Azure Security Center
A unified security management platform for hybrid cloud environments that helps identify and fix vulnerabilities, block malicious access, and alert users to potential attacks.
| Category | Security Posture Management |
|---|---|
| This page updated | a month ago |
| Pricing Details | Pricing varies based on the resources monitored and the level of service required. |
| Target Audience | Organizations using Azure and hybrid cloud environments. |
Azure Security Center addresses the complex security challenges of hybrid cloud environments by providing a unified security management platform. At its core, it helps identify and fix vulnerabilities, block malicious access, and alert users to potential attacks across their cloud and on-premises workloads.
The technical architecture of Azure Security Center involves the installation of agents on virtual machines, both in the cloud and on-premises, to monitor the security state of these resources. This includes identifying issues such as missing security updates, outdated antimalware, and insecure OS configurations. The platform integrates with various Azure services and leverages Microsoft's global threat intelligence, derived from sources like 18 billion Bing web pages and 400 billion emails, to detect and respond to threats quickly. It uses machine learning and behavioral analytics to recommend security policies and configure adaptive application controls, such as Just-in-Time VM Access to protect against brute force attacks.
Operationally, Azure Security Center allows for the configuration of security policies per subscription, ensuring that new or existing virtual machines adhere to defined security settings. It also provides an Investigation Path, an interactive and visual tool to explore the entities related to an attack, helping in assessing the scope and impact. However, the scalability of the solution can be limited by the cost of retention and the complexity of managing multiple subscriptions and workloads. Additionally, while the platform offers comprehensive visibility, it requires careful management to avoid unnecessary costs, particularly in multi-account setups.
From a technical standpoint, Azure Security Center supports both agent-based and agentless workload scanning, providing flexibility in security assessments. It also integrates with Azure Logic Apps to automate response playbooks against detected threats. The solution is part of a broader security ecosystem that includes Microsoft Defender for Cloud, which extends security posture management and cloud workload protection across multicloud environments, including AWS and Google Cloud.