Configure Microsoft Defender for SQL

To configure Microsoft Defender for SQL in your Azure environment, follow these steps:

Step 1: Enable Microsoft Defender for SQL

To enable Microsoft Defender for SQL, you can use either the Azure portal or PowerShell.

Azure Portal:

1. Open the Azure portal and navigate to your Azure SQL server.
2. Under the Security menu, select “Advanced Threat Protection.”
3. Click on “Advanced Threat Protection settings” and toggle the switch to enable it.
4. Configure the desired settings for threat detection and threat intelligence, such as email notifications and automated response actions.
5. Save your changes.

PowerShell:

1. Open PowerShell and connect to your Azure subscription using the Connect-AzAccount cmdlet.
2. Run the following script to enable Microsoft Defender for SQL:

$resourceGroupName = "YourResourceGroupName"
$serverName = "YourSqlServerName"
$atpName = "atpName"

Set-AzSqlServerAdvancedThreatProtection -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -ServerName $serverName -StorageAccountName $atpName -AutoUpgradeMinorVersion $true -IsEnabled $true

Remember to replace “YourResourceGroupName”, “YourSqlServerName”, and “atpName” with the actual values.

Step 2: Configure Advanced Threat Protection settings

After enabling Microsoft Defender for SQL, you can further configure the advanced threat protection settings to meet your specific requirements. Here are a few key settings to consider:

• Threat detection policy: You can configure the sensitivity level and types of potential threats to detect. For example, you can enable detection for SQL injection attacks or anomalous client activities.
• Automated response actions: You can specify automatic responses to detected threats, such as terminating the session, blocking the IP address, or sending an email notification.
• Email notifications: You can set up email notifications to receive alerts when suspicious activities are detected.
• Threat intelligence: You can enable or disable the integration with Azure Defender for threat intelligence to leverage the collective security insights from Microsoft.

Step 3: Monitor and respond to alerts

Once Microsoft Defender for SQL is configured, it continuously monitors your Azure SQL environment for potential threats. When a threat is detected, you will receive an alert according to your configured settings.

To view alerts and investigate potential threats, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your Azure SQL server and open the “Advanced Threat Protection” pane.
2. Under the “Advanced Threat Protection” menu, select “SQL Vulnerability Assessment” or “Advanced Data Security” to view the alerts and recommendations.
3. Review the alerts, investigate the potential threats, and take appropriate actions to remediate them.

In conclusion, by enabling and configuring Microsoft Defender for SQL, you enhance the security of your Azure SQL environment by detecting potential threats and enabling automated responses. Regularly monitoring and responding to alerts helps ensure the protection and integrity of your SQL databases.