Azure security baseline for Batch

This security baseline applies guidance from the Azure Security Benchmark version 1.0 to Batch. The Azure Security Benchmark provides recommendations on how you can secure your cloud solutions on Azure. The content is grouped by the security controls defined by the Azure Security Benchmark and the related guidance applicable to Batch. Controls not applicable to Batch have been excluded.

To see how Batch completely maps to the Azure Security Benchmark, see the full Batch security baseline mapping file.

Network Security

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Network Security.

1.1: Protect Azure resources within virtual networks

Guidance: Deploy Azure Batch pool(s) within a virtual network. To allow pool compute nodes to communicate securely with other virtual machines, or with an on-premises network, you can provision the pool in a subnet of an Azure virtual network. Also, deploying your Pool within a virtual network gives you control over the network security group (NSG) used to secure the individual nodes' network interfaces (NIC), as well as the subnet. Configure the NSG to allow traffic from only trusted IP(s)/locations on the Internet.

When applicable, disable public network access by using Azure Private Link to connect to the Azure Batch account via a private endpoint. The Azure Private Link service is secured and accepts connections only from authenticated and authorized private endpoints. You can additionally limit connectivity and discoverability by disabling publicly exposed RDP/SSH endpoints for compute nodes in a Batch pool.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

1.2: Monitor and log the configuration and traffic of virtual networks, subnets, and network interfaces

Guidance: Use Azure Security Center and remediate network protection recommendations related to the virtual network/ network security group (NSG) associated with your Batch pool. Enable flow logs on the NSG being used to protect your Batch pool, and send logs into a Azure Storage Account for traffic audit. You may also send NSG flow logs to a Azure Log Analytics workspace and use Azure Traffic Analytics to provide insights into traffic flow in your Azure cloud. Some advantages of Azure Traffic Analytics are the ability to visualize network activity and identify hot spots, identify security threats, understand traffic flow patterns, and pinpoint network mis-configurations.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

1.4: Deny communications with known-malicious IP addresses

Guidance: Enable Azure DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) Standard protection on the virtual network protecting your Azure Batch pool for protection against DDoS attacks. Use Azure Security Center Integrated Threat Intelligence to deny communications with known malicious or unused Internet IP addresses.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

1.5: Record network packets

Guidance: Enable flow logs on the network security group (NSG) being used to protect your Azure Batch pool, and send logs into a Azure Storage Account for traffic audit.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

1.6: Deploy network-based intrusion detection/intrusion prevention systems (IDS/IPS)

Guidance: If required for compliance purposes, select a network virtual appliance from the Azure Marketplace that supports intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) functionality with payload inspection capabilities.

If intrusion detection and/or prevention based on payload inspection is not a requirement, Azure Firewall with threat intelligence can be used. Azure Firewall threat intelligence-based filtering can alert and deny traffic to and from known malicious IP addresses and domains. The IP addresses and domains are sourced from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence feed.

Deploy Azure Firewall with a public IP address in the same virtual network as your Azure Batch Pool nodes. Configure network address translation (NAT) rules between trusted locations on the Internet and the private IP addresses of your individual pool nodes. On the Azure Firewall, under Threat Intelligence, configure "Alert and deny" to block to alert and block traffic to/from known malicious IP addresses and domains. The IP addresses and domains are sourced from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence feed, and only highest confidence records are included.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

1.8: Minimize complexity and administrative overhead of network security rules

Guidance: Use virtual network service tags to define network access controls on network security groups or Azure Firewalls associated with your Azure Batch pool(s). You can use service tags in place of specific IP addresses when creating security rules. By specifying the service tag name (e.g., ApiManagement) in the appropriate source or destination field of a rule, you can allow or deny the traffic for the corresponding service. Microsoft manages the address prefixes encompassed by the service tag and automatically updates the service tag as addresses change.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

1.9: Maintain standard security configurations for network devices

Guidance: Define and implement standard security configurations for network resources associated with your Azure Batch pool(s) with Azure Policy. Use Azure Policy aliases in the "Microsoft.Batch" and "Microsoft.Network" namespaces to create custom policies to audit or enforce the network configuration of your Azure Batch pools.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

1.10: Document traffic configuration rules

Guidance: Use tags for network service groups (NSGs) and other resources related to network security and traffic flow that are associated with your Azure batch pools. For individual NSG rules, use the "Description" field to specify business need and/or duration (etc.) for any rules that allow traffic to/from a network.

Use any of the built-in Azure Policy definitions related to tagging, such as "Require tag and its value" to ensure that all resources are created with tags and to notify you of existing untagged resources.

You may use Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI to look-up or perform actions on resources based on their tags.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

1.11: Use automated tools to monitor network resource configurations and detect changes

Guidance: Use Azure Activity Log to monitor network resource configurations and detect changes for network resources related to your Azure Batch pools. Create alerts within Azure Monitor that will trigger when changes to critical network resources take place.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

Logging and Monitoring

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Logging and Monitoring.

2.2: Configure central security log management

Guidance: Onboard Azure Batch account to Azure Monitor to aggregate security data generated by the cluster devices. Leverage custom queries to detect and respond to threats in the environment. For Azure Batch resource-level monitoring, use the Batch APIs to monitor or query the status of your resources including jobs, tasks, nodes, and pools.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

2.3: Enable audit logging for Azure resources

Guidance: For Azure Batch account level monitoring, monitor each Batch account using features of Azure Monitor. Azure Monitor collects metrics and optionally diagnostic logs for resources scoped at the level of a Batch account, such as pools, jobs, and tasks. Collect and consume this data manually or programmatically to monitor activities in your Batch account and to diagnose issues.

For Azure Batch resource level monitoring, use the Azure Batch APIs to monitor or query the status of your resources including jobs, tasks, nodes, and pools.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

Azure Policy built-in definitions

Name
(Azure portal)		 Description Effect(s) Version
(GitHub)
Diagnostic logs in Batch accounts should be enabled Audit enabling of diagnostic logs. This enables you to recreate activity trails to use for investigation purposes; when a security incident occurs or when your network is compromised AuditIfNotExists, Disabled 3.0.0

2.4: Collect security logs from operating systems

Guidance: Azure Monitor collects metrics and diagnostic logs for resources in your Azure Batch account. Collect and consume this data in a variety of ways to monitor your Azure Batch account and diagnose issues. You can also configure metric alerts so you receive notifications when a metric reaches a specified value.

If required, you maybe connect to your individual pool nodes via Secured Shell (SSH) or Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to access local operating system logs.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

2.5: Configure security log storage retention

Guidance: Onboard Azure Batch Account to Azure Monitor. Ensure that the Azure Log Analytics workspace used has the log retention period set according to your organization's compliance regulations

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

2.6: Monitor and review logs

Guidance: Create Azure Batch metric alerts that trigger when the value of a specified metric crosses a given threshold.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

2.7: Enable alerts for anomalous activities

Guidance: Create Azure Batch metric alerts that trigger when the value of a specified metric crosses a given threshold.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

2.8: Centralize anti-malware logging

Guidance: Use Windows Defender on your individual batch nodes in the case of Windows operating systems, or provide your own anti-malware solution if you are using Linux.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

2.9: Enable DNS query logging

Guidance: Implement third-party solution for DNS logging.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

2.10: Enable command-line audit logging

Guidance: Manually configure console logging and PowerShell transcription on a per-node basis.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

Identity and Access Control

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Identity and Access Control.

3.1: Maintain an inventory of administrative accounts

Guidance: Maintain record of the local administrative account that is created during provisioning of the Azure Batch pool as well as any other accounts that you create. In addition, if Azure Active Directory integration is used, Azure AD has built-in roles that must be explicitly assigned and are therefore queryable. Use the Azure AD PowerShell module to perform adhoc queries to discover accounts that are members of administrative groups.

In addition, you may use Azure Security Center Identity and Access Management recommendations.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

3.2: Change default passwords where applicable

Guidance: When provisioning a Azure Batch pool, you are given the option to create local machine accounts. There are no default passwords to change, however you can specify different passwords for Secured Shell (SSH) and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) access. After Azure Batch Pool has been configured, you can generate a random user for individual nodes within the Azure portal, or via Azure Resource Manager API.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

3.3: Use dedicated administrative accounts

Guidance: Integrate Authentication for Azure Batch Applications with Azure Active Directory. Create policies and procedures around the use of dedicated administrative accounts.

In addition, you may use Azure Security Center Identity and Access Management recommendations.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

3.5: Use multi-factor authentication for all Azure Active Directory-based access

Guidance: Integrate Authentication for Azure Batch Applications with Azure Active Directory. Enable Azure AD multifactor authentication and follow Azure Security Center Identity and Access Management recommendations.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

3.6: Use secure, Azure-managed workstations for administrative tasks

Guidance: Use PAWs (privileged access workstations) with multifactor authentication configured to log into and configure your Azure Batch resources.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

3.7: Log and alert on suspicious activities from administrative accounts

Guidance: If you have integrated authentication for Azure Batch Applications with Azure Active Directory, use Azure Active Directory security reports for generation of logs and alerts when suspicious or unsafe activity occurs in the environment. Use Azure Security Center to monitor identity and access activity.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

3.8: Manage Azure resources from only approved locations

Guidance: If you have integrated authentication for Azure Batch Applications with Azure Active Directory, you can use Conditional Access Named Locations to allow access from only specific logical groupings of IP address ranges or countries/regions.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

3.9: Use Azure Active Directory

Guidance: Use Azure Active Directory as the central authentication and authorization system and integrate Authentication for Azure Batch Applications with Azure AD. Azure AD protects data by using strong encryption for data at rest and in transit. Azure AD also salts, hashes, and securely stores user credentials.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

3.10: Regularly review and reconcile user access

Guidance: Azure Active Directory provides logs to help discover stale accounts. In addition, you may use Azure Identity Access Reviews to efficiently manage group memberships, access to enterprise applications, and role assignments. Users' access can be reviewed on a regular basis to make sure only the right users have continued access.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

3.11: Monitor attempts to access deactivated credentials

Guidance: Create Diagnostic Settings for Azure Active Directory user accounts, sending the audit logs and sign-in logs to a Azure Log Analytics workspace. Configure desired Alerts within Azure Log Analytics workspace.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

3.12: Alert on account sign-in behavior deviation

Guidance: Use Azure Active Directory Risk Detections and Identity Protection feature to configure automated responses to detected suspicious actions related to user identities. Additionally, you can ingest data into Azure Sentinel for further investigation.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

3.13: Provide Microsoft with access to relevant customer data during support scenarios

Guidance: Not available; Customer Lockbox not yet supported for Azure Batch.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

Data Protection

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Data Protection.

4.1: Maintain an inventory of sensitive Information

Guidance: Use tags to assist in tracking Azure resources that store or process sensitive information.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

4.2: Isolate systems storing or processing sensitive information

Guidance: Implement separate subscriptions and/or management groups for development, test, and production. Azure Batch Pools should be separated by virtual network/subnet, tagged appropriately, and secured with an network security groups (NSG). Azure Batch data should be contained within a secured Azure Storage Account.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

4.3: Monitor and block unauthorized transfer of sensitive information

Guidance: For Azure Storage Accounts associated with your Azure Batch Pool(s) which contain sensitive information, mark them as sensitive using Tags and secure them with Azure best-practices.

Data identification, classification, and loss prevention features are not yet available for Azure Storage or compute resources. Implement third-party solution if required for compliance purposes.

For the underlying platform which is managed by Microsoft, Microsoft treats all customer content as sensitive and goes to great lengths to guard against customer data loss and exposure. To ensure customer data within Azure remains secure, Microsoft has implemented and maintains a suite of robust data protection controls and capabilities.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Shared

4.4: Encrypt all sensitive information in transit

Guidance: Encrypt all sensitive information in transit. Microsoft Azure resources will negotiate TLS 1.2 by default. Ensure that any clients connecting to your Azure Batch Pools or data stores (Azure Storage Accounts) are able to negotiate TLS 1.2 or greater.

Ensure HTTPS is required for accessing the Storage Account containing your Azure Batch data.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Shared

4.5: Use an active discovery tool to identify sensitive data

Guidance: For Azure Storage Accounts associated with your Azure Batch Pool(s) which contain sensitive information, mark them as sensitive using tags and secure them with Azure best-practices.

Data identification, classification, and loss prevention features are not yet available for Azure Storage or compute resources. Implement third-party solution if required for compliance purposes.

For the underlying platform which is managed by Microsoft, Microsoft treats all customer content as sensitive and goes to great lengths to guard against customer data loss and exposure. To ensure customer data within Azure remains secure, Microsoft has implemented and maintains a suite of robust data protection controls and capabilities.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Shared

4.6: Use Role-based access control to control access to resources

Guidance: Use Azure role-based access control (Azure RBAC) to control access to the management plane of Azure resources including Batch Account, Batch Pool(s), and Storage Accounts.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

4.7: Use host-based data loss prevention to enforce access control

Guidance: Data identification, classification, and loss prevention features are not yet available for Azure Storage or compute resources. Implement third-party solution if required for compliance purposes.

For the underlying platform which is managed by Microsoft, Microsoft treats all customer content as sensitive and goes to great lengths to guard against customer data loss and exposure. To ensure customer data within Azure remains secure, Microsoft has implemented and maintains a suite of robust data protection controls and capabilities.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Shared

4.8: Encrypt sensitive information at rest

Guidance: For storage accounts associated with your Azure Batch account, it is recommended to allow Microsoft to manage encryption keys, however, you have the option to manage your own keys if required.

Azure disk encryption can be used to help protect and safeguard your data to meet organizational security and compliance commitments. All managed disks, snapshots, images, and data written to existing disks are automatically encrypted-at-rest with platform-managed keys.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

4.9: Log and alert on changes to critical Azure resources

Guidance: Use Azure Monitor with the Azure Activity Log to create alerts for when changes take place to critical Azure resources related to or associated with your Azure Batch accounts/pools.

Configure Diagnostic Settings for Storage Accounts associated with Azure Batch Pool to monitor and log all CRUD operations against pool data.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

Vulnerability Management

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Vulnerability Management.

5.1: Run automated vulnerability scanning tools

Guidance: For Azure Batch Pool nodes, you are responsible for managing the vulnerability management solution.

Optionally, if you have a Rapid7, Qualys, or any other vulnerability management platform subscription, you may manually install vulnerability assessment agents on Batch pool nodes and manage nodes through the respective portal.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

5.2: Deploy automated operating system patch management solution

Guidance: Microsoft to maintain and update base Azure Batch Pool node images. Ensure Azure Batch Pool nodes' operating system remains patched for the duration of the cluster lifetime which may require enabling automatic updates, monitoring the nodes, or performing periodic reboots.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Shared

5.3: Deploy automated patch management solution for third-party software titles

Guidance: Ensure Azure Batch Pool nodes' third-party applications remain patched for the duration of the cluster lifetime which may require enabling automatic updates, monitoring the nodes, or performing periodic reboots.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

5.4: Compare back-to-back vulnerability scans

Guidance: If you have a Rapid7, Qualys, or any other vulnerability management platform subscription, you may use that vendor's portal to view and compare back-to-back vulnerability scans.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

5.5: Use a risk-rating process to prioritize the remediation of discovered vulnerabilities

Guidance: Use a common risk scoring program (e.g. Common Vulnerability Scoring System) or the default risk ratings provided by your third-party scanning tool.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

Inventory and Asset Management

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Inventory and Asset Management.

6.1: Use automated asset discovery solution

Guidance: Use Azure Resource Graph to query/discover all resources (such as compute, storage, network, etc.) within your subscription(s). Ensure that you have appropriate (read) permissions in your tenant and are able to enumerate all Azure subscriptions as well as resources within your subscriptions.

Although classic Azure resources may be discovered via Azure Resource Graph Explorer, it is highly recommended to create and use Azure Resource Manager resources going forward.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

6.2: Maintain asset metadata

Guidance: Apply tags to Azure resources giving metadata to logically organize them into a taxonomy.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

6.3: Delete unauthorized Azure resources

Guidance: Use tagging, management groups, and separate subscriptions, where appropriate, to organize and track assets. Reconcile inventory on a regular basis and ensure unauthorized resources are deleted from the subscription in a timely manner.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

6.4: Define and maintain inventory of approved Azure resources

Guidance: Define list of approved Azure resources and approved software for compute resources

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

6.5: Monitor for unapproved Azure resources

Guidance: Use Azure Policy to put restrictions on the type of resources that can be created in customer subscription(s) using the following built-in policy definitions:

  • Not allowed resource types
  • Allowed resource types

Use Azure Resource Graph to query/discover resources within your subscription(s). Ensure that all Azure resources present in the environment are approved.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

6.6: Monitor for unapproved software applications within compute resources

Guidance: For Azure Batch Pool nodes, implement a third-party solution to monitor cluster nodes for unapproved software applications.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

6.7: Remove unapproved Azure resources and software applications

Guidance: For Azure Batch Pool nodes, implement a third-party solution to monitor cluster nodes for unapproved software applications.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

6.8: Use only approved applications

Guidance: For Azure Batch Pool nodes, implement a third-party solution to prevent unauthorized software from executing.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

6.9: Use only approved Azure services

Guidance: Use Azure Policy to put restrictions on the type of resources that can be created in customer subscription(s) using the following built-in policy definitions:

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

6.10: Maintain an inventory of approved software titles

Guidance: For Azure Batch Pool nodes, implement a third-party solution to prevent unauthorized file types from executing.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

6.11: Limit users' ability to interact with Azure Resource Manager

Guidance: Use Azure Conditional Access to limit users' ability to interact with Azure Resource Manager by configuring "Block access" for the "Microsoft Azure Management" App.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

Secure Configuration

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Secure Configuration.

7.1: Establish secure configurations for all Azure resources

Guidance: Use Azure Policy aliases in the "Microsoft.Batch" namespace to create custom policies to audit or enforce the configuration of your Azure Batch accounts and pools.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

7.2: Establish secure operating system configurations

Guidance: Establish secure configurations for your Batch Pool nodes' operating system.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

7.3: Maintain secure Azure resource configurations

Guidance: Use Azure Policy [deny] and [deploy if not exist] to enforce secure settings for the Azure resources related to your Batch account and pools (such as virtual networks, subnets, Azure Firewalls, Azure Storage Accounts, etc.). You may use Azure Policy aliases from the following namespaces to create custom policies:

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

7.4: Maintain secure operating system configurations

Guidance: Azure Batch Pool Operating System Images managed and maintained by Microsoft. You are responsible for implementing OS-level state configuration.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Shared

7.5: Securely store configuration of Azure resources

Guidance: If using custom Azure Policy definitions for your Azure Batch accounts, pools, or related resources, use Azure Repos to securely store and manage your code.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

7.6: Securely store custom operating system images

Guidance: If using custom images for your Azure Batch pools, use Role-based access control (RBAC) to ensure only authorized users may access the images.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

7.7: Deploy configuration management tools for Azure resources

Guidance: Use built-in Azure Policy definitions to alert, audit, and enforce Azure Batch-related resource configurations. Use Azure Policy aliases in the "Microsoft.Batch" namespace to create custom policies for your Azure Batch accounts and pools. Additionally, develop a process and pipeline for managing policy exceptions.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

7.8: Deploy configuration management tools for operating systems

Guidance: Implement a third-party solution to maintain desired state for your Azure Batch Pool nodes' operating systems.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

7.9: Implement automated configuration monitoring for Azure resources

Guidance: Use Azure Policy aliases in the "Microsoft.Batch" namespace to create custom policies to audit or enforce the configuration of your Azure Batch instance. You may also use any built-in policies created specifically for Azure Batch or the resources used by Azure Batch, such as:

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

7.10: Implement automated configuration monitoring for operating systems

Guidance: Implement a third-party solution to monitor the state of your Azure Batch Pool nodes' operating systems.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

7.11: Manage Azure secrets securely

Guidance: Azure Key Vault may be used with Azure Batch deployments to manage keys for pool storage within Azure Storage Accounts.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

7.13: Eliminate unintended credential exposure

Guidance: Implement Credential Scanner to identify credentials within code. Credential Scanner will also encourage moving discovered credentials to more secure locations such as Azure Key Vault.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

Malware Defense

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Malware Defense.

8.1: Use centrally-managed anti-malware software

Guidance: Use Windows Defender on your individual Azure Batch pool nodes in the case of Windows operating systems, or provide your own anti-malware solution if you are using Linux.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

8.2: Pre-scan files to be uploaded to non-compute Azure resources

Guidance: Microsoft Antimalware is enabled on the underlying host that supports Azure services (for example, Azure Batch), however it does not run on customer content.

Pre-scan any files being uploaded to non-compute Azure resources, such as App Service, Data Lake Storage, Blob Storage, etc. Microsoft cannot access customer data in these instances.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Shared

8.3: Ensure anti-malware software and signatures are updated

Guidance: Use Windows Defender on your individual Azure Batch pool nodes in the case of Windows operating systems and ensure automatic update is enabled. Provide your own anti-malware solution if you are using Linux.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

Data Recovery

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Data Recovery.

9.1: Ensure regular automated back-ups

Guidance: When using an Azure Storage Account for the Azure Batch Pool data store, choose the appropriate redundancy option (LRS,ZRS, GRS, RA-GRS).

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

9.2: Perform complete system backups and backup any customer-managed keys

Guidance: When using an Azure Storage Account for the Azure Batch Pool data store, choose the appropriate redundancy option (LRS,ZRS, GRS, RA-GRS). If using Azure Key Vault for any part of your Azure Batch deployment, ensure your keys are backed up.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

9.3: Validate all backups including customer-managed keys

Guidance: If you are managing your own keys for Azure Storage Accounts or any other resource related to your Azure Batch implementation, periodically test restoration of backed up keys.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

9.4: Ensure protection of backups and customer-managed keys

Guidance: If Azure Key Vault is being used to hold any keys related to Azure Batch Pool Storage Accounts, enable Soft-Delete in Azure Key Vault to protect keys against accidental or malicious deletion.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

Incident Response

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Incident Response.

10.1: Create an incident response guide

Guidance: Ensure that there are written incident response plans that define roles of personnel as well as phases of incident handling/management.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

10.2: Create an incident scoring and prioritization procedure

Guidance: Security Center assigns a severity to alerts, to help you prioritize the order in which you attend to each alert, so that when a resource is compromised, you can get to it right away. The severity is based on how confident Security Center is in the finding or the analytic used to issue the alert as well as the confidence level that there was malicious intent behind the activity that led to the alert.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

10.3: Test security response procedures

Guidance: Conduct exercises to test your systems’ incident response capabilities on a regular cadence. Identify weak points and gaps and revise plan as needed.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Customer

10.4: Provide security incident contact details and configure alert notifications for security incidents

Guidance: Security incident contact information will be used by Microsoft to contact you if the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) discovers that the your data has been accessed by an unlawful or unauthorized party.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Yes

Responsibility: Customer

10.5: Incorporate security alerts into your incident response system

Guidance: Export your Azure Security Center alerts and recommendations using the Continuous Export feature. Continuous Export allows you to export alerts and recommendations either manually or in an ongoing, continuous fashion. You may use the Azure Security Center data connector to stream the alerts to Azure Sentinel.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

10.6: Automate the response to security alerts

Guidance: Use the Workflow Automation feature in Azure Security Center to automatically trigger responses via "Logic Apps" on security alerts and recommendations.

Azure Security Center monitoring: Currently not available

Responsibility: Customer

Penetration Tests and Red Team Exercises

For more information, see the Azure Security Benchmark: Penetration Tests and Red Team Exercises.

11.1: Conduct regular penetration testing of your Azure resources and ensure remediation of all critical security findings

Guidance: - Please follow the Microsoft Rules of Engagement to ensure your Penetration Tests are not in violation of Microsoft policies

You can find more information on Microsoft’s strategy and execution of Red Teaming and live site penetration testing against Microsoft managed cloud infrastructure, services and applications, below:

Azure Security Center monitoring: Not applicable

Responsibility: Shared

Next steps