Microsoft Sentinel

Microsoft Sentinel addresses the complex challenge of managing and analyzing vast amounts of security-related data across diverse enterprise environments. This cloud-native SIEM solution leverages AI to aggregate and analyze data from various sources, including users, applications, servers, and devices, whether they are on-premises or in any cloud.

Technically, Microsoft Sentinel's architecture relies on Azure Monitor Log Analytics for data ingestion and storage. It uses built-in connectors to simplify the onboarding of popular security solutions, supporting open standard formats like CEF and Syslog. The platform integrates with other Azure services such as Azure Security Center and Azure Machine Learning, enhancing its threat detection and response capabilities. It also supports custom collectors through REST API and advanced queries, allowing for tailored detections and machine learning models.

Operationally, Microsoft Sentinel is billed based on the volume of data analyzed and stored, with options for pre-purchasing Commit Units to achieve cost predictability and discounts. The solution scales elastically to meet security needs, reducing the need for traditional infrastructure setup and maintenance. However, costs can escalate with large data volumes, particularly in multi-account setups, and query performance may degrade at scale.

Key technical details include the ability to reason over millions of records in a few seconds, thanks to its AI-driven analytics. Microsoft Sentinel also provides comprehensive security and compliance features, backed by significant investments in cybersecurity research and development, and supported by a large team of security experts. The platform's extensible architecture allows integration with various enterprise tools, including ServiceNow, and supports custom insights and threat intelligence.