The End of “Best of Breed” Tooling
The old notion of using a wide array of “best of breed” tools to cover all areas of security monitoring is becoming obsolete. Previously, organizations relied on as many as 81 (real life project experience) different solutions to address various aspects of security. However, the fragmented approach often led to challenges in integration, skill gaps, and inconsistent automation. With Microsoft XDR, this complexity is streamlined. By offering a more cohesive and integrated solution, Microsoft reduces the need for multiple tools, which in turn lowers the risks and overhead associated with managing a sprawling security infrastructure.
Benefits of an Integrated Solution
Microsoft’s integrated XDR solution addresses several key issues organizations have faced for years:
- Skilling: Training and maintaining expertise across dozens of tools is costly and time-consuming. An integrated solution simplifies the environment by reducing the number of platforms that security teams need to master.
- Integration: Legacy systems often struggled with compatibility and data sharing between tools. Microsoft XDR, with its built-in integration, ensures seamless communication across different security layers.
- Automation: Manual processes are prone to errors and delays. Microsoft’s approach enhances automation, reducing the need for human intervention and improving response times.
Microsoft’s Position in the Gartner Magic Quadrant
Microsoft has made substantial advancements with its XDR offerings, now positioned in the upper right quadrant of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for “All Solutions” within the XDR category. This placement reflects Microsoft’s commitment to providing comprehensive, leading-edge security solutions that are both innovative and effective.
Expanded Capabilities with Vulnerability Management
In addition to its robust detection and response capabilities, Microsoft XDR now includes vulnerability management. The feature allows organizations to proactively identify and address potential security weaknesses before they can be exploited, further enhancing the overall security posture.
Microsoft XDR and Sentinel: Tailored for Your Microsoft Tenancy and Platforms
Microsoft’s XDR and Sentinel solutions are designed to work seamlessly within their own tenancy and platforms, ensuring optimal performance and ease of use.
Free 30-Day Rolling M365 Telemetry
For those utilizing Microsoft 365, XDR offers a 30-day rolling window of telemetry data at no additional cost. This allows for continuous monitoring and historical analysis without incurring extra expenses.
Ingestion Cost Model: Collect Only What You Need
Microsoft’s cost model for log ingestion is designed to be flexible:
- Linux: Only collect necessary logs from Linux facilities, avoiding unnecessary data that can drive up costs.
- Windows: Similarly, only the essential data should be collected to keep costs manageable.
By focusing planning on ingesting only relevant data, organizations can optimize their spending while still maintaining robust security.
Review and Consider Your Endpoint Solution
If you’re using third-party endpoint solutions like CrowdStrike, it’s worth considering the benefits of an integrated solution with Microsoft XDR. Defender for Endpoint offers seamless integration, reducing the complexity and potential gaps associated with managing multiple vendors.
Getting Logs into Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel offers a centralized platform to collect logs from various sources:
- Defender for Identity, Endpoint, and Servers: Ensures identity and endpoint security are covered across your organization.
- PaaS and Diagnostics: Collects logs from Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions and diagnostic data.
- MCAS: Microsoft Cloud App Security (MCAS) can collect enterprise firewall logs, ensuring comprehensive network security.
- Network Boundary Logs: Ensures that logs from your network perimeters are also ingested into Sentinel for complete coverage.
Microsoft Sentinel and SOAR Functionality: Automating Incident Creations and Responses
One of the standout features of Microsoft’s Sentinel is its Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) functionality. This allows for automated incident creation, replacing the need for legacy log collection methods that required significant effort to consolidate and analyze data. With automated processes, incidents can be identified, prioritized, and addressed more quickly and efficiently. With Microsoft’s new solution for threat intel, Sentinel can also enrich incidents with up to date threat intel for deeper understanding of the issues at hand.
Retention and Storage Options
Microsoft offers flexible retention and storage options to suit different needs:
- Hot Storage: This option allows for quick query access without significant cost implications, making it ideal for data that needs to be frequently accessed.
- Archive Storage: Designed for long-term storage, archive data can still be queried, but at a higher cost, making it suitable for data that is accessed less frequently. Archiving is now (with Log Analytics workspace) built into the storage platform for Sentinel.
Getting Started with Microsoft XDR and Sentinel
Ready to start with Microsoft’s XDR and Sentinel? Here’s how to get going:
- Estimate Costs: Begin by assessing the potential costs associated with your specific environment and data volume.
- Set Up a Subscription: Get your subscription in place to start leveraging the full suite of tools available.
- Connect Your M365 Environment: Integrate your Microsoft 365 environment for seamless telemetry and monitoring.
- Focus on Endpoint and Identity: Especially recommend the G5/E5 licensing tiers for enhanced capabilities in endpoint and identity protection.
- Consider Multi-Tenancy: While managing multiple tenants (e.g., commercial and GCC) may not be ideal, it can be necessary for some organizations.
Moving from Another SIEM
Transitioning from another Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution to Microsoft Sentinel? Here are key considerations:
- Connecting Data Sources: Ensure all relevant data sources are connected to Sentinel for comprehensive monitoring.
- Estimating and Planning for Log Volumes: Proper planning will help manage costs and ensure the system performs optimally.
- Reporting and Log Data Access: Sentinel provides robust reporting capabilities; plan how your teams will access and use this data.
- Migrating Historical Data: Determine whether migrating historical data is necessary or if it’s more efficient to start fresh with new data.
- Re-Evaluate What You’re Collecting: Compared to solutions like Splunk, consider the value of the data you’re ingesting. Focus on what is truly necessary to avoid hidden costs associated with collecting excessive or irrelevant data.
Final Thoughts
The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve. Adopting an integrated and streamlined approach like Microsoft XDR and Sentinel is crucial for staying ahead of threats. By leveraging Microsoft’s advanced tools and capabilities, organizations can reduce complexity, enhance automation, and improve overall security posture. Whether you’re starting fresh or transitioning from another SIEM, the right strategy and planning will ensure that your security operations are both effective and cost-efficient. Embrace the future of cybersecurity with confidence, knowing that Microsoft XDR and Sentinel are designed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.