What is Microsoft Sentinel? Complete Azure SIEM Guide 2024

Microsoft Sentinel (formerly Azure Sentinel) is a cloud-native Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solution from Microsoft. Built on Azure, Sentinel provides intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence across the enterprise, using AI and machine learning to detect threats, investigate incidents, and respond to attacks at cloud scale. Unlike traditional on-premises SIEM platforms, Sentinel eliminates infrastructure overhead, offers virtually unlimited scalability, and integrates deeply with the Microsoft security ecosystem while also supporting multi-cloud and on-premises environments.

This comprehensive guide explores what Microsoft Sentinel is, how it works, its evolution from Azure Sentinel, key features and capabilities, architecture, pricing, use cases, implementation best practices, and how it compares to other SIEM solutions.

What is Microsoft Sentinel?

Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native security operations platform that combines:

• SIEM (Security Information and Event Management): Collect, correlate, and analyze security data from across the organization
• SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response): Automate responses to security threats and orchestrate workflows
• Threat Intelligence: Integrate global threat intelligence to identify sophisticated attacks
• AI and Machine Learning: Detect anomalies and threats using Microsoft's security AI

Primary capabilities:

• Data collection: Ingest logs and telemetry from any source at cloud scale
• Threat detection: AI-powered analytics identify security incidents
• Investigation: Built-in tools to investigate and understand attack scope
• Response: Automated playbooks respond to threats instantly
• Hunting: Proactive threat hunting with powerful query language
• Compliance: Support for regulatory frameworks and audit requirements

What Makes Sentinel Different?

Cloud-native architecture:

• No hardware or virtual machines to deploy
• Elastic scalability—handle petabytes of data
• Pay only for what you use (ingestion-based pricing)
• Automatic updates and feature releases

Built on Azure foundation:

• Leverages Azure Log Analytics for storage and querying
• Uses Azure Monitor for data collection
• Integrates with Azure Logic Apps for automation
• Benefits from Azure's global scale and reliability

Intelligence integration:

• Microsoft Threat Intelligence (trillions of signals daily)
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint/Cloud/Identity integration
• Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) protection
• Access to Microsoft Security Graph API

Azure Sentinel vs Microsoft Sentinel: What Changed?

The Rebrand

In November 2021, Microsoft renamed "Azure Sentinel" to "Microsoft Sentinel." This was not just a cosmetic change but reflected the product's evolution:

Reasons for the rename:

• Multi-cloud support: Sentinel works with AWS, GCP, on-premises, and other clouds—not just Azure
• Broader applicability: "Azure" implied it only worked for Azure workloads
• Market positioning: Positioned as enterprise SIEM, not just Azure security tool
• Brand alignment: Aligns with Microsoft's broader security portfolio

What stayed the same:

• Underlying technology and architecture
• Pricing model
• Features and capabilities
• Integration points
• UI and user experience

What improved post-rename:

• Expanded non-Azure data connectors
• Improved AWS and GCP integration
• Better support for hybrid environments
• Enhanced third-party integrations

Bottom line: If you're researching "Azure Sentinel," you're looking at the same product as "Microsoft Sentinel"—the name change simply reflects its expanded scope beyond Azure-only environments.

Key Features and Capabilities

1. Cloud-Native SIEM

Log collection and aggregation:

• Ingest data from any source (cloud, on-prem, SaaS)
• 150+ built-in connectors
• Custom log ingestion via APIs
• Syslog, CEF, REST API support
• Virtually unlimited storage capacity

Search and investigation:

• Kusto Query Language (KQL) for powerful querying
• Advanced search across all ingested data
• Historical data analysis
• Entity behavior analytics

2. AI-Powered Threat Detection

Built-in analytics rules:

• 500+ pre-configured detection rules
• Scheduled query rules
• Microsoft security alerts integration
• Threat intelligence matching
• Custom rule creation with KQL

Machine learning:

• Anomaly detection for user and entity behavior
• Fusion correlation engine (combines multiple weak signals)
• Automated learning from your environment
• Reduces false positives over time

3. SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response)

Playbooks (Azure Logic Apps):

• Automated incident response workflows
• Integration with 400+ services and apps
• Enrich alerts with external data
• Automatic ticket creation (ServiceNow, Jira)
• Block malicious IPs/URLs
• Isolate compromised endpoints

4. Incident Management

Unified incident view:

• Aggregate related alerts into single incidents
• Assign to analysts
• Track investigation progress
• Add comments and evidence
• Close with classification

Investigation graph:

• Visual representation of attack scope
• Entity relationships (users, IPs, hosts)
• Timeline view
• Pivot to related data

5. Threat Hunting

Hunting queries:

• Pre-built hunting queries from Microsoft
• Custom KQL queries
• Save and share queries across team
• Bookmarks for interesting findings

Notebooks (Jupyter):

• Advanced analytics with Python
• Machine learning models
• Integrate external datasets
• Share reproducible investigations

6. Workbooks (Visualization)

Interactive dashboards:

• Azure Monitor Workbooks integration
• Pre-built security workbooks
• Custom visualizations
• Executive reporting
• Real-time and historical data

7. Threat Intelligence Platform

Threat indicators:

• Import indicators of compromise (IOCs)
• Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence
• Third-party TI feeds integration
• TAXII/STIX support
• Automatic matching against logs

8. User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)

Identify insider threats and compromised accounts:

• Baseline normal behavior
• Detect anomalies (unusual login times, locations)
• Impossible travel detection
• Privilege escalation patterns
• Data exfiltration indicators

How Microsoft Sentinel Works: Architecture

Core Components

1. Data Collection (Data Connectors)

• Role: Ingest logs and telemetry from sources
• Methods: Agent-based, API-based, or service-to-service connectors
• Examples: Microsoft 365 connector, AWS connector, Syslog connector

2. Log Analytics Workspace

• Role: Storage and query engine for all collected data
• Technology: Azure Log Analytics (part of Azure Monitor)
• Query language: Kusto Query Language (KQL)
• Retention: Configurable (default 90 days, up to 2 years+)

3. Analytics Engine

• Role: Run detection rules against ingested data
• Types: Scheduled queries, ML anomalies, Fusion correlation, Microsoft alerts
• Output: Security alerts

4. Incident Management

• Role: Group related alerts into actionable incidents
• Features: Assignment, tracking, investigation tools, comments

5. Automation (Logic Apps/Playbooks)

• Role: Respond to incidents automatically
• Technology: Azure Logic Apps
• Triggers: When incident created, when alert fired, manual trigger

Data Flow

1. Data Sources → 2. Data Connectors → 3. Log Analytics Workspace
   ↓
4. Analytics Rules Process Data → 5. Alerts Generated
   ↓
6. Alerts Grouped into Incidents → 7. Analyst Investigates OR Automated Playbook Responds
   ↓
8. Incident Resolved → 9. Lessons Learned → 10. Update Detection Rules

Data Connectors and Integration

Microsoft Ecosystem Connectors

Native Azure integrations:

• Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD): Sign-ins, audit logs, risk events
• Microsoft 365 Defender: Endpoint, Office 365, Identity, Cloud Apps
• Azure Activity: Subscription-level changes
• Azure Firewall: Network traffic logs
• Azure DDoS Protection: DDoS attack data
• Azure Key Vault: Secret access logs
• Azure Security Center: Security alerts and recommendations

Microsoft 365:

• Exchange Online (email logs)
• SharePoint and OneDrive (file activity)
• Teams (messaging and collaboration)
• Power BI (analytics activity)

Third-Party and Multi-Cloud Connectors

Cloud platforms:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS): CloudTrail, VPC Flow Logs, GuardDuty
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP): Audit logs, Cloud Logging

Security tools:

• Palo Alto Networks (firewalls)
• Check Point (firewalls)
• Cisco (ASA, Meraki, Umbrella)
• Fortinet (FortiGate)
• CrowdStrike (EDR)
• Okta (identity)
• Proofpoint (email security)
• Zscaler (cloud security)

Common standards:

• Syslog/CEF: Any device sending syslog or Common Event Format
• REST API: Custom applications via HTTP Data Collector API
• Syslog forwarder: Linux agent for collecting syslog from multiple sources

Data Connector Types

1. Service-to-Service (Native)

• How it works: Direct API integration, no agent required
• Examples: Microsoft 365, AWS, Azure services
• Setup: One-click enablement with authentication

2. Agent-Based

• How it works: Install Log Analytics agent on endpoints
• Examples: Windows Security Events, Linux Syslog
• Use case: On-premises servers and workstations

3. CEF/Syslog via Forwarder

• How it works: Devices send syslog to Linux forwarder, which sends to Sentinel
• Examples: Network devices (firewalls, routers, proxies)
• Use case: Devices that can't send directly to Azure

4. API/Custom

• How it works: Custom applications POST data via REST API
• Use case: Proprietary apps, custom integrations

Analytics and Threat Detection

Analytics Rule Types

1. Scheduled Query Rules

• How it works: KQL query runs on schedule (every 5 min, hourly, daily)
• Example: Detect failed logins > 5 in 10 minutes
• Use case: Custom detection logic specific to your environment

2. Microsoft Security Rules

• How it works: Ingest alerts from Microsoft security products
• Examples: Microsoft Defender alerts, Entra ID Protection
• Use case: Centralize all Microsoft security alerts in Sentinel

3. Fusion (ML Correlation)

• How it works: Machine learning combines multiple low-confidence signals into high-confidence incidents
• Example: Impossible travel + suspicious inbox rule + unusual file download = credential compromise
• Benefit: Detects multi-stage attacks that individual rules miss

4. ML Behavior Analytics

• How it works: Machine learning models detect anomalies
• Examples: Anomalous login location, unusual data volume transfer
• Benefit: No rule writing—automatically learns baseline

5. Threat Intelligence Matching

• How it works: Automatically matches IOCs (IPs, domains, file hashes) against logs
• Sources: Microsoft TI, imported feeds
• Example: Alert when user visits known malicious domain

Pre-Built Detection Rules

Microsoft provides 500+ pre-configured rules covering:

• Initial access: Phishing, compromised credentials
• Execution: PowerShell abuse, malicious scripts
• Persistence: New accounts created, scheduled tasks
• Privilege escalation: Admin rights granted
• Defense evasion: Log clearing, disabling security tools
• Credential access: Password spraying, credential dumping
• Lateral movement: Remote access, pass-the-hash
• Exfiltration: Large data transfers, cloud sync abuse
• Impact: Ransomware, data destruction

Detection content sources:

• Microsoft Security Research
• MITRE ATT&CK framework mapping
• Community contributions (GitHub)
• Industry best practices

SOAR and Automation

Playbooks (Azure Logic Apps)

Microsoft Sentinel uses Azure Logic Apps for automation, calling them "playbooks."

Common automation scenarios:

1. Enrichment Playbooks

• Query VirusTotal for file reputation
• Geo-locate IP addresses
• Lookup user information from HR system
• Check threat intelligence feeds
• Get vulnerability scan results

2. Notification Playbooks

• Send email/Teams message to analyst
• Create ServiceNow ticket
• Post to Slack/Teams channel
• Send SMS for critical alerts

3. Response Playbooks

• Block threats: Add IP to firewall blocklist
• Isolate endpoints: Quarantine device via Defender
• Disable accounts: Disable compromised user in Entra ID
• Reset passwords: Force password reset
• Revoke sessions: Kill active user sessions

4. Investigation Playbooks

• Run additional queries
• Collect forensic data from endpoint
• Gather related alerts
• Build timeline of events

Playbook Triggers

• Incident created: Run when new incident appears
• Alert created: Run when specific alert fires
• Manual trigger: Analyst runs from incident page
• Scheduled: Run on schedule (daily reports, cleanups)

Integration Capabilities

Logic Apps provide 400+ connectors including:

• Ticketing: ServiceNow, Jira, Zendesk
• Communication: Teams, Slack, email, SMS
• Security tools: Palo Alto, CrowdStrike, Proofpoint
• Cloud platforms: AWS, GCP
• Threat intelligence: VirusTotal, AbuseIPDB
• Custom APIs: HTTP connector for any API

Threat Hunting with KQL

Kusto Query Language (KQL)

What is KQL? The query language for Azure Log Analytics, used for searching and analyzing log data in Sentinel.

Key capabilities:

• Search across petabytes of data in seconds
• Filter, aggregate, join, and transform data
• Time-series analysis
• Statistical functions
• Visualizations (charts, graphs)

Example KQL Queries

Find failed logins:

SigninLogs
| where ResultType != 0
| where TimeGenerated > ago(24h)
| summarize FailedLogins = count() by UserPrincipalName
| where FailedLogins > 5
| order by FailedLogins desc

Detect impossible travel:

SigninLogs
| where TimeGenerated > ago(24h)
| extend LocationDetails = parse_json(LocationDetails)
| project TimeGenerated, UserPrincipalName, City = LocationDetails.city, Country = LocationDetails.countryOrRegion
| order by UserPrincipalName, TimeGenerated asc

Find privilege escalation:

AuditLogs
| where TimeGenerated > ago(7d)
| where OperationName == "Add member to role"
| where TargetResources[0].modifiedProperties[0].displayName == "Role.DisplayName"
| project TimeGenerated, InitiatedBy = InitiatedBy.user.userPrincipalName, RoleAdded = TargetResources[0].modifiedProperties[0].newValue

Hunting Queries in Sentinel

Microsoft provides 100+ pre-built hunting queries:

• Stored in "Hunting" section
• One-click to run
• Bookmark interesting results
• Convert findings to incidents
• Save custom queries

Notebooks (Advanced Hunting)

For complex investigations, Sentinel supports Jupyter Notebooks with Python:

• Machine learning analysis
• Statistical modeling
• External data correlation
• Custom visualizations
• Reproducible investigations (share notebooks)

Pricing and Cost Management

Pricing Model

Microsoft Sentinel uses consumption-based pricing charged on:

• Data ingestion: Pay per GB of data ingested
• Log retention: Optional long-term retention beyond 90 days

Pricing Tiers (2024)

Pay-As-You-Go:

• Cost: $2.30 - $2.76 per GB (varies by region)
• Best for: Small environments, testing, unpredictable volume
• Commitment: None

Commitment Tiers:

• 100 GB/day: $2.00 per GB (~13% discount)
• 200 GB/day: $1.80 per GB (~22% discount)
• 300 GB/day: $1.70 per GB (~26% discount)
• Higher tiers available up to 5000 GB/day
• Overage: Charged at commitment tier rate

Simplified Pricing (Preview):

• Cost: $10 per GB all-inclusive
• Includes: Sentinel + Log Analytics + Basic Logs—no separate LA charges
• Best for: Simplified billing, predictable costs

Additional Costs

• Logic Apps (playbooks): ~$0.000025 per action execution (very low cost)
• Long-term retention: $0.02 per GB/month for archive storage beyond 90 days
• Data restore: Charges to query archived data

Typical Cost Examples

Small Business (10 GB/day):

• 10 GB × $2.50 = $25/day
• Monthly: ~$750

Mid-Size Organization (100 GB/day):

• 100 GB × $2.00 (commitment tier) = $200/day
• Monthly: ~$6,000

Enterprise (500 GB/day):

• 500 GB × $1.60 (commitment tier) = $800/day
• Monthly: ~$24,000

Cost Optimization Strategies

1. Filter Data at Source

• Only ingest security-relevant data
• Filter verbose logs before ingestion
• Use data collection rules to include/exclude events

2. Use Basic Logs

• Lower-cost tier for high-volume, low-query logs
• $0.60 per GB (vs $2.30 for Analytics Logs)
• 8-day retention, limited query capabilities
• Good for compliance logs rarely queried

3. Archive Old Data

• Move old logs to archive storage
• $0.02/GB/month vs $2.30/GB ingestion
• Restore only when needed

4. Right-Size Commitment Tier

• Monitor daily ingestion volume
• Choose commitment tier just below average
• Re-evaluate quarterly

5. Optimize Connectors

• Disable verbose audit logs if not needed
• Sample high-volume logs (if acceptable)
• Consolidate duplicate data sources

Implementation Guide

Phase 1: Planning (Week 1-2)

Activities:

• Define objectives (compliance, threat detection, incident response)
• Inventory data sources to connect
• Estimate data volume for cost planning
• Design Log Analytics workspace structure
• Define roles and permissions (RBAC)
• Create implementation timeline

Key decisions:

• Workspace design: Single workspace vs multiple (consider regulatory boundaries)
• Region selection: Choose Azure region for data sovereignty
• Retention period: 90 days standard, longer for compliance

Phase 2: Workspace Setup (Week 2-3)

Steps:

1. Create Azure subscription (if needed)
2. Create Log Analytics workspace
3. Enable Microsoft Sentinel on workspace
4. Configure data retention settings
5. Set up RBAC (assign Sentinel Reader, Responder, Contributor roles)
6. Create resource groups for organization

Phase 3: Data Connector Configuration (Week 3-6)

Priority order:

1. High-value, easy wins:
   • Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
   • Microsoft 365 (if applicable)
   • Azure Activity logs
   • Microsoft Defender products
2. Network devices:
   • Firewalls (Palo Alto, Check Point, etc.)
   • Proxies
   • VPN concentrators
3. Endpoints:
   • Windows Security Events
   • Linux Syslog
   • EDR platform (CrowdStrike, etc.)
4. Cloud workloads:
   • AWS CloudTrail
   • GCP audit logs
   • SaaS applications
5. Other security tools:
   • Email security
   • Web security
   • Identity providers

Connector setup tip: Start with one data source, validate data flowing correctly, then scale

Phase 4: Analytics Configuration (Week 5-8)

Steps:

1. Enable Fusion (ML correlation): Turn on immediately
2. Import analytics rule templates: Browse 500+ Microsoft-provided rules
3. Enable high-priority rules: Start with Critical/High severity
4. Configure rule settings: Set run frequency, lookup period, alert grouping
5. Test rules: Validate alerts generate correctly
6. Tune rules: Adjust thresholds to reduce false positives
7. Create custom rules: Build detections for environment-specific threats

Phase 5: Playbook Development (Week 7-10)

Start simple:

1. Notification playbooks: Email/Teams alerts first
2. Enrichment playbooks: Add context to incidents
3. Response playbooks: Automated remediation (carefully tested!)

Best practice: Start with manual-trigger playbooks, then automate as confidence grows

Phase 6: Workbooks and Dashboards (Week 8-10)

Deploy pre-built workbooks:

• Microsoft Sentinel Overview
• Security Operations Efficiency
• Identity and Access (Entra ID)
• Data connector health

Create custom workbooks:

• Executive dashboards
• Compliance reporting
• Team-specific views

Phase 7: Tuning and Optimization (Ongoing)

Continuous improvement:

• Review incidents weekly
• Tune rules to reduce false positives
• Monitor data ingestion costs
• Optimize data collection
• Add new detections based on threats
• Update playbooks as processes improve

Use Cases and Applications

1. Cloud Security Monitoring

Challenge: Securing Azure, AWS, and GCP workloads

Solution: Sentinel connectors for all major cloud platforms

Detections:

• Misconfigured public storage (S3 buckets, Blob containers)
• Suspicious administrative actions
• Unusual API calls
• Privilege escalation in cloud environments

2. Insider Threat Detection

Challenge: Detecting malicious or negligent insiders

Solution: UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics)

Detections:

• Mass file downloads before resignation
• Access to unauthorized data
• Unusual working hours
• Impossible travel scenarios

3. Ransomware Detection and Response

Challenge: Detecting and stopping ransomware quickly

Solution: Multi-stage detection + automated response

Detections:

• Mass file encryption activity
• Suspicious PowerShell execution
• Shadow copy deletion
• Known ransomware IOCs

Response: Automated endpoint isolation via playbook

4. Compliance and Auditing

Challenge: Meeting regulatory requirements (SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR)

Solution: Centralized log collection + retention + reporting

Capabilities:

• Long-term log retention (2+ years)
• Audit trail of all security events
• Compliance workbooks and reports
• Tamper-proof log storage

5. Hybrid Environment Monitoring

Challenge: Visibility across on-premises and cloud

Solution: Agents for on-premises + cloud connectors

Coverage:

• On-premises Active Directory
• Azure Entra ID (Azure AD)
• Hybrid Exchange
• VPN access
• Network perimeter devices

6. Security Operations Center (SOC)

Challenge: Empowering SOC analysts with tools and automation

Solution: Complete SIEM + SOAR platform

Capabilities:

• Centralized alert management
• Incident investigation tools
• Automated tier-1 response
• Collaboration and case management
• Threat hunting

Microsoft Sentinel vs Competitors

Microsoft Sentinel vs Splunk

Microsoft Sentinel advantages:

• Cloud-native (no infrastructure to manage)
• Lower cost ($2-$3 per GB vs Splunk $150-$2,000 per GB)
• Included SOAR (Splunk SOAR sold separately)
• Tight Microsoft ecosystem integration
• AI/ML built-in
• Faster time to value

Splunk advantages:

• More mature platform (established 2003 vs Sentinel 2019)
• Richer third-party app ecosystem
• Better for non-Microsoft environments
• Stronger IT operations (not just security)
• More flexible deployment (on-prem, cloud, hybrid)
• Advanced visualization capabilities

Best choice:

• Sentinel: Microsoft-heavy environment, cloud-first, cost-conscious
• Splunk: Diverse tech stack, IT + security use cases, mature SOC

Microsoft Sentinel vs IBM QRadar

Microsoft Sentinel advantages:

• Cloud scalability
• No infrastructure costs
• Modern UI/UX
• Rapid deployment
• Lower TCO

QRadar advantages:

• On-premises deployment option
• Strong in regulated industries
• Flow analysis for network forensics
• Established compliance certifications

Microsoft Sentinel vs Chronicle (Google)

Microsoft Sentinel advantages:

• More mature with broader features
• Larger user base and community
• Better third-party integrations
• Stronger SOAR capabilities

Chronicle advantages:

• Unlimited data retention (flat pricing)
• Faster search (optimized for speed)
• Better for GCP-heavy environments
• Google threat intelligence integration

Best Practices for Microsoft Sentinel

1. Start Small, Scale Gradually

• Connect high-value data sources first
• Enable foundational analytics rules
• Build automation incrementally
• Validate before expanding

2. Design for Cost Optimization

• Filter unnecessary data at source
• Monitor daily ingestion volume
• Use Basic Logs for verbose data
• Right-size commitment tier
• Archive old data

3. Tune Analytics to Reduce False Positives

• Don't enable all 500+ rules at once
• Start with high-severity rules
• Review and tune weekly
• Adjust thresholds based on environment
• Disable rules generating too much noise

4. Build Playbooks Carefully

• Start with notification playbooks
• Test response playbooks in non-production
• Use manual triggers initially
• Add error handling and logging
• Document playbook logic

5. Implement Proper RBAC

• Use built-in Sentinel roles (Reader, Responder, Contributor)
• Follow least-privilege principle
• Separate duties (analysts vs automation)
• Review permissions quarterly

6. Monitor Sentinel Health

• Enable data connector health monitoring
• Alert on ingestion failures
• Track analytics rule performance
• Monitor playbook execution success rate

7. Leverage Community Content

• Microsoft Sentinel GitHub (community rules, playbooks)
• Azure marketplace solutions
• Microsoft Tech Community forums
• Share your own contributions

8. Document Everything

• Data source inventory
• Analytics rule logic and rationale
• Playbook workflows
• Incident response procedures
• Tuning decisions

9. Train Your Team

• KQL query fundamentals
• Incident investigation process
• Playbook development
• Microsoft Learn training paths
• SC-200 certification (Microsoft Security Operations Analyst)

10. Integrate with Broader Security Stack

• Microsoft Defender suite (Endpoint, Cloud, Identity)
• Entra ID Protection
• Third-party EDR, firewalls
• Ticketing systems (ServiceNow, Jira)
• Threat intelligence feeds

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Microsoft Sentinel?

Microsoft Sentinel (formerly Azure Sentinel) is a cloud-native Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solution. It provides intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence across the enterprise, collecting data from all sources including users, applications, servers, and devices running on-premises or in any cloud. Sentinel uses AI and machine learning to detect threats, automate responses, and enable security teams to investigate and respond to incidents at cloud scale.

What is the difference between Azure Sentinel and Microsoft Sentinel?

They are the same product. Microsoft renamed Azure Sentinel to Microsoft Sentinel in November 2021 to reflect that it works with all cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) and on-premises environments, not just Azure. The functionality, pricing, and service remain identical—only the name changed to better represent its multi-cloud and hybrid capabilities.

How much does Microsoft Sentinel cost?

Microsoft Sentinel uses pay-as-you-go pricing based on data ingestion volume:

• Pay-As-You-Go: $2.30-$2.76 per GB (varies by region)
• Commitment Tiers: $2.00/GB (100 GB/day) to $1.50/GB (5000 GB/day) with volume discounts
• Simplified Pricing: $10/GB all-inclusive (includes Log Analytics charges)

Typical costs: $500-$5,000/month for small businesses, $50,000+/month for large enterprises. Additional charges apply for Logic Apps automation and long-term retention.

What are the key features of Microsoft Sentinel?

Key features include:

• Cloud-native SIEM: Unlimited scalability, no infrastructure
• 150+ data connectors: Collect from Microsoft, AWS, GCP, and third-party sources
• AI-powered detection: ML anomaly detection, Fusion correlation, 500+ pre-built rules
• Automated response: Playbooks (Azure Logic Apps) with 400+ integrations
• Threat hunting: Kusto Query Language (KQL), Jupyter notebooks
• Workbooks: Interactive dashboards and visualizations
• Incident management: Investigation tools, case tracking, collaboration
• Threat intelligence: Microsoft and third-party TI integration

Is Microsoft Sentinel better than Splunk?

Both are leading SIEM platforms with different strengths:

Sentinel advantages: Cloud-native architecture, lower initial cost (no infrastructure), tight Microsoft integration, included SOAR capabilities, AI/ML built-in, faster deployment.

Splunk advantages: More mature platform (20+ years), stronger third-party app ecosystem, better for non-Microsoft environments, more flexible deployment (on-prem/cloud/hybrid), advanced visualization.

Best choice: Sentinel excels for Microsoft-heavy or cloud-first organizations; Splunk better for diverse tech stacks and on-premises requirements. Sentinel typically offers 30-50% lower TCO.

Can Microsoft Sentinel work with AWS and GCP?

Yes. Despite the "Microsoft" name, Sentinel supports multi-cloud environments:

• AWS: Native connectors for CloudTrail, VPC Flow Logs, GuardDuty, S3 logs
• GCP: Connectors for Cloud Audit Logs, Cloud Logging
• Other clouds: Generic API connectors for any cloud platform

Sentinel is designed as a centralized SIEM for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, not just Azure-only workloads.

What is the difference between SIEM and SOAR?

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management): Collects, correlates, and analyzes security data to detect threats. Provides visibility and alerting.

SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response): Automates responses to security incidents and orchestrates workflows across security tools. Executes remediation.

Microsoft Sentinel includes both—SIEM capabilities for detection and investigation, plus SOAR capabilities through Logic Apps playbooks for automated response. Traditional SIEMs (Splunk, QRadar) sell SOAR as separate products.

What is KQL (Kusto Query Language)?

KQL is the query language for Azure Log Analytics, used to search and analyze log data in Microsoft Sentinel. It's similar to SQL but optimized for log analysis and time-series data. KQL enables powerful queries to hunt threats, investigate incidents, and create custom analytics rules. Example: Search failed logins in last 24 hours, aggregate by user, filter for >5 failures. Microsoft provides extensive KQL documentation and training.

Do I need to know Azure to use Microsoft Sentinel?

Basic Azure knowledge helps but isn't required for security analyst work. You'll need to understand:

• Essential: KQL for querying, Sentinel UI for investigations, basic Logic Apps for automation
• Helpful: Azure resource groups, RBAC, Log Analytics concepts
• Optional: Advanced Azure networking, ARM templates, PowerShell

Microsoft provides free training through Microsoft Learn. The SC-200 certification path teaches Sentinel from scratch.

How long does it take to implement Microsoft Sentinel?

Implementation timeline varies by organization:

• Small business (basic setup): 2-4 weeks—workspace setup, connect Microsoft 365/Azure, enable core rules
• Mid-size organization: 1-3 months—multiple data sources, custom rules, playbook development
• Enterprise (comprehensive): 3-6 months—complex integrations, custom analytics, SOC processes, tuning

Sentinel can show value quickly (1-2 weeks for basic monitoring), but full maturity takes time for tuning and optimization.

Can I try Microsoft Sentinel for free?

Yes. Microsoft offers:

• 31-day free trial: No cost for first 10 GB/day for 31 days
• Azure free account: $200 credit for 30 days
• Demo environment: Pre-populated demo workspace to explore features

This allows evaluation without commitment. After trial, normal pay-as-you-go pricing applies.