AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies Exam

Implement and manage Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management for Azure virtual machines

Configure and Validate Continuous Vulnerability Assessments

Continuous vulnerability assessments are essential for keeping Azure VMs secure and up to date. By using Microsoft Defender for Cloud, teams can proactively scan for weaknesses and track security posture. These assessments run on a schedule to ensure that new vulnerabilities are detected as they appear. Regular scanning helps maintain a hardened environment by catching issues before they can be exploited.

To onboard Azure virtual machines to Defender Vulnerability Management, you must deploy the required extensions and configure scan settings. This process includes:

• Assessment Solution Deployment: Install agents on each VM.
• Scan Frequency: Define how often scans occur.
• Exclusion Policies: Prevent scans on noncritical files or apps.
  Proper onboarding sets the stage for reliable, ongoing vulnerability detection.

Once VMs are onboarded, team members can analyze detected vulnerabilities through various tools. The Security Center dashboards provide an interactive view of findings by severity and resource. For advanced reporting or integration, you can run API queries to pull raw scan data and feed it into custom tools. These combined views give a complete picture of risk levels and help prioritize remediation tasks.

After identifying vulnerabilities, actionable remediation workflows guide teams through fixing issues. Each finding includes detailed remediation steps such as updating software, applying patches, or adjusting configurations. You can set up custom baselines to approve certain findings and focus on new or critical issues. By regularly reviewing and applying fixes, you maintain strong security standards across your VM estate.

In addition to scheduled scanning, on-demand vulnerability assessments offer immediate insights before deploying changes. From a VM’s Defender for Cloud page, you can trigger a quick check to verify its security state. These scans are lightweight and nonintrusive, making them ideal for validating configurations after updates. Finally, verify that all VMs are within the scan coverage scope to ensure no asset is left unmonitored.

Conclusion

The process of implementing and managing Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management for Azure virtual machines involves onboarding VMs, defining scan policies, and analyzing findings in Security Center dashboards or via API. Remediation workflows and custom baselines help prioritize and automate fixes, while on-demand scans provide flexibility for immediate validation. Consistent coverage and continuous vulnerability assessments ensure that all virtual machines remain hardened against emerging threats. Through these practices, organizations can maintain a robust security posture in their Azure environment.