Security Program Controls/Technologies, Content

Microsoft Defender for 365 and Azure Cloud: 7 Cybersecurity Services to Know

Microsoft continues to sharpen and simplify its cybersecurity product and service branding. Indeed, the latest Microsoft Defender branding organizes services into two groups -- the first essentially defends SaaS services, while the second essentially defends IaaS and PaaS services.

According to a simplified chart published by ZDnet:

A. The Microsoft 365 Defender line will include:

  1. Microsoft 365 Defender (previously Microsoft Threat Protection)
  2. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (previously Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection)
  3. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (previously Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection)
  4. Microsoft Defender for Identity (previously Azure Advanced Threat Protection)

B. The Azure Defender line will include:

  1. Azure Defender for Servers (previously Azure Security Center Standard Edition)
  2. Azure Defender for IoT (previously Azure Security Center for IoT)
  3. Azure Defender for SQL (previously Advanced Threat Protection for SQL)

Microsoft Azure Defender for IoT: Service Details, Integrations

Microsoft also provided an update on Azure Defender for IoT, which leverages technology from the recent CyberX acquisition. Among the key details to note, the service:

  • delivers agentless security for continuously monitoring Operational Technology (OT) devices in industrial and critical infrastructure networks;
  • is available for on-premises deployments during Public Preview, with Azure-based deployment options to follow;
  • is also integrated with Azure Sentinel — a cloud-native SIEM/SOAR platform; and
  • integrates with third-party tools like Splunk, IBM QRadar, and ServiceNow.

Azure Sentinel, by the way, is expected to increasingly compete against Google Chronicle.

Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.