Baseline, harden, and protect cloud workloads using Microsoft Defender for Cloud - posture management (CSPM) plus workload protection (CWPP) where required.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is Microsoft’s cloud security service for helping organisations secure cloud and on‑premises resources. Microsoft documents that Defender for Cloud includes foundational Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) capabilities at no additional cost, with advanced CSPM capabilities enabled through the Defender CSPM plan.
LW IT Solutions delivers Defender for Cloud as an implementable security programme. We establish posture management and governance first - so you have good security hygiene and clear priorities - then enable workload protection where needed for servers, containers, and other cloud workloads. We support Azure-first estates as well as hybrid and multicloud environments by designing the right onboarding approach, enabling the right Defender plans, and operationalising alerts, recommendations, and governance so outcomes are measurable and sustainable.
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Service Overview
Highlights
- Readiness and scoping: confirm subscriptions/tenants, cloud platforms in scope (Azure, and where applicable AWS/GCP), and operational constraints
- Enable posture management: implement CSPM foundations and define governance for recommendations, ownership, and remediation workflow
- Advanced CSPM (where required): enable the Defender CSPM plan and configure the capabilities relevant to your risk profile
- Workload protection (CWPP): enable the appropriate Defender plans for the in-scope resources and align alerting to your SOC model
- Hybrid/multicloud onboarding: design onboarding for non-Azure resources using Microsoft’s multicloud planning guidance and supported connectors
- Operationalisation: triage model, alert routing, escalation, and evidence handling; reporting cadence for posture improvement
- Cost and scope governance: ensure security improvements are delivered without uncontrolled spend by scoping plans and monitoring coverage
Business Benefits
- Improve cloud security posture with continuous visibility and actionable recommendations (CSPM)
- Reduce exposure from misconfiguration and governance gaps through repeatable guardrails and remediation workflows
- Strengthen detection and response for cloud workloads when workload protection plans are enabled (CWPP)
- Support audit/assurance conversations with evidence-ready reporting and documented governance decisions
Typical use cases
- New or growing Azure estates needing a structured security baseline and governance model
- Hybrid or multicloud environments needing unified posture visibility and remediation prioritisation
- Organisations preparing for audits and customer assurance requiring defensible cloud security evidence
- Security teams that need to operationalise cloud alerts, recommendations, and ownership across engineering teams
Objectives & deliverables
What Success Looks Like
- A clear CSPM baseline and prioritised remediation backlog for posture uplift
- An operational Defender for Cloud configuration with clear ownership, workflows, and reporting cadence
- Workload protection enabled only where it delivers value and aligns to your risk priorities and cost constraints
What You Get
- Defender for Cloud readiness and design pack (scope, prerequisites, plan selection, operating model)
- CSPM baseline report and prioritised remediation backlog (risk/effort/dependencies/sequencing)
- Recommendation ownership model and remediation workflow (engineering-friendly and measurable)
- Optional Defender plan rollout for critical workloads with alert tuning and operational handover
- Evidence pack and governance cadence recommendations to reduce drift over time
How It Works
- Discovery and readiness - confirm environment scope, platforms, and operational model; validate prerequisites and access.
- CSPM baseline - enable posture capabilities, capture current state, and triage recommendations for relevance and impact.
- Backlog and governance - prioritise remediation actions and define ownership and tracking workflows.
- Implement (optional) - deliver agreed quick wins and staged improvements with change control and validation.
- Workload protection (optional) - enable relevant Defender plans for critical workloads and tune alerting for operations.
- Handover - runbooks, reporting cadence, and continuous improvement model.
Engagement Options
- CSPM Baseline Assessment (posture + backlog + governance model)
- Defender for Cloud Pilot (CSPM baseline + one workload protection plan for a controlled scope)
- Defender for Cloud Rollout Programme (phased onboarding + governance + operationalisation)
- Operate (ongoing posture reviews, backlog management, and tuning)
Additional Information
Prerequisites & licensing
Defender for Cloud includes foundational CSPM capabilities. Microsoft documents that advanced CSPM capabilities are enabled via the Defender CSPM plan, and additional workload protection capabilities are enabled through relevant Defender plans. During discovery we confirm your target scope and plan selection to ensure capability aligns to outcomes and cost expectations.
- We confirm the subscriptions/tenants and resource scope to avoid uncontrolled onboarding or spend.
- We validate multicloud/hybrid requirements and align onboarding to Microsoft’s planning guidance.
- We stage high-impact changes and remediation actions through change control and validation.
Common Bundles
Customers who use this service often bundle with these services
CIS Microsoft Azure Foundations Benchmark Assessment
Assess Azure tenant and subscription configuration against CIS Benchmark guidance, identifying gaps and producing a prioritised remediation backlog.
Azure Landing Zones (CAF-aligned)
Build a secure, scalable Azure foundation using CAF-aligned landing zones with clear governance, identity, networking, and management baselines.
Azure Network Architecture (Hub/Spoke, DNS, Private Link)
Azure network architecture services covering hub and spoke design, DNS, routing and Private Link to support secure, scalable connectivity.
Infrastructure as Code (Bicep/Terraform)
Deliver Azure infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code with Bicep or Terraform, reducing drift, improving consistency, and enabling repeatable deployments.
Sentinel Deployment & Integration
Deploy Microsoft Sentinel with structured data onboarding, workspace design, RBAC, and detection content so your SOC operates effectively and predictably.
Frequently Asked Questions
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