Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps to generate alerts and reports to detect threats

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, formerly known as Microsoft Cloud App Security, is a cloud security solution that provides organizations with the tools to gain visibility, control over data travel, and sophisticated analytics to identify and combat cyber threats across all their Microsoft and third-party cloud services.

To effectively detect threats and generate alerts, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps needs to be correctly configured to monitor user activities and detect suspicious behavior. The configuration process involves setting up policies, which can trigger alerts, as well as configuring reports for ongoing monitoring.

Step 1: Enable Defender for Cloud Apps

To utilize Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, it must first be enabled within your Microsoft 365 environment. It is included with certain licenses, such as Microsoft 365 E5, or available as a standalone service.

Step 2: Connect Cloud Applications

Connect your cloud applications to Defender for Cloud Apps by using the App connectors feature. These connectors allow Defender for Cloud Apps to access and analyze data from your linked cloud services. You need to authorize each application to allow data acquisition.

Step 3: Configure Detection Policies

Policies in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps are rules that, when matched, will trigger alerts. These policies can be designed to detect various types of unusual activities or configurations that could indicate a security threat.

Anomaly Detection Policies

Anomaly detection policies use machine learning to detect unusual behavior within your environment. To set this up:

• Navigation: Go to Control and select Policies.
• Create Policy: Choose Anomaly detection policy.
• Configure Policy Settings: Specify the types of anomalies you want to detect, like impossible travel activity or unusual file sharing.

You can also configure predefined anomaly detection policies to fit your organization’s needs.

Activity Policies

To detect specific activities, create activity policies:

• Create Policy: Select Activity policy.
• Define Activities: Choose the activities you want to monitor, like mass downloads or multiple failed login attempts.
• Set Severity and Alerts: Determine the severity level of each activity and set up the alert configurations.

File Policies

If you’re worried about data exfiltration, use file policies:

• Create Policy: Select File policy.
• Criteria: Define criteria such as sharing permissions, file type, and ownership.
• Alert Settings: Configure alerts for when files match your specified criteria.

Step 4: Configure Alerts

For each policy, configure alert settings that define the conditions under which alerts are generated and who receives them.

• Alert Trigger Conditions: Specify the conditions that trigger the alert.
• Email Notifications: Decide whether to send notifications via email and whom to notify.
• Automation: Set up automated governance actions to take when an alert triggers such as suspend user or making a file private.

Step 5: Create Custom Reports

Defender for Cloud Apps allows the creation of custom reports to monitor the data and trends in your environment.

• Access Reports: In the Defender for Cloud Apps portal, go to Reports.
• Custom Reports: Use Create report to build a report with specific parameters including users, IP addresses, and activities.
• Schedule Reports: Optionally, schedule these reports to be generated and sent out periodically.

Step 6: Review and Investigate Alerts

As alerts are generated, it’s important to review them to determine their legitimacy.

• Alert Dashboard: Use the alerts dashboard in Defender for Cloud Apps for an overview of the generated alerts.
• Filter and Sort: Utilize filtering and sorting capabilities to prioritize the response based on severity, category, or status.
• Investigation: Dive deeper into each alert, investigate associated activities, and use integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for enhanced investigation capabilities if needed.

Conclusion

By configuring Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps to generate alerts and reports, you create a robust mechanism to detect threats and monitor cloud activities. It’s essential to revisit your detection policies regularly, as cyber threats evolve, to ensure they remain effective in protecting your environment.

Remember, a well-configured cloud app security tool is a critical component in your organization’s security posture and a key to successfully identifying and mitigating threats in real-time.

For exam “SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst”, understanding the configuration and operation of Defender for Cloud Apps is vital in preparing to handle real-world scenarios and responding to threats across cloud services.