| name | cis-azure-foundations-8.1.3.1 |
| description | Ensure that Defender for Servers is set to 'On' |
| category | cis-azure-foundations |
| version | 5.0.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["cis","azure","security","defender","servers"] |
| cis_id | 8.1.3.1 |
| cis_benchmark | CIS Microsoft Azure Foundations Benchmark v5.0.0 |
| tech_stack | ["azure"] |
| cwe_ids | [] |
| chains_with | [] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | {} |
8.1.3.1 Ensure that Defender for Servers is set to 'On' (Automated)
Description
The Defender for Servers plan in Microsoft Defender for Cloud reduces security risk by providing actionable recommendations to improve and remediate machine security posture. Defender for Servers also helps to protect machines against real-time security threats and attacks. Defender for Servers offers two paid plans: Plan 1 and Plan 2.
Rationale
Enabling Defender for Servers allows for greater defense-in-depth, with threat detection provided by the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC).
Impact
Enabling Defender for Servers in Microsoft Defender for Cloud incurs an additional cost per resource. Plan 1: Subscription only. Plan 2: Subscription and workspace.
Audit Procedure
From Azure Portal:
- Go to
Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- Under
Management, select Environment settings.
- Click on a subscription name.
- Select
Defender plans in the left pane.
- Under
Cloud Workload Protection (CWP), locate Servers in the Plan column, ensure Status is set to On.
- Repeat steps 1-5 for each subscription.
From Azure CLI:
az security pricing show -n VirtualMachines --query pricingTier
If the tenant is licensed and enabled, the output will indicate Standard.
From PowerShell:
Get-AzSecurityPricing -Name 'VirtualMachines' | Select-Object Name,PricingTier
If the tenant is licensed and enabled, the -PricingTier parameter will indicate Standard.
From Azure Policy:
- Policy ID:
4da35fc9-c9e7-4960-aec9-797fe7d9051d - Name: 'Azure Defender for servers should be enabled'
Expected Result
The pricing tier for VirtualMachines should be Standard.
Remediation
From Azure Portal:
- Go to
Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- Under
Management, select Environment settings.
- Click on a subscription name.
- Click
Defender plans in the left pane.
