Unlocking the Power of File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

As part of Microsoft’s continuous efforts to enhance cloud security, the integration of File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) has entered public preview under Defender for Servers Plan 2. This September 2024 release brings an advanced, real-time layer of protection that is essential for monitoring file changes across servers.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through the significance of FIM, its integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and how it fits into a modern cloud security strategy. Plus, I’ll provide a short PowerShell snippet to enable this powerful feature in your environment.

What is File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)?

File Integrity Monitoring is a security feature designed to detect changes in files and system configurations, ensuring that any unauthorized modifications are flagged for review. Traditionally, FIM is crucial for compliance frameworks like PCI-DSS and HIPAA, where maintaining the integrity of files is paramount.

The integration of FIM with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint brings it to a whole new level by leveraging the power of Defender for Endpoint’s threat intelligence and machine learning capabilities. This allows for proactive identification and remediation of potential threats related to file modifications, offering a more robust security framework.

Why Does FIM Matter in the Cloud?

In today’s cloud-driven environments, ensuring the integrity of your files and configurations is critical. The shift to cloud-native and hybrid infrastructures increases the surface area for potential breaches and unauthorized file changes. FIM helps provide visibility into unauthorized or unexpected changes, making it a key tool in defending against insider threats, ransomware, and other cyberattacks.

By integrating FIM into Microsoft Defender for Cloud, organizations can now:

Monitor critical files for unauthorized changes across cloud and hybrid environments.
Receive real-time alerts when unexpected modifications occur.
Leverage Defender for Endpoint’s detection capabilities to immediately assess the risk level of any detected changes and recommend remediation steps.

FIM and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: A Perfect Match

With this integration, FIM is no longer just about logging and reporting changes. By connecting with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, FIM extends into the realm of intelligent threat detection. The combination of these tools allows for:

Automated response capabilities: When a critical file change is detected, the system can trigger automatic remediation workflows.
Advanced detection algorithms: Powered by Microsoft’s threat intelligence network, Defender for Endpoint analyzes file changes to determine if they are linked to known malicious patterns.
Seamless cross-platform monitoring: FIM within Defender for Cloud can monitor not just Azure-hosted resources, but also on-premises and hybrid environments through Defender for Servers.

How to Enable FIM in Your Environment

Enabling FIM in Defender for Cloud through its integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is straightforward. Below is a PowerShell script to help you get started with enabling auto-provisioning of this feature across multiple servers.

# Connect to your Azure account
Connect-AzAccount

# Get a list of subscriptions
$subscriptions = Get-AzSubscription

# Loop through each subscription and enable Defender for Servers Plan 2 (includes FIM)
foreach ($sub in $subscriptions) {
    Set-AzSecurityPricing -Name 'VirtualMachines' -PricingTier 'Standard' -SubscriptionId $sub.Id

    # Enable Auto-Provisioning for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (FIM is part of this)
    Set-AzSecurityAutoProvisioningSetting -AutoProvision 'On' -SubscriptionId $sub.Id
}

Write-Host "File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) enabled for all subscriptions with Defender for Servers Plan 2"

# Connect to your Azure account

Connect-AzAccount

# Get a list of subscriptions

$subscriptions = Get-AzSubscription

# Loop through each subscription and enable Defender for Servers Plan 2 (includes FIM)

foreach ($sub in $subscriptions) {

Set-AzSecurityPricing -Name 'VirtualMachines' -PricingTier 'Standard' -SubscriptionId $sub.Id

# Enable Auto-Provisioning for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (FIM is part of this)

Set-AzSecurityAutoProvisioningSetting -AutoProvision 'On' -SubscriptionId $sub.Id

}

Write-Host "File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) enabled for all subscriptions with Defender for Servers Plan 2"

This script connects to your Azure account, loops through all your subscriptions, and enables Defender for Servers Plan 2, which includes the FIM feature. It also ensures that auto-provisioning for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is activated.

Final Thoughts

The integration of FIM with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint adds an essential layer of security to any cloud or hybrid environment. With its real-time monitoring and intelligent threat detection, FIM can help organizations stay ahead of potential breaches by catching unauthorized file changes as soon as they happen.

For businesses running workloads in Azure or across hybrid environments, this is an excellent feature to ensure compliance and maintain a high level of security.

If you’re using Defender for Cloud, I highly recommend enabling this feature to strengthen your file integrity monitoring capabilities.

Stay secure!

About Shaun Hardneck
As a Microsoft Cloud Security Specialist, I provide guidance on Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Defender for Endpoint, and cloud security best practices. Connect with me for further insights on how to safeguard your cloud infrastructure.

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How to Enable and Manage File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) in Microsoft Cloud Environments