A Comprehensive Guide to Azure Scans

Azure Scans are a powerful tool for identifying vulnerabilities in your Azure resources. They can be run on demand, or set up to run automatically on a schedule.

Azure Scans support a wide range of vulnerability assessment types, including web application vulnerabilities, network vulnerabilities, and more. This means you can get a comprehensive view of your Azure resources' security posture.

Azure Scans can be integrated with other Azure services, such as Azure DevOps and Azure Security Center, to provide a seamless security experience. This integration allows for automatic remediation of vulnerabilities and improved security posture.

Vulnerability scanning in the Azure cloud is your organization's responsibility, not Microsoft's. Microsoft secures its underlying infrastructure, but not your applications or environment.

To secure your Azure cloud environment, you need a solution that's natively built for the Azure cloud and provides essential vulnerability scanning capabilities. USM Anywhere is a purpose-built solution for the Azure cloud.

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Automated scanning of your Azure cloud environment is crucial to identify vulnerabilities on your virtual machines (VMs) and track shadow IT. Constantly scanning VMs for software and services is also essential.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a robust security solution that acts as a comprehensive monitoring system for your cloud resources, continuously scanning for potential vulnerabilities and threats. It provides actionable recommendations to improve your security.

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Vulnerability scanning is a critical task in the Azure cloud, and it's your organization's responsibility to perform it.

Microsoft secures its underlying infrastructure, but it doesn't secure your applications or scan your environment, also known as the shared responsibility model.

To secure your Azure cloud environment, you need a solution that is natively built for the Azure cloud and provides essential vulnerability scanning capabilities.

USM Anywhere, with its native Azure sensor, automatically scans your Azure environment to detect assets, assess vulnerabilities, and deliver remediation guidance.

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Automated scanning of your Azure cloud can identify vulnerabilities on your virtual machines (VMs) and track shadow IT.

Constantly scanning VMs for software and services is essential to prevent potential vulnerabilities and threats.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a robust security solution that continuously scans for potential vulnerabilities and threats in your cloud resources.

It acts as a comprehensive monitoring system, providing actionable recommendations to improve your security.

With Microsoft Defender for Cloud, you gain visibility across cloud and on-premises environments, full vulnerability and threat context, and step-by-step remediation guidance.

To get started with Azure scans, you'll need to prepare your environment. First, ensure you have an Azure subscription with Microsoft Defender for Cloud turned on. This is a crucial step, as it will allow you to leverage the security features of Azure.

You'll also need an Azure DevOps account and project with some code in a repository. This is where the magic happens, and you'll be able to set up your pipeline.

In addition to these prerequisites, you'll need the right permissions. Specifically, you'll need to be a Contributor or Owner to proceed. Don't worry if you're not sure what this means – just make sure you have the necessary access.

To complete the setup, you'll need a Microsoft Defender for Cloud plan that covers your resources. Fortunately, there's a free trial available, so you can test the waters before committing.

Another important component is a Log Analytics Workspace. If you don't know how to create one, don't worry – Microsoft Learn has a tutorial that can guide you through the process.

Finally, you'll need a way for Azure DevOps to talk to Azure. This can be achieved using a Service Principal or a Managed Identity.

Azure scans can incur charges due to on-demand scans, which access data during a scan.

Data transfer pricing is $0.01 per GB.

Azure read charges via GET requests are $0.01 per 25,000 API calls.

You can restrict scans to skip larger files to avoid some costs.

Here's a breakdown of the costs:

When choosing a scan option, you need to consider the configuration that best fits your needs. There are two main configurations to consider: Express and Classic.

The Express configuration is the default procedure, which allows you to configure vulnerability assessment without relying on external storage for baseline and scan result data. This makes it a convenient option for many users.

The Classic configuration, on the other hand, is the legacy procedure that requires you to manage an Azure storage account to store baseline and scan result data. This option is still available for those who need more control over their data storage.

Here's a quick comparison of the two configurations:

Ultimately, the choice between Express and Classic will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

If you need to scan your Azure cloud environment on demand, you can create an On-Demand scan. This type of scan allows you to select specific subscriptions to scan, and you can choose to scan all subscriptions or specific ones.

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You can select the subscriptions to scan on the Configure Scan page. If you choose to scan all subscriptions, new subscriptions will be picked up automatically when they are added. However, if you choose specific subscriptions, you'll need to add new subscriptions manually to the scan.

To create an On-Demand scan, go to Policy > On-Demand Scan, click Actions > Create a Scan, and follow the Scan Creation Wizard. You'll need to choose the scan type, enter the scan name and description, and select the Azure instance to scan.

Here's a summary of the On-Demand scan configuration options:

Once you've configured the On-Demand scan, you can schedule it to run at a specific time or on a recurring basis. After the scan is completed, you can view the results or rerun the scan anytime on the Policy > On-Demand Scan page.

Azure On-Demand Charges are incurred due to Skyhigh CASB's on-demand scans, which access data. This results in minimal API charges and data transfer charges.

These costs include data transfer pricing of $0.01 per GB. Azure read charges via GET requests are also incurred at $0.01 per 25,000 API calls.

You can check the details of these charges on the Azure website. Restricting scans to skip larger files can help avoid some costs.