersecurity-architect-expert/ Please take a close look at the skills assessed: https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RWVbXN 2. So that I can prepare for an exam I need an Azure test environment (this is indispensable for me). You can sign up for a free trial here. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/ Next, I set up a Microsoft 365 test environment. You can sign up for a free trial here. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-products I chose the "Microsoft 365 Business Premium" plan for my testing. I have also registered several free trials to test the various Defender products. 3. Now it goes to the Microsoft Learn content. These learn paths (as you can see below, all 4) I have worked through completely and "mapped"/reconfigured as much as possible in my test environment. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/sc-100-design-zero-trust-strategy-architecture/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/sc-100-evaluate-governance-risk-compliance/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/sc-100-design-security-for-infrastructure/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/sc-100-design-strategy-for-data-applications/ 4. Register for the exam early. This creates some pressure and you stay motivated. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/cybersecurity-architect-expert/ 5. Please also watch the video of John Savill, it is very helpful! https://youtu.be/2Qu5gQjNQh4 6. The Exam Ref for the SC-200 exam was also very supportive. https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/store/exam-ref-sc-200-microsoft-security-operations-analyst-9780137666720 7. Further I have summarized various links that have also helped me a lot. Sorted by Functional Group. Design a Zero Trust strategy and architecture: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/cybersecurity-reference-architecture/mcra https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/secure/security-governance https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/monitor-audit https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/security-control-logging-monitoring https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/log-audit https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/design-network-connectivity https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/design-network-segmentation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/zero-trust/deploy/infrastructure https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/zero-trust/integrate/infrastructure https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/strategy/define-security-strategy https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/secure/business-resilience https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/strategy/technical-considerations/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/organize/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/operational-checklist https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/defender-for-cloud/#features https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sentinel/overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/workflow-automation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/compass/incident-response-overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/compass/incident-response-planning https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/compass/incident-response-process https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/secure/security-operations https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/compass/security-operations https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/azure-setup-guide/organize-resources https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/azure-setup-guide/manage-access https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/landing-zone/design-area/identity-access https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/identity-management-best-practices https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/external-identities/external-identities-overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/concept-authentication-methods https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/education/deploy/design-credential-authentication-strategies https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/hybrid/choose-ad-authn https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/design-identity-authentication https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/design-identity-authorization https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/conditional-access/overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/conditional-access/plan-conditional-access https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/security/conditional-access-zero-trust https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/roles/best-practices https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/governance/entitlement-management-delegate https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/roles/groups-concept https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/privileged-identity-management/pim-configure https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/compass/identity https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/governance/entitlement-management-overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/governance/entitlement-management-delegate https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-identity-manager/pam/privileged-identity-management-for-active-directory-domain-services https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-identity-manager/pam/principles-of-operation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/roles/security-planning Evaluate Governance Risk Compliance (GRC) technical strategies and security operations strategies: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/govern/policy-compliance/regulatory-compliance https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/technical-capabilities https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/compass/governance https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/regulatory-compliance-dashboard https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/compliance-manager?view=o365-worldwide https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/compliance-score-calculation?view=o365-worldwide https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/secure-score-security-controls https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/tutorials/create-and-manage https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/global-infrastructure/data-residency/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/achieving-compliant-data-residency-and-security-with-azure/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/trusted-cloud/privacy/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/10-recommendations-for-cloud-privacy-and-security-with-ponemon-research/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/introduction https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/update-regulatory-compliance-packages https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/regulatory-compliance-dashboard https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/secure-score-access-and-track https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/enhanced-security-features-overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/design-governance-landing-zone https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/considerations/landing-zone-security https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/landing-zone/design-area/security https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/office-365-security/office-365-ti?view=o365-worldwide https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/insider-risk-management?view=o365-worldwide https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/reduce-risk-across-your-environments-with-the-latest-threat-and/ba-p/2902691 Design security for infrastructure: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/windows-security-configuration-framework/windows-security-baselines https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/security/security-and-assurance https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/minimum-requirements?view=o365-worldwide https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/protect/security-baselines https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/plan/security-best-practices/best-practices-for-securing-active-directory https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory-domain-services/secure-your-domain https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/general/about-keys-secrets-certificates https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/management https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/cloud-services-security-baseline https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/iot/security/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/security-overview?view=azuresql https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/security-best-practice?view=azuresql https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/sql-database-security-baseline https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/database-security?tabs=sql-api https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/synapse-analytics-security-baseline https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/overview-security https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/security-recommendations https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/app-service-security-baseline https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/storage-security-baseline https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/container-instances-security-baseline https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/container-registry-security-baseline https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/aks-security-baseline https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/concepts-security https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/operator-best-practices-cluster-security?tabs=azure-cli https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/services/compute/azure-kubernetes-service/azure-kubernetes-service Design a strategy for data and applications: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-mitigations https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/design-threat-model https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/compliance/assurance/assurance-security-development-and-operation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/secure-design https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/defender-for-app-service-introduction https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/resilience https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/security-controls-v3-governance-strategy https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/scenarios/securing-data-solutions https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/design-storage https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/security-controls-v3-data-protection https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/encryption-overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/data-encryption-best-practices https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/encryption-atrest https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/security/design-storage-encryption 8. You can find a list of all the links here: https://github.com/tomwechsler/Microsoft_Cloud_Security/blob/main/SC-100/Links.md I know you've probably read and heard this many times: read the exam questions slowly and accurately. Well, that was the key to success for me. It's the details that make the difference between success and failure. Let me give you an example at this point. You want to make a business app available. The authentication should be done by each person with his own LinkedIn account. Which variant of Azure Active Directory do you use for this? At this point you should know the different types of Azure Active Directory. One final tip: When you have learned something new, try to explain what you have learned to another person (whether or not they know your subject). If you can explain it in your own words, you understand the subject. That is exactly how I do it, except that I do not explain it to another person, but record a video for YouTube! I hope this information helps you and that you successfully pass the exam. I wish you success! Kind regards, Tom Wechsler P.S. All scripts (#PowerShell, Azure CLI, #Terraform, #ARM) that I use can be found on github! https://github.com/tomwechslerDefending the cloud: Azure neutralized a record-breaking 15 Tbps DDoS attack
On October 24, 2025, Azure DDOS Protection automatically detected and mitigated a multi-vector DDoS attack measuring 15.72 Tbps and nearly 3.64 billion packets per second (pps). This was the largest DDoS attack ever observed in the cloud and it targeted a single endpoint in Australia. By utilizing Azure’s globally distributed DDoS Protection infrastructure and continuous detection capabilities, mitigation measures were initiated. Malicious traffic was effectively filtered and redirected, maintaining uninterrupted service availability for customer workloads. The attack originated from Aisuru botnet. Aisuru is a Turbo Mirai-class IoT botnet that frequently causes record-breaking DDoS attacks by exploiting compromised home routers and cameras, mainly in residential ISPs in the United States and other countries. The attack involved extremely high-rate UDP floods targeting a specific public IP address, launched from over 500,000 source IPs across various regions. These sudden UDP bursts had minimal source spoofing and used random source ports, which helped simplify traceback and facilitated provider enforcement. Attackers are scaling with the internet itself. As fiber-to-the-home speeds rise and IoT devices get more powerful, the baseline for attack size keeps climbing. As we approach the upcoming holiday season, it is essential to confirm that all internet-facing applications and workloads are adequately protected against DDOS attacks. Additionally, do not wait for an actual attack to assess your defensive capabilities or operational readiness—conduct regular simulations to identify and address potential issues proactively. Learn more about Azure DDOS Protection at Azure DDoS Protection Overview | Microsoft LearnBuilding Azure Right: A Practical Checklist for Infrastructure Landing Zones
When the Gaps Start Showing A few months ago, we walked into a high-priority Azure environment review for a customer dealing with inconsistent deployments and rising costs. After a few discovery sessions, the root cause became clear: while they had resources running, there was no consistent foundation behind them. No standard tagging. No security baseline. No network segmentation strategy. In short—no structured Landing Zone. That situation isn't uncommon. Many organizations sprint into Azure workloads without first planning the right groundwork. That’s why having a clear, structured implementation checklist for your Landing Zone is so essential. What This Checklist Will Help You Do This implementation checklist isn’t just a formality. It’s meant to help teams: Align cloud implementation with business goals Avoid compliance and security oversights Improve visibility, governance, and operational readiness Build a scalable and secure foundation for workloads Let’s break it down, step by step. 🎯 Define Business Priorities Before Touching the Portal Before provisioning anything, work with stakeholders to understand: What outcomes matter most – Scalability? Faster go-to-market? Cost optimization? What constraints exist – Regulatory standards, data sovereignty, security controls What must not break – Legacy integrations, authentication flows, SLAs This helps prioritize cloud decisions based on value rather than assumption. 🔍 Get a Clear Picture of the Current Environment Your approach will differ depending on whether it’s a: Greenfield setup (fresh, no legacy baggage) Brownfield deployment (existing workloads to assess and uplift) For brownfield, audit gaps in areas like scalability, identity, and compliance before any new provisioning. 📜 Lock Down Governance Early Set standards from day one: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Granular, least-privilege access Resource Tagging: Consistent metadata for tracking, automation, and cost management Security Baselines: Predefined policies aligned with your compliance model (NIST, CIS, etc.) This ensures everything downstream is both discoverable and manageable. 🧭 Design a Network That Supports Security and Scale Network configuration should not be an afterthought: Define NSG Rules and enforce segmentation Use Routing Rules to control flow between tiers Consider Private Endpoints to keep services off the public internet This stage sets your network up to scale securely and avoid rework later. 🧰 Choose a Deployment Approach That Fits Your Team You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Choose from: Predefined ARM/Bicep templates Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using tools like Terraform Custom Provisioning for unique enterprise requirements Standardizing this step makes every future deployment faster, safer, and reviewable. 🔐 Set Up Identity and Access Controls the Right Way No shared accounts. No “Owner” access to everyone. Use: Azure Active Directory (AAD) for identity management RBAC to ensure users only have access to what they need, where they need it This is a critical security layer—set it up with intent. 📈 Bake in Monitoring and Diagnostics from Day One Cloud environments must be observable. Implement: Log Analytics Workspace (LAW) to centralize logs Diagnostic Settings to capture platform-level signals Application Insights to monitor app health and performance These tools reduce time to resolution and help enforce SLAs. 🛡️ Review and Close on Security Posture Before allowing workloads to go live, conduct a security baseline check: Enable data encryption at rest and in transit Review and apply Azure Security Center recommendations Ensure ACC (Azure Confidential Computing) compliance if applicable Security is not a phase. It’s baked in throughout—but reviewed intentionally before go-live. 🚦 Validate Before You Launch Never skip a readiness review: Deploy in a test environment to validate templates and policies Get sign-off from architecture, security, and compliance stakeholders Track checklist completion before promoting anything to production This keeps surprises out of your production pipeline. In Closing: It’s Not Just a Checklist, It’s Your Blueprint When implemented well, this checklist becomes much more than a to-do list. It’s a blueprint for scalable, secure, and standardized cloud adoption. It helps teams stay on the same page, reduces firefighting, and accelerates real business value from Azure. Whether you're managing a new enterprise rollout or stabilizing an existing environment, this checklist keeps your foundation strong. Tags - Infrastructure Landing Zone Governance and Security Best Practices for Azure Infrastructure Landing Zones Automating Azure Landing Zone Setup with IaC Templates Checklist to Validate Azure Readiness Before Production Rollout Monitoring, Access Control, and Network Planning in Azure Landing Zones Azure Readiness Checklist for ProductionAzure Government - Security Fires and CMMC Compliance
Why Azure Government for CMMC? CMMC audits are coming in 2020 for the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and many contractors are needing a single environment to house corporate data and CUI. Azure Government can be the ideal environment to host backups (a CMMC requirement in the RE domain), run operational workloads like contracts and accounting systems, and house more sensitive engineering data. Cloud Infrastructure Housed in US-only and Government-only Data Centers DISA Impact Level 5 Provisional Authorization Supports US export-controlled data: #CUI, ITAR, and moreMicrosoft Azure Cloud HSM is now generally available
Microsoft Azure Cloud HSM is now generally available. Azure Cloud HSM is a highly available, FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validated single-tenant hardware security module (HSM) service designed to meet the highest security and compliance standards. With full administrative control over their HSM, customers can securely manage cryptographic keys and perform cryptographic operations within their own dedicated Cloud HSM cluster. In today’s digital landscape, organizations face an unprecedented volume of cyber threats, data breaches, and regulatory pressures. At the heart of securing sensitive information lies a robust key management and encryption strategy, which ensures that data remains confidential, tamper-proof, and accessible only to authorized users. However, encryption alone is not enough. How cryptographic keys are managed determines the true strength of security. Every interaction in the digital world from processing financial transactions, securing applications like PKI, database encryption, document signing to securing cloud workloads and authenticating users relies on cryptographic keys. A poorly managed key is a security risk waiting to happen. Without a clear key management strategy, organizations face challenges such as data exposure, regulatory non-compliance and operational complexity. An HSM is a cornerstone of a strong key management strategy, providing physical and logical security to safeguard cryptographic keys. HSMs are purpose-built devices designed to generate, store, and manage encryption keys in a tamper-resistant environment, ensuring that even in the event of a data breach, protected data remains unreadable. As cyber threats evolve, organizations must take a proactive approach to securing data with enterprise-grade encryption and key management solutions. Microsoft Azure Cloud HSM empowers businesses to meet these challenges head-on, ensuring that security, compliance, and trust remain non-negotiable priorities in the digital age. Key Features of Azure Cloud HSM Azure Cloud HSM ensures high availability and redundancy by automatically clustering multiple HSMs and synchronizing cryptographic data across three instances, eliminating the need for complex configurations. It optimizes performance through load balancing of cryptographic operations, reducing latency. Periodic backups enhance security by safeguarding cryptographic assets and enabling seamless recovery. Designed to meet FIPS 140-3 Level 3, it provides robust security for enterprise applications. Ideal use cases for Azure Cloud HSM Azure Cloud HSM is ideal for organizations migrating security-sensitive applications from on-premises to Azure Virtual Machines or transitioning from Azure Dedicated HSM or AWS Cloud HSM to a fully managed Azure-native solution. It supports applications requiring PKCS#11, OpenSSL, and JCE for seamless cryptographic integration and enables running shrink-wrapped software like Apache/Nginx SSL Offload, Microsoft SQL Server/Oracle TDE, and ADCS on Azure VMs. Additionally, it supports tools and applications that require document and code signing. Get started with Azure Cloud HSM Ready to deploy Azure Cloud HSM? Learn more and start building today: Get Started Deploying Azure Cloud HSM Customers can download the Azure Cloud HSM SDK and Client Tools from GitHub: Microsoft Azure Cloud HSM SDK Stay tuned for further updates as we continue to enhance Microsoft Azure Cloud HSM to support your most demanding security and compliance needs.
Enterprise Strategy for Secure Agentic AI: From Compliance to Implementation
Imagine an AI system that doesn’t just answer questions but takes action querying your databases, updating records, triggering workflows, even processing refunds without human intervention. That’s Agentic AI and it’s here. But with great power comes great responsibility. This autonomy introduces new attack surfaces and regulatory obligations. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server the gateway between your AI agent and critical systems becomes your Tier-0 control point. If it fails, the blast radius is enormous. This is the story of how enterprises can secure Agentic AI, stay compliant and implement Zero Trust architectures using Azure AI Foundry. Think of it as a roadmap a journey with three milestones - Milestone 1: Securing the Foundation Our journey starts with understanding the paradigm shift. Traditional AI with RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) is like a librarian: It retrieves pre-indexed data. It summarizes information. It never changes the books or places orders. Security here is simple: protect the index, validate queries, prevent data leaks. But Agentic AI? It’s a staffer with system access. It can: Execute tools and business logic autonomously. Chain operations: read → analyze → write → notify. Modify data and trigger workflows. Bottom line: RAG is a “smart librarian.” Agentic AI is a “staffer with system access.” Treat the security model accordingly. And that means new risks: unauthorized access, privilege escalation, financial impact, data corruption. So what’s the defense? Ten critical security controls your first line of protection: Here’s what a production‑grade, Zero Trust MCP gateway needs. Its intentionally simplified in the demo (e.g., no auth) to highlight where you must harden in production. (https://github.com/davisanc/ai-foundry-mcp-gateway) Authentication Demo: None Prod: Microsoft Entra ID, JWT validation, Managed Identity, automatic credential rotation Authorization & RBAC Demo: None Prod: Tool‑level RBAC via Entra; least privilege; explicit allow‑lists per agent/capability Input Validation Demo: Basic (ext whitelist, 10MB, filename sanitize) Prod: JSON Schema validation, injection guards (SQL/command), business‑rule checks Rate Limiting Demo: None Prod: Multi‑tier (per‑agent, per‑tool, global), adaptive throttling, backoff Audit Logging Demo: Console → App Service logs Prod: Structured logs w/ correlation IDs, compliance metadata, PII redaction Session Management Demo: In‑memory UUID sessions Prod: Encrypted distributed storage (Redis/Cosmos DB), tenant isolation, expirations File Upload Security Demo: Ext whitelist, size limits, memory‑only Prod: 7‑layer defense (validate, MIME, malware scanning via Defender for Storage), encryption at rest, signed URLs Network Security Demo: Public App Service + HTTPS Prod: Private Endpoints, VNet integration, NSGs, Azure Firewall no public exposure Secrets Management Demo: App Service env vars (not in code) Prod: Azure Key Vault + Managed Identity, rotation, access audit Observability & Threat Detection (5‑Layer Stack) Layer 1: Application Insights (requests, dependencies, custom security events) Layer 2: Azure AI Content Safety (harmful content, jailbreaks) Layer 3: Microsoft Defender for AI (prompt injection incl. ASCII smuggling, credential theft, anomalous tool usage) Layer 4: Microsoft Purview for AI (PII/PHI classification, DLP on outputs, lineage, policy) Layer 5: Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM correlation, custom rules, automated response) Note: Azure AI Content Safety is built into Azure AI Foundry for real‑time filtering on both prompts and completions. Picture this as an airport security model: multiple checkpoints, each catching what the previous missed. That’s defense-in-depth. Zero Trust in Practice ~ A Day in the Life of a Prompt Every agent request passes through 8 sequential checkpoints, mapped to MITRE ATLAS tactics/mitigations (e.g., AML.M0011 Input Validation, AML.M0004 Output Filtering, AML.M0015 Adversarial Input Detection). The design goal is defense‑in‑depth: multiple independent controls, different detection signals, and layered failure modes. Checkpoints 1‑7: Enforcement (deny/contain before business systems) Checkpoint 8: Monitoring (detect/respond, hunt, learn, harden) AML.M0009 – Control Access to ML Models AML.M0011 – Validate ML Model Inputs AML.M0000 – Limit ML Model Availability AML.M0014 – ML Artifact Logging AML.M0004 – Output Filtering AML.M0015 – Adversarial Input Detection If one control slips, the others still stand. Resilience is the product of layers. Milestone 2: Navigating Compliance Next stop: regulatory readiness. The EU AI Act is the world’s first comprehensive AI law. If your AI system operates in or impacts the EU market, compliance isn’t optional, it’s mandatory. Agentic AI often falls under high-risk classification. That means: Risk management systems. Technical documentation. Logging and traceability. Transparency and human oversight. Fail to comply? Fines up to €30M or 6% of global turnover. Azure helps you meet these obligations: Entra ID for identity and RBAC. Purview for data classification and DLP. Defender for AI for prompt injection detection. Content Safety for harmful content filtering. Sentinel for SIEM correlation and incident response. And this isn’t just about today. Future regulations are coming US AI Executive Orders, UK AI Roadmap, ISO/IEC 42001 standards. The trend is clear: transparency, explainability, and continuous monitoring will be universal. Milestone 3: Implementation Deep-Dive Now, the hands-on part. How do you build this strategy into reality? Step 1: Entra ID Authentication Register your MCP app in Entra ID. Configure OAuth2 and JWT validation. Enable Managed Identity for downstream resources. Step 2: Apply the 10 Controls RBAC: Tool-level access checks. Validation: JSON schema + injection prevention. Rate Limiting: Express middleware or Azure API Management. Audit Logging: Structured logs with correlation IDs. Session Mgmt: Redis with encryption. File Security: MIME checks + Defender for Storage. Network: Private Endpoints + VNet. Secrets: Azure Key Vault. Observability: App Insights + Defender for AI + Purview + Sentinel. Step 3: Secure CI/CD Pipelines Embed compliance checks in Azure DevOps: Pre-build: Secret scanning. Build: RBAC & validation tests. Deploy: Managed Identity for service connections. Post-deploy: Compliance scans via Azure Policy. Step 4: Build the 5-Layer Observability Stack App Insights → Telemetry. Content Safety → Harmful content detection. Defender for AI → Prompt injection monitoring. Purview → PII/PHI classification and lineage. Sentinel → SIEM correlation and automated response. The Destination: A Secure, Compliant Future By now, you’ve seen the full roadmap: Secure the foundation with Zero Trust and layered controls. Navigate compliance with EU AI Act and prepare for global regulations. Implement the strategy using Azure-native tools and CI/CD best practices. Because in the world of Agentic AI, security isn’t optional, compliance isn’t negotiable, and observability is your lifeline. Resources https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ai-foundry/what-is-azure-ai-foundry https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/ai-threat-protection https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/ai-microsoft-purview https://atlas.mitre.org/ https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/european-approach-artificial-intelligence https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-security-blog/microsoft-sentinel-mcp-server---generally-available-with-exciting-new-capabiliti/4470125
