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AZ-500: How Does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Use AI for Automated Security Investigations?

Which Microsoft Security Solution Provides Automated Investigation Capabilities?

Ace AZ-500 exam by learning about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s unique automated investigation and remediation (AIR) capabilities. Understand how this endpoint protection solution uses AI and machine learning to automatically investigate threats and recommend or execute response actions.

Question

Which of the following solutions features automated security investigations?

A. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
B. Security Center
C. Azure Monitor
D. Azure Sentinel

Answer

A. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Explanation

The correct answer is A. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is the only solution among the options that features comprehensive automated security investigations through its Automated Investigation and Response (AIR) capabilities.

Only Microsoft Defender for Endpoint includes an automated investigation feature.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s Automated Investigation

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint includes sophisticated AI-driven automated investigation capabilities that can autonomously analyze security alerts and incidents without human intervention. This feature is designed to reduce the workload on security operations teams while ensuring rapid response to threats.

How Automated Investigation Works

  • Trigger Mechanisms: Automated investigations are triggered by high-fidelity alerts generated by Defender for Endpoint’s detection engines, such as suspicious file executions, malicious network connections, or behavioral anomalies.
  • AI-Powered Analysis: The system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to correlate evidence, analyze attack patterns, and determine the scope of potential compromises across the organization’s endpoints.
  • Evidence Collection: The automated investigation gathers forensic evidence including file artifacts, registry changes, network connections, process execution chains, and user activities related to the incident.
  • Verdict Determination: Based on the collected evidence, the system determines whether the activity is malicious, suspicious, or benign, providing a confidence level for each finding.

Automated Response Actions

Beyond investigation, Defender for Endpoint can automatically execute remediation actions:

  • File Quarantine: Automatically isolating malicious files to prevent further damage.
  • Process Termination: Stopping suspicious processes running on affected endpoints.
  • Network Isolation: Disconnecting compromised devices from the network to prevent lateral movement.
  • Registry Remediation: Reversing malicious registry changes made by threats.

Why Other Options Don’t Feature Automated Investigation

Security Center (B): Now called Microsoft Defender for Cloud, this solution provides security posture management and threat protection for cloud workloads but does not include automated investigation capabilities. It focuses on recommendations and compliance rather than incident investigation.

Azure Monitor (C): This is a monitoring and observability platform that collects and analyzes telemetry data. While it can generate alerts based on predefined rules, it lacks the AI-driven investigation capabilities found in Defender for Endpoint.

Azure Sentinel (D): Although Microsoft Sentinel is a powerful SIEM solution with automation capabilities through playbooks, it does not have the same level of built-in automated investigation features as Defender for Endpoint. Sentinel’s automation primarily focuses on orchestrating responses rather than conducting detailed forensic investigations.

The automated investigation feature in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint represents a significant advancement in endpoint security, enabling organizations to respond to threats at machine speed while providing detailed forensic analysis that would traditionally require manual investigation by security analysts.

Microsoft Certified Azure Security Engineer Associate 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 Certified Azure Security Engineer Associate AZ-500 exam and earn Microsoft Certified Azure Security Engineer Associate AZ-500 certification.