Microsoft Sentinel for Beginners

What is Microsoft Sentinel?

Microsoft Sentinel is a scalable, cloud-native security information and event management (SIEM) and security orchestration automated response (SOAR) solution. It helps organisations detect, investigate, and respond to security threats across the enterprise.

Key Features

Data Collection: Connects to Microsoft and third-party sources (Azure, Office 365, firewalls, etc.)
Analytics: Uses built-in and custom rules to detect threats
Investigation: Provides workbooks and investigation graphs for deep analysis
Automation: Automates responses with playbooks (using Azure Logic Apps)
Integration: Works with Microsoft Defender, Azure AD, and more

Getting Started

1. Provision Microsoft Sentinel

Go to the Azure Portal
Create or select a Log Analytics workspace
Add Microsoft Sentinel to the workspace

2. Connect Data Sources

Use built-in connectors for Azure, Microsoft 365, AWS, and more
Configure syslog or Common Event Format (CEF) for on-premises devices

3. Create Analytics Rules

Use templates or build custom rules to detect suspicious activity
Enable alert notifications

4. Investigate Incidents

Use the Investigation Graph to visualize attack paths
Drill down into logs and related entities

5. Automate Responses

Create playbooks with Azure Logic Apps to automate actions (e.g., send alerts, block users)

Best Practices

Onboard critical data sources first (Azure AD, Office 365, firewalls)
Regularly review and tune analytics rules
Use workbooks for custom dashboards and reporting
Set up role-based access control (RBAC) for security

Learning Resources

Conclusion

Microsoft Sentinel empowers security teams to detect and respond to threats faster with cloud-scale analytics and automation. Start small, connect your key data sources, and build your skills