Azure Updates: Firewall Manager; Defender; Canada Skills Program

Microsoft program manager Suren Jamiyanaa encouraged customers to simplify network security management with Firewall Manager. Web Application Firewall policy and Azure DDoS Protection are generally available. Centralized management has become an increasing priority for many customers as a result of Zero Trust initiatives. The new capabilities allow customers to centralize Layer 7 app security, Front Door, and Application Gateway across their subscriptions. Through its release, Microsoft is allowing admins to upgrade from WAF config to WAF policies for Application Gateway, managed DDoS protection plans for Vnets, and monitor overall security posture. Jamiyanna wrote:

In Azure Firewall Manager, you can now manage and protect your Azure Front Door or Application Gateway deployments by associating WAF policies, at scale. This allows you to view all your key deployments in one central place, alongside Azure Firewall deployments and DdoS Protection plans.

CVP Vasu Jakkal touted the capabilities of Microsoft Defender for individual security needs. An astonishing 921 password attacks occur every second according to Microsoft data, and ransomware increasingly targets families and small businesses. As a result, Microsoft has launched Defender for individuals as part of the Microsoft 365 suite. Jakkal explained: