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What Security Posture Management Features Are in the Free Tier of Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Find out for the AZ-500 exam if the Standard tier of Azure Security Center (now Microsoft Defender for Cloud) is required for resource security hygiene. Learn what the Free tier offers, including continuous assessment and security recommendations.
Question
The Standard tier of Azure Security Center (ASC) is required to capture data on resource security hygiene.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
Answer
B. FALSE
Explanation
The ASC Free tier also captures data by providing the continuous assessment and recommendations. An upgrade to the standard tier includes adaptive network controls, compliance dashboard, threat protection for non-Azure VMs as well.
The statement is false because the free tier of Microsoft Defender for Cloud (formerly Azure Security Center) provides the core functionality for assessing resource security hygiene. This foundational capability is a central part of Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), which is available to all Azure subscriptions at no cost.
Free Tier Capabilities
The free tier continuously assesses your Azure resources against security best practices defined in the Azure Security Benchmark. It captures data on misconfigurations and vulnerabilities, presenting this information as actionable security recommendations. It also calculates and displays your overall Secure Score, which is a direct measure of your resource security hygiene. Therefore, the fundamental task of capturing and reporting on security posture is a feature of the free tier.
Standard Tier (Enhanced Security Features) Capabilities
Upgrading to the paid plans (formerly the Standard tier) enhances these CSPM features and adds Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) capabilities. The enhancements include:
- Regulatory Compliance Dashboards: Assess compliance against standards like PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and SOC TSP.
- Threat Protection: Provides real-time threat detection and advanced protection for specific workloads like virtual machines, storage accounts, SQL databases, and containers.
- Adaptive Network Hardening and Adaptive Application Controls: Provides intelligent recommendations to harden network security group rules and whitelist safe applications.
In summary, the free tier is sufficient for the core task of capturing data on security hygiene. The paid tier is required for advanced threat protection and enhanced posture management features like regulatory compliance monitoring.
Microsoft AZ-500 certification exam assessment practice question and answer (Q&A) dump including multiple choice questions (MCQ) and objective type questions, with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the Microsoft AZ-500 exam and earn Microsoft AZ-500 certification.