Azure Sentinel and Microsoft Defender are both robust security solutions offered by Microsoft, but they have different purposes and features. In this post, we'll explore the key differences between each tool:

Microsoft Defender XDR (formerly Microsoft 365 Defender) is a sophisticated security solution that allows you to prevent, discover, and remediate malicious threats from one unified dashboard. This integrated solution provides comprehensive protection for all Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams. It uses AI and machine learning so you can respond to threats in real-time. Microsoft Defender also provides detailed threat intelligence.

Azure Sentinel, on the other hand, is a cloud-native Security Information Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration Automated Response (SOAR) solution. It delivers intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence across the enterprise, providing a single solution for alert detection, threat visibility, proactive hunting, and threat response. The benefit of Azure Sentinel is that it makes it easy to collect security data across your entire hybrid organization from devices, users, apps, servers, and any cloud. With the power of AI and machine learning, Sentinel ensures that real threats are identified quickly.

Here are five key distinctions between the two tools:
 

Integration:
Microsoft Defender is designed primarily to protect Microsoft 365 services and devices, while Azure Sentinel can collect and analyze security data from any source, including third-party and on-premises products

Response:
Microsoft Defender provides automated investigation and remediation capabilities for Microsoft 365 threats, while Azure Sentinel allows you to create custom playbooks and workflows for any type of incident

Functions:
Microsoft Defender is a unified platform that combines protection, detection, investigation, and response for email, collaboration, identity, device, and cloud app threats, while Azure Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM/SOAR solution that delivers intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence across the enterprise

Automation:
Microsoft Defender uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide real-time threat detection and response, while Azure Sentinel leverages Azure Logic Apps and Azure Functions to automate security tasks and orchestration

Systems Support:
Microsoft Defender supports Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android devices, as well as Microsoft 365 services, while Azure Sentinel supports any cloud or on-premises system that can send logs or events to Azure
 

Can both solutions be used together?
 

Absolutely. Microsoft Defender XDR and Azure Sentinel can be used together. Sentinel's Defender XDR incident integration allows you to stream all Microsoft Defender XDR incidents into Microsoft Sentinel and keep them synchronized between both portals. Once in Sentinel, incidents will remain synced with Microsoft Defender XDR, allowing you to take advantage of the benefits of both portals in your incident investigation. 

This integration also gives Microsoft 365 security incidents the visibility to be managed from within Azure Sentinel, as part of the primary incident queue across the entire organization¹. At the same time, it allows you to take advantage of the unique strengths and capabilities of Microsoft Defender XDR for in-depth investigations and a Microsoft 365-specific experience across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

To learn much more about the functionality of these two solutions, independently and together, please reach out to Sentia today to schedule a consultation.