Real-time Monitoring and Response
Implementation Effort: Medium – Requires integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and configuration of Defender for Cloud policies and plans.
User Impact: Low – Actions are handled by security and IT administrators; end users are not directly affected.
Overview
Real-time monitoring and response in Microsoft Defender for Servers is a core capability of Microsoft Defender for Cloud that helps organizations detect, investigate, and respond to threats targeting their server infrastructure. It leverages integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to provide endpoint detection and response (EDR), behavioral analytics, and live response capabilities. These features enable security teams to identify suspicious activity, analyze threats, and take immediate action—such as isolating a machine or collecting forensic data—without user disruption.
Defender for Servers supports both agent-based and agentless monitoring, and works across multicloud (Azure, AWS, GCP) and on-premises environments. It uses machine learning, threat intelligence, and behavioral monitoring to detect threats in near real-time. If not deployed, organizations risk delayed detection of attacks, limited visibility into server activity, and slower incident response.
This capability aligns with the "Assume Breach" principle of Zero Trust by enabling continuous monitoring, rapid threat detection, and containment to minimize the impact of potential intrusions.