Azure Security Services

Azure Security Services Overview

The following provides a list of security services that are deployed in Azure.

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Service Name	What It Does
Microsoft Defender for Cloud	Cloud-native security posture management and threat protection for Azure, AWS, and GCP. Helps you find and fix misconfigurations and detect threats.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint	Advanced threat protection for devices (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS). Detects and responds to attacks.
Microsoft Defender for Identity	Protects on-premises Active Directory from identity-based attacks (e.g., pass-the-hash, lateral movement).
Microsoft Defender for Office 365	Protects email and collaboration tools from phishing, malware, and business email compromise.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps	Monitors and controls cloud app usage (Shadow IT) and protects SaaS apps like Salesforce, ServiceNow, Dropbox.
Microsoft Sentinel	Cloud-native SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) and SOAR (Security Orchestration Automated Response) platform for detecting, investigating, and responding to threats.
Azure Firewall	Fully managed, scalable, stateful firewall as a service for protecting Azure Virtual Networks.
Azure DDoS Protection	Protects applications from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks by absorbing and mitigating attacks automatically.
Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF)	Protects web apps from common exploits like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and more.
Azure Key Vault	Securely store and tightly control access to secrets, encryption keys, and certificates.
Azure Active Directory (Entra ID)	Identity and access management service for managing users, groups, and device authentication securely. Supports SSO, MFA, Conditional Access, and Identity Protection.
Azure Security Center (Now part of Defender for Cloud)	Previously a standalone service to manage security across Azure, now integrated into Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Azure Policy	Enforces organization-specific rules and compliance (e.g., "All storage accounts must be encrypted").
Azure Blueprints	Package Azure resources, policies, role assignments, and resource groups into repeatable templates to enforce security and compliance.
Azure Bastion	Secure RDP/SSH to VMs directly in the Azure Portal without needing a public IP on the VM.
Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal	Manage data governance, information protection, and compliance risks across your cloud and on-premises environments.
Microsoft Entra Permissions Management	Provides visibility and control over permissions across multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP) to help enforce least privilege.
Azure Confidential Computing	Protects data while it’s in use by running applications in secure, hardware-based enclaves.
Azure Disk Encryption	Encrypts Azure Virtual Machine disks using BitLocker (Windows) or DM-Crypt (Linux).
Azure Private Link	Enables private access to Azure services over a private network, isolating traffic from the internet.
Azure Information Protection	Classifies, labels, and protects documents and emails based on sensitivity.
Microsoft Intune	Manages and secures mobile devices, apps, and PCs. Important for endpoint management and Zero Trust security.
Azure Monitor and Logs	Collects, analyzes, and acts on telemetry data from Azure resources to monitor and secure environments.
Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)	Controls who can access Azure resources and what they can do. Supports least privilege access management.
Microsoft Entra Verified ID	Provides decentralized identity verification (blockchain-backed credentials) for secure authentication and trust scenarios.

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Categories:

Area	Services Involved
Identity & Access	Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), Entra Permissions Management, Verified ID
Threat Protection	Microsoft Defender suite (for Cloud, Endpoint, Identity, Office 365, Cloud Apps)
Network Security	Azure Firewall, Azure DDoS Protection, Azure Bastion, Azure Private Link
Application & Data Protection	Azure Key Vault, Azure Disk Encryption, Azure WAF, Purview Compliance Portal, Azure Information Protection
Security Management & Monitoring	Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel, Azure Policy, Azure Monitor

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Summary:

Security Need	Key Service(s)
Secure access and identity	\Entra ID, Intune
Detect and respond to threats	Microsoft Defender family, Sentinel
Protect networks	Azure Firewall, DDoS Protection, Private Link
Protect data	Key Vault, Disk Encryption, Confidential Computing
Enforce compliance	Azure Policy, Blueprints, Microsoft Purview