Plan a Lifecycle Strategy
Implementation Effort: Medium — Requires coordination between security, IT, and compliance teams to define onboarding, monitoring, and decommissioning processes.
User Impact: Low — Lifecycle planning is handled by administrators and security teams; no direct user interaction is required.
Overview
Planning a lifecycle strategy in Microsoft Defender for Storage ensures that storage security is consistently applied from resource creation through decommissioning. A well-defined lifecycle strategy helps maintain visibility, compliance, and protection across all storage accounts in Azure.
Key components of a lifecycle strategy include:
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Onboarding: Automatically enable Defender for Storage at the subscription level to ensure all new storage accounts are protected by default. Use Azure Policy to enforce consistent onboarding and prevent misconfigurations.
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Monitoring and Maintenance:
- Continuously monitor activity using Defender for Storage’s telemetry from the data and control planes.
- Enable features like malware scanning and sensitive data threat detection to enhance visibility and reduce risk.
- Regularly review resource health and coverage to ensure no storage accounts are left unprotected.
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Alert Management and Response:
- Integrate with Microsoft Sentinel or other SIEM/SOAR tools for centralized alert handling.
- Build remediation logic using Event Grid, Logic Apps, or automation runbooks to respond to threats in real time.
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Decommissioning:
- Ensure that storage accounts being retired are removed from monitoring and that any sensitive data is securely deleted or archived.
- Audit logs and alerts should be retained for compliance and forensic purposes.
Without a lifecycle strategy, organizations risk inconsistent protection, missed alerts, and compliance gaps. This planning supports the Zero Trust principle of "Assume Breach" by ensuring continuous protection and visibility throughout the resource lifecycle.