4 ways to secure your Azure environment

As more and more organisations embrace cloud computing, security remains a top of mind as an ongoing concern. Luckily, leading platforms like Microsoft Azure offer a solid set of tools and features to help you build and manage a secure cloud environment.

To fully leverage these capabilities, it’s essential for your security team to understand and implement best practices across various aspects of your Azure environment.

In this blog, we’ll explore key strategies to help you secure your Azure infrastructure, focusing on identity management, network security, and data protection.

1. Identity Management: securing your users

Effective identity management is the first line of defense in securing your Azure environment. With Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), you can manage user identities, enforce strong authentication policies, and control access to resources.

Best Practices:

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity through additional means —like a linked mobile device or email address. Ensure that MFA is enabled for all users, particularly for accounts with privileged access.
Use role-based access control (RBAC): RBAC allows you to assign permissions to users based on their role within the organisation. Follow the principle of least privilege to minimise the risk of unauthorised access.
Implement conditional access policies: These policies limit access based on factors like user location, device state, and risk level. For example, you can restrict access to sensitive data from untrusted locations or require additional authentication when accessing critical resources.
Monitor and review access: Regularly review access logs and audit reports to detect any suspicious activity. Azure provides tools like Identity Protection and a central governance console to help you monitor your environment and nip risks in the bud.

2. Level up your Network Security

Securing your network is critical to preventing unauthorised access and ensuring the integrity of your Azure environment. Azure provides a range of network security features, including virtual networks (VNets), network security groups (NSGs), and Firewalls.

Best Practices:

Segregate your networks with VNets: With VNets you can isolate different workloads and environments —like development, testing, and production environments. Implement network segmentation to limit communication between resources and reduce your ‘attack surface’.
Deploy network security groups (NSGs): NSGs allow you to control inbound and outbound traffic more directly. Rules can be put in place to block unnecessary traffic and limit external exposure.
Use Azure Firewall: Azure Firewall provides centralised protection against network-based threats.
Implement VPNs and ExpressRoute: For secure connections between your on-premises infrastructure and Azure, use VPN gateways or ExpressRoute, which provide private and reliable connectivity.

3. Prioritise Data Protection

Azure offers comprehensive tools to help you protect your data, whether it’s at rest, in transit, or being processed.

Best Practices:

Encrypt Data at Rest: Use Azure’s service-side encryption (SSE) to encrypt data at rest automatically. For additional control, you can manage your own encryption keys using the Azure Key Vault.
Encrypt Data in Transit: Ensure that all data transmitted between your applications and Azure services is encrypted using TLS/SSL. Azure provides to encrypt your data held in services like Azure Storage.
Backup and Disaster Recovery: With Azure Backup you can regularly backup your data. And with Azure Site Recovery, you can implement a disaster recovery plan. Make sure your backups are also encrypted and stored in a secure location.

4. Employ continuous monitoring

Securing your Azure environment is an ongoing process. Continuous monitoring and threat detection are essential to identifying and mitigating potential security risks.

Best Practices:

Enable Azure Security Center: Azure Security Center provides a unified view of your security posture and offers recommendations to improve security. It integrates with Microsoft Sentinel for advanced threat detection and better response times.
Use Azure Monitor and Azure Sentinel: Azure Monitor helps you collect, analyse, and act on telemetry data from your Azure resources. Microsoft Sentinel, a cloud-native SIEM, provides intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence to detect and respond to threats across your environment.
Regular Security Assessments: Conduct regular security assessments to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security best practices.

Securing your Azure environment requires a comprehensive approach that spans identity management, network security, and data protection. But, navigating these areas can be challenging without the right knowledge.

Watch our Webinar: Securing your Cloud with Azure Services

Bespoke can help you upskill

Our instructor-led courses are designed to bridge your team’s knowledge gaps, equipping them with the skills needed to implement and maintain robust security measures in Azure. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your expertise, Bespoke provides the training you need to safeguard your cloud infrastructure.

Ready to get started and keep your cloud environment locked down tight? You can start by exploring our security courses, or get in touch with our team today to learn more.