If your organisation is considering using Microsoft Sentinel as your SIEM or SOAR solution, you might be wondering how it actually works. You might also be using Microsoft Sentinel already but just had a few questions.
In this article, we are going to walk you through what Microsoft Sentinel is, how it works, and how it can benefit your business.
What is Microsoft Sentinel?
Sentinel is a SIEM combined with a SOAR solution. It allows us to detect, investigate, and resolve cyber threats that might lead to data breaches and successful cyber-attacks against your organisation.
Accessible through Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Sentinel is quick to set up but does require advanced knowledge of cyber security to get the most out of the system.
By utilising advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning processes, combined with Microsoft’s cyber security research and knowledge, Sentinel can even automate the threat detection and remediation processes by using playbooks. We’ll go into more detail on this later in the article.
How does Microsoft Sentinel work?
Simply, Sentinel uses advanced, built-in artificial intelligence to assist cyber security analysts in analysing data collected across an organisation’s network infrastructure, both internally and externally. The solution has been built to do this at an incredibly fast pace, allowing cyber security teams to respond quickly to threats.
Sentinel has been designed to collate data from virtually every source that an organisation uses. This includes a huge variety of applications (mobile and web), servers, users, and devices, whether they are based on-premises or on the cloud.
The effect of being able to collate so much data from so many sources means that we are effectively able to reason over millions of records in a matter of seconds. This real-time monitoring ensures that your organisation is made aware at a moment’s notice of any suspicious activity occurring, anywhere within your network.
Sentinel also includes built-in data connectors that allow data to be fed into the system from a staggeringly numerous amount of third-party security solutions, apps, programs, and websites. By using standard formats such as CEF and Syslog, your security team can collect data from these sources and have a complete view of your network.
What are Microsoft Sentinel workbooks?
A workbook within Sentinel allows for advanced visual representations of data, trends, and anomalies. This allows analysts to easily investigate problems and identify issues within a network.
Workbooks can be used for anything from simple data presentation to complex investigation maps and advanced graphing. Sentinel provides a variety of these workbooks out of the box, but it’s also possible for teams to build their own custom workbooks.
Custom workbooks are great for fulfilling investigative requirements in specific use cases. They also allow analysts to view and represent data for specific processes that their organisation uses.
How can Microsoft Sentinel benefit my business?
Microsoft Sentinel can benefit your business in a variety of ways, especially in comparison to other SIEM and SOAR solutions. As well as offering powerful functionality that makes investigating and remediating cyber threats easier than any other solution, and offering state-of-the-art AI and machine learning integration, Sentinel also has other benefits:
- No expensive on-premises hardware is required, reducing the cost of set-up and installation dramatically.
- By combining the functionality of a SIEM and SOAR, Sentinel eliminates the need for two separate solutions, saving time, making processes more efficient, and reducing integration management requirements.
- Powerful data connectors allow you to collect and collate data from almost any source, both Microsoft and third-party.
- An easy and simple monthly cost scales seamlessly with the size of your organisation, meaning you only pay for what you use.
Are you interested in finding out more about Microsoft Sentinel and how it can protect your business? Get in touch with us today to speak to one of our cyber security experts who can demonstrate the system and answer any questions you might have.
