Security Modernization with a Focus on Microsoft 365 & SOC Readiness
Sustainable improvement of the security posture in the Microsoft ecosystem with a focus on identity protection, tenant hardening, and SOC readiness.
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- Company size
- SME
- Region
- Netherlands & Germany
- Industry
- Energy supply
- Project duration
- ongoing since January 2025
real-time detection of identity-based attacks with Microsoft Defender for Identity
Azure tenant and Microsoft 365 with revised security baselines
The challenge
Our client wanted to sustainably improve the security posture in the Microsoft ecosystem while at the same time laying the foundation for stronger monitoring and faster response to security incidents. Identity-based attacks such as Pass-the-Hash or lateral movement remained hard to detect in the existing environment — there was a lack of transparency about risks in the identity and directory services. At the same time, risk configurations had accumulated over the years in the Azure tenant and Microsoft 365, unnecessarily enlarging the attack surface in cloud and collaboration services. Building SOC-capable monitoring also lacked a reliable event basis: security-relevant signals could neither be evaluated in a targeted way nor transferred into monitoring processes in a structured manner.
Inside the rollout
Introduction of Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) to detect identity-based attacks (e.g., Pass-the-Hash, lateral movement, suspicious AD activities). Hardening of the Azure tenant including Microsoft 365: Overhaul of security-relevant baseline settings, reduction of risk configurations, and closing of typical attack surfaces in cloud and collaboration services. SOC-oriented alignment: Optimization of alert quality and event basis so that security-relevant signals can be specifically evaluated and transferred to monitoring processes.
The implemented measures led to significantly increased transparency regarding identity and directory service risks. The attack surface in the Azure and Microsoft 365 environment was significantly reduced. At the same time, a solid foundation was created for continuous monitoring and a fast, structured Incident Response in a SOC context.
„A SOC is only as good as the signals that reach it — SOC readiness starts with alert quality, not with the dashboard.“
Results at a glance
- Threat detection
- 24 h/day
- real-time detection of identity-based attacks with Microsoft Defender for Identity
- Hardened platforms
- Two environments
- Azure tenant and Microsoft 365 with revised security baselines
- Action areas
- Three areas
- identity protection, tenant hardening, and SOC preparation
SOC-ready Security Posture
Learnings
- Identities are the primary attack target: without detection of Pass-the-Hash and lateral movement, any perimeter defense remains incomplete.
- Tenant hardening is diligent work with great leverage — many risk configurations in Azure and Microsoft 365 can be closed without new tools.
- SOC readiness begins before the SOC: only when alert quality and the event basis are right does building monitoring processes pay off.
What's next
The engagement has been ongoing since January 2025. On the foundation created — increased transparency of identity risks, reduced attack surface, optimized alert quality — the monitoring processes are now being transferred step by step into the SOC context. Security-relevant signals feed into incident response procedures in a structured way. The security baselines are continuously adapted to new threat situations and Microsoft features so that the security posture gained does not erode again.
Service: Cybersecurity & Compliance
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