The Importance of Defender for Cloud

By Rod Trent, Cloud Security Advocate at Microsoft

25/04/2023

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The migration of on-premises workloads to the cloud has become an increasingly important aspect of digital transformation for organisations of all sizes. As businesses transition to cloud, they must ensure that their sensitive data and applications remain secure and protected from potential cyber threats. One of the key solutions that can help organisations achieve this is Microsoft Defender for Cloud.

Defender for Cloud is a comprehensive security management and threat protection service that helps organisations secure their on-premises workloads as they move to the cloud. Defender for Cloud is a crucial first step in securing on-premises workload migration to the cloud and it’s recommended that it be enabled on any workload that is migrated or created in Azure.

It also helps organisations maintain a strong security posture throughout the transition process, as the recommendations that Defender for Cloud provide ensures that deployments are made safely the first time. For those that are new to the cloud, Defender for Cloud over time can also be used as an education tool to bring organisations into the understanding of modern security practices, methods, and approaches.

The Role of Defender for Cloud in Securing On-Premises Workload Migration

Defender for Cloud provides a range of features and capabilities designed to help secure workloads as they’re migrated to the cloud. Some of the key functions of Defender for Cloud include:

Security Recommendations and Best Practices: Defender for Cloud helps identify and resolve potential security vulnerabilities in workloads by providing actionable security recommendations and best practices. This ensures that workloads are secure and compliant with industry standards before they are migrated to the cloud.

Continuous Security Monitoring: Defender for Cloud continuously monitors an organisation’s cloud and on-premises workloads, providing real-time visibility into their security posture. This allows for detecting and responding to potential threats quickly and effectively, minimising the risk of data breaches and other cyber-attacks.

Advanced Threat Protection: Defender for Cloud leverages advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to identify and respond to sophisticated cyber threats. This helps detect and mitigate potential threats before they can cause significant damage to their cloud and on-premises workloads.

Secure DevOps Integration: Defender for Cloud integrates with popular DevOps tools, enabling organisations to incorporate security best practices into their development and deployment processes. This ensures that workloads are secure from the start and that security vulnerabilities are addressed throughout the migration process.

Benefits of Using Defender for Cloud in On-Premises Workload Migration

Utilising Defender for Cloud in the migration of on-premises workloads to the cloud offers several benefits, including:

Improved Security Posture: Defender for Cloud provides the necessary tools and insights needed to maintain a strong security posture throughout the migration process. By identifying and addressing potential vulnerabilities and threats, organisations can ensure that their workloads remain secure as they transition to the cloud.

Simplified Compliance: Defender for Cloud helps organisations meet regulatory compliance requirements by providing comprehensive reporting capabilities and enforcing security policies across cloud and on-premises workloads. This simplifies the process of demonstrating compliance and reduces the risk of non-compliance penalties.

Cost Savings: By leveraging Defender for Cloud’s advanced threat protection capabilities, risk of costly data breaches and cyber-attacks can be minimised. In addition, the integration of security best practices into DevOps processes can help save time and resources, ultimately reducing the overall cost of migration.

Greater Visibility and Control: Defender for Cloud offers greater visibility on cloud and on-premises workloads, providing necessary insights to make informed decisions about security. This enables organisations to maintain control over their workloads and ensure that they are protected from potential threats.

Defender for Cloud plays an essential role in securing on-premises workload migration to the cloud by providing the necessary tools and insights to maintain a strong security posture throughout the transition process. By leveraging Defender for Cloud, organisations can improve their security posture, simplify compliance, save costs, and maintain greater visibility and control over their workloads as they move to the cloud.