Microsoft Defender for Identity

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, safeguarding your organization’s digital infrastructure is paramount. This chapter introduces a critical tool in the arsenal of defense – Microsoft Defender for Identity. As we delve into the intricate world of cybersecurity, this chapter will illuminate the core concepts and functionalities of this robust security solution.

As we journey through this chapter, we’ll unravel the secrets behind Microsoft Defender for Identity’s essential elements, such as anomaly detection, risk assessment, and identity protection. You’ll gain a complete grasp of how these tools team up to spot and tackle security issues early on. We’ll also chat about the smartest ways to set up and tweak the system, making sure it fits seamlessly into your organization’s security setup. When you reach the end of this chapter, you’ll be all set with the knowledge and tools you need...

Introducing Microsoft Defender for Identity

Microsoft Defender for Identity is a powerful cloud-based security solution that is designed to protect against advanced and targeted attacks on an organization’s on-premises Active Directory (AD) environment. The solution provides a range of features and functionalities that help detect and respond to threats in real time, providing administrators with comprehensive visibility into their network and user activity.

One of the key benefits of Microsoft Defender for Identity is its ability to provide continuous monitoring of an organization’s environment. By monitoring user activities, devices, and resources, the solution can quickly identify suspicious behavior and potential security threats. This is particularly important as the threat landscape is constantly evolving, and traditional security measures may not be sufficient to protect against sophisticated attacks.

Microsoft Defender for Identity uses advanced machine...

Technical and license requirements

Microsoft Defender for Identity is a cloud-based security solution that is designed to protect an organization’s on-premises AD environment. To deploy Microsoft Defender for Identity, several technical and licensing requirements must be met.

The technical requirements are as follows:

• Operating system: Microsoft Defender for Identity can be installed on a server running Windows Server 2016 or later.
• AD: To use Microsoft Defender for Identity, an organization must have an on-premises AD environment. The solution integrates with AD to monitor user activities, devices, and resources.
• Internet connectivity: Microsoft Defender for Identity is a cloud-based solution, which means that it requires a stable internet connection to function properly. The solution communicates with the Microsoft cloud, where it analyzes data and provides real-time threat detection. Browser compatibility requires compliance with HTML5 standards.
• Hardware...

Configuring Microsoft Defender for Identity

Configuring Microsoft Defender for Identity is a crucial step in ensuring that the solution is effectively protecting an organization’s on-premises AD environment. In this section, we will discuss the steps involved in configuring Microsoft Defender for Identity.

Important note

Before starting to configure Microsoft Defender for Identity, please use the official Microsoft Sizing Tool for Microsoft Defender for Identity. The Microsoft Sizing Tool for Microsoft Defender for Identity is a tool designed to help organizations determine the hardware and software requirements needed to deploy Microsoft Defender for Identity in their environment. The Sizing Tool helps organizations plan for the deployment of Microsoft Defender for Identity by collecting information about their AD environment, such as the number of DCs, the size of their domain, and the number of users and devices. Based on this information, the tool provides recommendations...

Summary

Throughout this chapter, we’ve taken you on a journey to uncover the multifaceted world of configuring Microsoft Defender for Identity, a vital component of an organization’s cybersecurity arsenal. With each step, you’ve had the opportunity to delve into this robust security solution, discovering how to harness its full potential for safeguarding your digital environment. This chapter serves as a comprehensive guide, equipping you with the knowledge and tools necessary to configure Microsoft Defender for Identity effectively.

After activating the service, we delved into the world of configuration settings. One of the compelling features of Microsoft Defender for Identity is its adaptability, allowing you to align its settings with your organization’s specific security policies, threat detection thresholds, and compliance requirements. The depth of this configurability provides you with the means to optimize the service’s performance, ensuring...