Lab answer key: Implementing Security Solutions in Hybrid Scenarios

Note: An interactive lab simulation is available that allows you to click through this lab at your own pace. You may find slight differences between the interactive simulation and the hosted lab, but the core concepts and ideas being demonstrated are the same.

Exercise 1: Creating an Azure Log Analytics workspace and an Azure Automation account

Task 1: Create an Azure Log Analytics workspace

1. Connect to SEA-SVR2, and then, if needed, sign in as CONTOSO\Administrator with the password Pa55w.rd.
2. On SEA-SVR2, start Microsoft Edge, go to the Azure portal at https://portal.azure.com/, and sign in by using the credentials of a user account with the Owner role in the subscription you’ll be using in this lab.
3. On SEA-SVR2, in the Azure portal, in the Search resources, services, and docs text box, on the toolbar, search for and select Log Analytics workspaces, and then, on the Log Analytics workspaces page, select + Create.
4. On the Basics tab of the Create Log Analytics workspace page, enter the following settings, select Review + Create, and then select Create:
   

   Settings	Value
   Subscription	the name of the Azure subscription you are using in this lab
   Resource group	the name of a new resource group AZ801-L0201-RG
   Log Analytics Workspace	any unique name
   Region	choose a region near you

   Note: Wait for the deployment to complete. The deployment should take about 1 minute.

Task 2: Create and configure an Azure Automation account

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Azure portal, in the Search resources, services, and docs text box, on the toolbar, search for and select Automation Accounts, and then, on the Automation Accounts page, select + Create.
2. On the Create an Automation Account page, specify the following settings, and select Review + Create. Upon validation, select Create:
   

   Settings	Value
   Subscription	the name of the Azure subscription you are using in this lab
   Resource group	AZ801-L0201-RG
   Name	any unique name
   Region	the name of the Azure region determined based on Workspace mappings documentation

   Note: Make sure that you specify the Azure region based on Workspace mappings documentation.

   Note: Wait for the deployment to complete. The deployment might take about 3 minutes.

3. On the deployment page, select Go to resource.
4. On the Automation account page, in the Configuration Management section, select Inventory.
5. On the Inventory page, in the Log Analytics workspace drop-down list, select the Log Analytics workspace you created earlier in this task and select Enable.
   

   Note: Wait for the installation of the corresponding Log Analytics solution to complete. This might take about 3 minutes.

   Note: This automatically installs the Change tracking solution as well.

6. On the Automation account page, in the Update Management section, select Update management and select Enable.
   

   Note: Wait for the installation to complete. This might take about 5 minutes.

Exercise 2: Configuring Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Task 1: Enable Defender for Cloud and automatic agent installation

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Azure portal, in the Search resources, services, and docs text box, on the toolbar, search for and select Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
2. On the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Getting started page, select Upgrade, and then select Install agents.
   

   Note: Your subscription may already have the enhanced security of Defender for Cloud enabled, in which case, continue to the next task.

Task 2: Enable enhanced security of Defender for Cloud

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal, on the **Microsoft Defender for Cloud

   Overview** page, in the Management section of the vertical menu on the left, select Environment settings.

2. On the Environment settings page, select the entry representing your Azure subscription.
3. On the Settings | Defender plans page, select the tile Enable all Microsoft Defender for Cloud plans.
   

   Note: Note that you can selectively disable individual Microsoft Defender plans listed on the same page.

4. Set all of the plans to Off except for the Servers and select Save.
5. On the Settings | Defender plans page, on the top side, select Settings & monitoring.
6. On the Settings & monitoring page, in the list of extensions, to the right side of the Log Analytics agent/Azure Monitor agent entry, select the Edit configuration link.
7. On the Auto-provisioning configuration, in the Workspace selection section, select the option Custom workspace, in the drop-down menu, select the entry representing the workspace you created in the previous exercise, and then select Apply.
8. On the Settings & monitoring page, in the list of extensions, set Guest Configuration agent (preview) to On.
9. On the Settings & monitoring page, in the list of extensions, set Vulnerability assessment for machines to On. To the right side, select the Edit configuration link.
10. On the Extension deployment configuration page, ensure that the Microsoft threat and vulnerability management option is selected, and then select Apply.
11. On the Settings & monitoring page, select Continue.
12. On the Defender plan page, select Save and then close the page.

13. Browse back to the **Microsoft Defender for Cloud

    Overview** page, and then, in the Management section of the vertical menu on the left, select Environment settings.

14. On the Environment settings page, expand the entry representing your Azure subscription and select the entry representing the Log Analytics workspace you created in the previous exercise.
15. On the Settings | Defender plans page, select the tile Enable all Microsoft Defender for Cloud plans, and then select Save.
    

    Note: To enable all Defender for Cloud features including threat protection capabilities, you must enable enhanced security features on the subscription containing the applicable workloads. Enabling it at the workspace level doesn’t enable just-in-time VM access, adaptive application controls, and network detections for Azure resources. In addition, the only Microsoft Defender plans available at the workspace level are Microsoft Defender for servers and Microsoft Defender for SQL servers on machines.

16. On the Settings | Defender plans page, in the vertical menu on the left side, in the Settings section, select Data collection.
17. On the Settings | Data collection, select All Events, and then select Save.
    

    Note: Selecting a data collection tier in Defender for Cloud only affects the storage of security events in your Log Analytics workspace. The Log Analytics agent will still collect and analyze the security events required for Defender for Cloud’s threat protection, regardless of the level of security events you choose to store in your workspace. Choosing to store security events enables investigation, search, and auditing of those events in your workspace.

Exercise 3: Provisioning Azure VMs running Windows Server

Task 1: Start Azure Cloud Shell

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Azure portal, open the Cloud Shell pane by selecting on the toolbar icon directly next to the search text box.
2. If prompted to select either Bash or PowerShell, select PowerShell.
   

   Note: If this is the first time you are starting Cloud Shell and you are presented with the You have no storage mounted message, select the subscription you are using in this lab, and select Create storage.

Task 2: Deploy an Azure VM by using an Azure Resource Manager template

1. In the toolbar of the Cloud Shell pane, select the Upload/Download files icon, in the drop-down menu, select Upload, and upload the file C:\Labfiles\Lab02\L02-sub_template.json into the Cloud Shell home directory.
2. Repeat the previous step twice to upload the C:\Labfiles\Lab02\L02-rg_template.json and C:\Labfiles\Lab02\L02-rg_template.parameters.json files into the Cloud Shell home directory.
3. To create the resource group that will be hosting the lab environment, in the PowerShell session in the Cloud Shell pane, enter the following commands, and after entering each command, press Enter (replace the <Azure_region> placeholder with the name of an Azure region where you intend to deploy resources in this lab):
   

   Note: You can use the (Get-AzLocation).Location command to list the names of available Azure regions:

   CodeCopy

   $location = '<Azure_region>'
   New-AzSubscriptionDeployment -Location $location -Name az801l2001deployment -TemplateFile ./L02-sub_template.json -rgLocation $location -rgName 'AZ801-L0202-RG'
   

4. To deploy an Azure virtual machine (VM) into the newly created resource group, enter the following command and press Enter:
   CodeCopy

   New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -Name az801l2002deployment -ResourceGroupName AZ801-L0202-RG -TemplateFile ./L02-rg_template.json -TemplateParameterFile ./L02-rg_template.parameters.json
   

   Note: Wait for deployment to complete. This should take about 3 minutes.

5. Close Cloud Shell.

Exercise 4: Onboarding on-premises Windows Server into Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Azure Automation

Task 1: Perform manual installation of the Log Analytics agent

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal, browse back to the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Overview page, and then, in the General section of the vertical menu on the left, select Inventory.
2. On the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Inventory page, select + Add non-Azure servers.
3. On the Onboard servers to Defender for Cloud page, next to the entry representing the Log Analytics workspace you provisioned earlier in this lab, select Upgrade.
   

   Note: After the upgrade completes successfully, the label of the Upgrade button will change to + Add Servers.

4. Select the + Add Servers button. This will automatically display the Agents management page, from which you can download the Log Analytics agent installers and identify the workspace ID and keys necessary to complete the agent installation.
5. On the Agents management page, record the values of Workspace ID and Primary key. You will need them later in this task.
6. On the Agents management page, select the Download Windows Agent (64 bit) link.
7. After the download completes, select Open file. This will start the Microsoft Monitoring Agent Setup wizard.
8. On the Welcome to the Microsoft Monitoring Agent Setup Wizard page of the Microsoft Monitoring Agent Setup wizard, select Next.
9. On the Important Notice page of the Microsoft Monitoring Agent Setup wizard, select I agree.
10. On the Destination Folder page of the Microsoft Monitoring Agent Setup wizard, select Next.
11. On the Agent Setup Options page of the Microsoft Monitoring Agent Setup wizard, select the Connect the agent to Azure Log Analytics (OMS) checkbox, and then select Next.
12. On the Azure Log Analytics page of the Microsoft Monitoring Agent Setup wizard, enter the values of Workspace ID and Workspace Key you recorded earlier in this task, and then select Next.
13. On the Ready to Install page of the Microsoft Monitoring Agent Setup wizard, select Install.
14. After the installation completes, on the Microsoft Monitoring Agent configuration completed successfully page, select Finish.

Task 2: Perform unattended installation of the Log Analytics agent

1. On SEA-SVR2, select Start, and then select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. To extract the content of the MMASetup-AMD64.exe file, in the Windows PowerShell console, enter the following commands, and after entering each command, press Enter:
   CodeCopy

   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path 'C:\Labfiles\L02\' -Force
   Copy-Item -Path $env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\MMASetup-amd64.exe -Destination 'C:\Labfiles\L02\' -Force
   Set-Location -Path C:\Labfiles\L02
   .\MMASetup-amd64.exe /c /t:C:\Labfiles\L02
   Remove-Item -Path .\MMASetup-amd64.exe
   

3. To copy the installation files to the target SEA-SVR1, in the Windows PowerShell console, enter the following commands, and after entering each command, press Enter:
   CodeCopy

   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path '\\SEA-SVR1\c$\Labfiles\L02' -Force
   Copy-Item -Path 'C:\Labfiles\L02\*' -Destination '\\SEA-SVR1\c$\Labfiles\L02' -Recurse -Force
   

4. To perform the installation of the Log Analytics agent on SEA-SVR1, in the Windows PowerShell console, enter the following command and press Enter (replace the <WorkspaceID> and <PrimaryKey> placeholders with the values of Workspace ID and Workspace Key you recorded in the previous task of this exercise):
   CodeCopy

   Invoke-Command -ComputerName SEA-SVR1.contoso.com -ScriptBlock { Start-Process -FilePath C:\Labfiles\L02\setup.exe -ArgumentList '/qn NOAPM=1 ADD_OPINSIGHTS_WORKSPACE=1 OPINSIGHTS_WORKSPACE_AZURE_CLOUD_TYPE=0 OPINSIGHTS_WORKSPACE_ID="<WorkspaceID>" OPINSIGHTS_WORKSPACE_KEY="<PrimaryKey>" AcceptEndUserLicenseAgreement=1' -Wait }
   

   Note: Wait for the installation to complete. This should take about 1 minute.

Task 3: Enable Azure Automation solutions for Azure VMs

1. On SEA-SVR2, switch to the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal, and browse to the Azure Automation account page you provisioned earlier in this lab.
2. On the Automation account page, in the Configuration Management section, select Inventory.
3. On the Inventory page, in the toolbar, select + Add Azure VMs.
4. On the Enable Inventory page, in the list of VMs, ensure that the checkbox next to the az801l02-vm0 entry is selected and select Enable.
   

   Note: The VM has to be connected to the Log Analytics workspace associated with the Automation Account solutions in order to be listed as ready to enable.

5. Browse back to the Automation account page and in the Update Management section, select Update management.
6. On the Update management page, in the toolbar, select + Add Azure VMs.
7. On the Enable Update management page, in the list of VMs, ensure that the checkbox next to the az801l02-vm0 entry is selected and select Enable.
   

   Note: Just as with the Inventory and Change tracking solutions, the VM has to be connected to the Log Analytics workspace associated with the Automation Account solutions in order to be listed as ready to enable.

Task 4: Enable Azure Automation solutions for on-premises servers

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal, browse back to the Automation account page, and then, in the Configuration Management section, select Inventory.
2. On the Inventory page, select the Click to manage machines link.
3. On the Manage Machines page, select the Enable on all available and future machines option, and then select Enable.
   

   Note: This option applies to on-premises servers that have the Log Analytics agent installed and registered with the Azure Log Analytics workspace associated with the Azure Automation account hosting the Inventory, Change Tracking, and Update Management solutions.

4. Browse back to the Automation account page and in the Update Management section, select Update management.
5. On the Update management page, select the Click to manage machines link.
6. On the Manage Machines page, select the Enable on all available and future machines option, and then select Enable.
   

   Note: Just as with the Inventory and Change tracking solutions, this option applies to on-premises servers that have the Log Analytics agent installed and registered with the Azure Log Analytics workspace associated with the Azure Automation account hosting the Inventory, Change Tracking, and Update Management solutions.

Exercise 5: Verifying the hybrid capabilities of Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Azure Automation solutions

Task 1: Validate threat detection capabilities for Azure VMs

1. On SEA-SVR2, switch to the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal.
2. In the Azure portal, in the Search resources, services, and docs text box, on the toolbar, search for and select Virtual machines.
3. On the Virtual machines page, select az801l02-vm0.
4. On the az801l02-vm0 page, in the Operations section, select Run command, and then select RunPowerShellScript.
5. On the Run Command Script page, in the PowerShell Script section, enter the following commands, and then select Run to trigger a threat detection alert:
   CodeCopy

   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path 'C:\Temp' -Force
   Start-Process -FilePath powershell.exe -ArgumentList '-nop -exec bypass -EncodedCommand "cABvAHcAZQByAHMAaABlAGwAbAAgAC0AYwBvAG0AbQBhAG4AZAAgACIAJgAgAHsAIABpAHcAcgAgAGgAdAB0AHAAcwA6AC8ALwBkAG8AdwBuAGwAbwBhAGQALgBzAHkAcwBpAG4AdABlAHIAbgBhAGwAcwAuAGMAbwBtAC8AZgBpAGwAZQBzAC8AUwB5AHMAbQBvAG4ALgB6AGkAcAAgAC0ATwB1AHQARgBpAGwAZQAgAGMAOgBcAHQAZQBtAHAAXABzAHYAYwBoAG8AcwB0AC4AZQB4AGUAIAB9ACIA"' -Wait
   

6. On SEA-SVR2, in the Azure portal, browse to the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Overview page.
7. On the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Overview page, in the vertical menu on the left side, in the General section, select Security alerts.
8. On the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Security alerts page, note the alert of high severity indicating a suspicious use of PowerShell on az801l02-vm0.
9. Select the security alert, on the Security alert page, select Take action, and review the possible actions.
   

   Note: To minimize the possibility of future attacks, you should consider implementing security recommendations.

Task 2: Validate the threat detection capabilities for on-premises servers

1. On SEA-SVR2, switch to the Windows PowerShell console.
2. To trigger a threat detection alert, in the Windows PowerShell console, enter the following commands, and then, after entering each command, press Enter:
   CodeCopy

   New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path 'C:\Temp' -Force
   powershell -nop -exec bypass -EncodedCommand "cABvAHcAZQByAHMAaABlAGwAbAAgAC0AYwBvAG0AbQBhAG4AZAAgACIAJgAgAHsAIABpAHcAcgAgAGgAdAB0AHAAcwA6AC8ALwBkAG8AdwBuAGwAbwBhAGQALgBzAHkAcwBpAG4AdABlAHIAbgBhAGwAcwAuAGMAbwBtAC8AZgBpAGwAZQBzAC8AUwB5AHMAbQBvAG4ALgB6AGkAcAAgAC0ATwB1AHQARgBpAGwAZQAgAGMAOgBcAHQAZQBtAHAAXABzAHYAYwBoAG8AcwB0AC4AZQB4AGUAIAB9ACIA"
   

3. On SEA-SVR2, switch to the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal and browse back to the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Security alerts page.
4. On the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Security alerts page, note the alert of high severity indicating a suspicious use of PowerShell on SEA-SVR2.
5. Select the security alert, on the Security alert page, select Take action, and review the possible actions.
   

   Note: To minimize the possibility of future attacks, you should consider implementing security recommendations.

Task 3: Review the features and capabilities that apply to hybrid scenarios

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal, browse back to the Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Overview page, and then, in the General section of the vertical menu on the left, select Inventory.
2. On the Inventory page, in the list of resources, identify the entries representing the az801l02-vm0 Azure VM as well as SEA-SVR1.contoso.com and SEA-SVR2.contoso.com on-premises servers.
   

   Note: It might take a few minutes before the entries representing the Azure and on-premises VMs appear on the Inventory page.

   Note: In case az801l02-vm0 reports Not installed status in the Monitoring agent column, select the az801l02-vm0 link. On the Resource health (Preview) page, review Recommendations, and then select the entry Log Analytics agent should be installed on virtual machines. On the Log Analytics agent should be installed on virtual machines page, select Fix. On the Fixing resources page, in the Workspace ID drop-down list, select the default workspace created by Defender for Cloud, and then select Fix 1 resource.

3. On the Inventory page, select the az801l02-vm0 link, and then, on the Resource health (Preview) page, review Recommendations.
4. Browse back to the Inventory page, select the link representing SEA-SVR2, and then, on the Resource health (Preview) page, review Recommendations.

Task 4: Validate Azure Automation solutions

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal, browse back to the page of the Azure Automation account you provisioned earlier in this lab, and then, in the Configuration Management section, select Inventory.
2. On the Inventory page, review the Machines tab and verify that it includes both Azure VM and the on-premises servers you registered with the Log Analytics workspace earlier in this lab.
   

   Note: You might need to wait longer in case either or both of types of systems are not listed on the Machines tab.

3. On the Inventory page, review the remaining tabs, including Software, Files, Windows Registry, and Windows Services tabs.
   

   Note: The collected data and files is configurable via the Edit Settings option in the toolbar of the Inventory page.

   Note: This automatically installs the Change tracking solution as well.

4. Browse back to the page of the Azure Automation account you provisioned earlier in this lab, and then, in the Configuration Management section, select Change tracking.
5. Identify the numbers associated with the Events, Files, Registry, Software, and Windows Services entries. If any of them are greater than 0, you can find more details regarding the corresponding changes on the Changes and Events tabs at the bottom of the page.
   

   Note: In this case as well, the tracked changes are configurable via the Edit Settings option in the toolbar of the Change tracking page.

6. Browse back to the page of the Azure Automation account you provisioned earlier in this lab, and then, in the Update Management section, select Update management.
7. On the Update management page, review the Machines tab and verify that it includes both Azure VM and the on-premises servers you registered with the Log Analytics workspace earlier in this lab.
8. Identify the compliance status for each entry on the Machines tab, and then browse to the Missing updates tab.
   

   Note: You have the option of scheduling automated deployment of missing updates for both on-premises servers and Azure VMs.

Exercise 6: Deprovisioning the Azure environment

Task 1: Start a PowerShell session in Cloud Shell

1. On SEA-SVR2, in the Microsoft Edge window displaying the Azure portal, open the Cloud Shell pane by selecting the Cloud Shell icon.

Task 2: Identify all Azure resources provisioned in the lab

1. From the Cloud Shell pane, run the following command to list all resource groups created in this lab:
   CodeCopy

   Get-AzResourceGroup -Name 'AZ801-L02*'
   

   Note: Verify that the output contains only the resource group you created in this lab. This group will be deleted in this task.

2. Run the following command to delete all the resource groups you created in this lab:
   CodeCopy

   Get-AzResourceGroup -Name 'AZ801-L02*' | Remove-AzResourceGroup -Force -AsJob
   

   Note: The command executes asynchronously (as determined by the -AsJob parameter), so while you’ll be able to run another PowerShell command immediately afterwards within the same PowerShell session, it will take a few minutes before the resource groups are actually removed.