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A4S Cloud Solutions delivered a successful Microsoft Sentinel Proof of Concept for Platform Housing Group.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, organisations face an increasing number of sophisticated cyber threats that can potentially disrupt their operations and compromise sensitive data.
To address these challenges, Microsoft has developed Sentinel, an intelligent and comprehensive security information and event management (SIEM) platform. In this write-up, we will explore the positive aspects of implementing a Microsoft Sentinel Proof of Concept (PoC) and how it can empower organizations to proactively detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats.
Often businesses struggle to understand and adopt Microsoft Sentinel hence working with a partner like A4S Cloud Solutions to deliver a proof concept which includes supportive staff providing education and support bring huge benefit and enables the client to make an informed choice regarding the solution.
The A4S Cloud Solutions team delivered a Sentinel Proof of Concept over a 1 month period, we designed and installed the solution over 2 days, during this time we worked with The PHG Cyber Security Manager James Marsden.
We listened closely to the clients needs regarding particular security interests and challenges before putting together a brief design for their review, we then installed Sentinel and undertook several workshops to ensure James had a strong experience of Sentinel and could begin to interpret the security telemetry being captured.
We had several enjoyable conversations related to Sentinel’s alerting of failed sign-ins from IP addresses that has experienced account lockouts spanning several hours!
Over the PoC period we had several drop-in sessions to continue to develop the client’s understanding of Sentinel, we were also able to highlight some areas of security improvement needed.
The client was able to learn greatly from the A4S Cloud Solutions PoC and they’ve decided to install Sentinel as part of a Landing Zones exercise sadly not with A4S Cloud Solutions however, this PoC has given us an opportunity to get to know another great company and hopefully we can gain more opportunities to assist in the future.
PHG has made the wise choice to undertake a Landing Zones project but with a larger well-known MSP, and within the LZ project Sentinel is being delivered.
Below we have listed some of the common Sentinel Benefits:
1. Enhanced Threat Detection: One of the key strengths of Microsoft Sentinel is its ability to collect and analyse vast amounts of security data from various sources, including logs, events, and telemetry data, in real-time. By leveraging the power of cloud computing and machine learning, Sentinel can detect complex patterns and anomalies that may indicate potential security breaches. The PoC phase allows organisations to validate Sentinel’s advanced threat detection capabilities within their specific environment, enabling them to identify and mitigate potential risks more effectively.
2. Intelligent Threat Response: Microsoft Sentinel goes beyond traditional SIEM solutions by incorporating intelligent automation and orchestration capabilities. During the PoC, organisations can test and fine-tune automated incident response workflows, leveraging predefined playbooks or creating custom ones tailored to their unique security requirements. The seamless integration with other Microsoft security tools, such as Azure Security Center and Microsoft Defender ATP, further enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of incident response processes.
3. Centralised Security Monitoring and Analytics: With Microsoft Sentinel, organisations gain a centralised view of their security posture across multiple cloud environments, on-premises infrastructure, and endpoints. The PoC allows organisations to experience the unified and user-friendly dashboard that provides real-time insights into security events and incidents. Through advanced analytics and visualisation, Sentinel enables security teams to quickly identify and investigate potential threats, helping them make informed decisions and prioritise actions based on the severity and impact of the incidents.
4. Scalability and Flexibility: Microsoft Sentinel’s cloud-native architecture ensures scalability and flexibility, making it suitable for organisations of all sizes. During the PoC, organisations can assess how Sentinel integrates with their existing security infrastructure and adapt it to their specific needs. The platform supports a wide range of data connectors, allowing organisations to ingest data from various sources, including Microsoft services, third-party applications, and custom data sources, ensuring comprehensive coverage of their security landscape.
5. Continuous Improvement through Threat Intelligence: Microsoft Sentinel leverages threat intelligence from various sources, including Microsoft’s extensive security network, to enhance threat detection and response capabilities. Organisations participating in the PoC gain access to the latest threat intelligence updates, ensuring that their security operations remain up to date and capable of defending against evolving threats.
Platform Housing Group (PHG) is a fantastic organisation delivering many exciting services to their own clients, their use of cloud technology is growing rapidly and their approach to cloud governance is truly impressive.
“I have been thoroughly impressed with the IT support provided by the A4S Cloud Solutions team who are always prompt in responding to our requests and they consistently go above and beyond to resolve any issues we encounter.”
A4S Cloud Solutions approached us with the kind offer to deliver a Sentinel Proof of Concept which we gladly accepted as we hoped this would improve our knowledge of the solution.
A4S Cloud Solutions are a growing MSP within public sector, and we knew we could trust their approach to deliver value and help PHG with our security tooling
The team at A4S have been brilliant, highly approachable, friendly and approachable, on several occasions we contacted them to ask advice regarding security detections and they responded immediately whilst providing great advice.
There was no sales pressure provided by the A4S team, just education and upskilling. Unfortunately Sentinel is being delivered as part of a wider landing zones project however the A4S Cloud Solutions-delivered proof of concept enabled us to develop a strong understanding of the Sentinel solution which has supported our future decision making.
Without hesitation we’d highly recommend the A4S Cloud Solutions team, we hope to work with them more in the future and would encourage other organisations to reach out to them also.
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