1---2name: azure-security3description: Expert knowledge for Azure Security development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when securing AKS images, SBOM/Notation workflows, antimalware/firewalls, Customer Lockbox, or CMK/Key Vault, and other Azure Security related development tasks. Not for Azure Defender For Cloud (use azure-defender-for-cloud), Azure Firewall (use azure-firewall), Azure DDos Protection (use azure-ddos-protection), Azure Web Application Firewall (use azure-web-application-firewall).4---5# Azure Security Skill
6
7This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Security. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.
8
9## How to Use This Skill
10
11> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: Use the **Category Index** below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., `L35-L120`), use `read_file` with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., `[security.md](security.md)`), use `read_file` on the linked reference file
12
13> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: If `metadata.generated_at` is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If `mcp_microsoftdocs` tools are not available, suggest the user install it: [Installation Guide](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/README.md)
14
15This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:
16- **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown.
17- **Fallback**: Use `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.
18
19## Category Index
20
21| Category | Lines | Description |
22|----------|-------|-------------|
23| Troubleshooting | L35-L39 | Diagnosing and resolving common Azure Customer Lockbox issues, including access request problems, approval/denial errors, and configuration or permission-related failures. |
24| Best Practices | L40-L58 | Security hardening checklists and patterns for Azure IaaS/PaaS: identity, network, data encryption, secrets, DNS, and app/database/service configurations to reduce attack surface. |
25| Decision Making | L59-L64 | Guidance on which Azure services support customer-managed encryption keys and how to choose the right key management approach (Key Vault, managed HSM, platform keys) for your workloads. |
26| Security | L65-L95 | Securing Azure workloads: threat modeling mitigations, AKS image validation, ransomware defense, incident response, data protection, access control, and Azure security best practices. |
27| Configuration | L96-L103 | Configuring Azure security features like antimalware, firewalls, container vulnerability tools, security logging/auditing, and upcoming managed TLS/DCV changes |
28| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L104-L108 | Guidance on generating signed SBOMs for container images, attaching them in CI/CD, and integrating software supply chain security into deployment workflows. |
29| Deployment | L109-L115 | Guides for signing and verifying container images with Notation in Azure Pipelines/GitHub Actions, plus comparing security feature availability in Azure vs Azure Government. |
30
31### Troubleshooting
32| Topic | URL |
33|-------|-----|
34| Resolve common issues with Azure Customer Lockbox | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/customer-lockbox-faq |
35
36### Best Practices
37| Topic | URL |
38|-------|-----|
39| Harden Azure Marketplace images before publishing | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-marketplace-images |
40| Apply Azure data security and encryption best practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/data-encryption-best-practices |
41| Use Azure SQL database security checklist | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/database-security-checklist |
42| Apply security best practices to Azure IaaS workloads | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/iaas |
43| Apply Microsoft Entra identity security best practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/identity-management-best-practices |
44| Apply Azure network security best practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/network-best-practices |
45| Apply operational security best practices for Azure assets | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/operational-best-practices |
46| Secure Azure App Service web and mobile applications | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/paas-applications-using-app-services |
47| Secure PaaS databases with Azure SQL and Synapse | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/paas-applications-using-sql |
48| Secure PaaS applications using Azure Storage features | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/paas-applications-using-storage |
49| Design and operate secure PaaS deployments on Azure | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/paas-deployments |
50| Protect secrets across Azure services and pipelines | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/secrets-best-practices |
51| Apply security best practices to Azure Service Fabric | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/service-fabric-best-practices |
52| Implement five-step checklist to secure Entra ID | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/steps-secure-identity |
53| Prevent Azure subdomain takeover with DNS and App Service | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/subdomain-takeover |
54
55### Decision Making
56| Topic | URL |
57|-------|-----|
58| Identify Azure services supporting customer managed keys | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/encryption-customer-managed-keys-support |
59| Choose the right Azure key management solution | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/key-management-choose |
60
61### Security
62| Topic | URL |
63|-------|-----|
64| Enforce AKS image signature validation with Ratify and Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/validating-image-signatures-using-ratify-aks |
65| Implement auditing and logging mitigations with Threat Modeling Tool | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-auditing-and-logging |
66| Apply authentication mitigations using Microsoft Threat Modeling Tool | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-authentication |
67| Mitigate authorization threats in Threat Modeling Tool | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-authorization |
68| Secure communications based on Threat Modeling Tool findings | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-communication-security |
69| Harden configuration management using Threat Modeling Tool mitigations | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-configuration-management |
70| Implement cryptography mitigations from Threat Modeling Tool | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-cryptography |
71| Secure exception management using Threat Modeling Tool guidance | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-exception-management |
72| Apply secure input validation mitigations from Threat Modeling Tool | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-input-validation |
73| Protect sensitive data using Threat Modeling Tool mitigations | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-sensitive-data |
74| Implement secure session management from Threat Modeling Tool | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-session-management |
75| Apply Azure-specific security best practices for AI workloads | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ai-security-best-practices |
76| Configure Microsoft Antimalware in Azure with PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/antimalware-code-samples |
77| Use Azure Certificate Authority roots and requirements | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-certificate-authority-details |
78| Design Azure backup and restore plan against ransomware | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/backup-plan-to-protect-against-ransomware |
79| Implement Azure resource security best practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/best-practices-and-patterns |
80| Configure alternate email notifications for Customer Lockbox | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/customer-lockbox-alternative-email |
81| Control Microsoft engineer data access with Customer Lockbox | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/customer-lockbox-overview |
82| Implement Azure-specific incident response practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/incident-response-overview |
83| Review Azure SQL Database built-in security features | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/infrastructure-sql |
84| Apply Azure operational security checklist actions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/operational-checklist |
85| Understand security access methods for Azure production network | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/production-network |
86| Understand Azure controls for protection of customer data | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/protection-customer-data |
87| Detect and respond to ransomware using Azure security tools | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ransomware-detect-respond |
88| Use Azure-native features to protect against ransomware | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ransomware-features-resources |
89| Prepare Azure environments to withstand ransomware attacks | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ransomware-prepare |
90| Configure Azure Firewall Premium to mitigate ransomware | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ransomware-protection-with-azure-firewall |
91
92### Configuration
93| Topic | URL |
94|-------|-----|
95| Configure Dependabot and Copacetic for container security | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/container-secure-supply-chain-implementation/cssc-depenadabot-quickstart |
96| Configure firewalls using Azure domain patterns | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-domains |
97| Configure and analyze Azure security logging and auditing | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/log-audit |
98| Adapt to upcoming Azure managed TLS and DCV changes | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/managed-tls-changes |
99
100### Integrations & Coding Patterns
101| Topic | URL |
102|-------|-----|
103| Create and attach signed SBOMs to container images | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/attach-sbom |
104
105### Deployment
106| Topic | URL |
107|-------|-----|
108| Sign and verify container images in Azure Pipelines with Notation | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/notation-ado-task-sign |
109| Sign container images with Notation in GitHub Actions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/notation-sign-gha |
110| Verify container image signatures with Notation in GitHub Actions | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/verify-gha |
111| Check Azure vs Azure Government security feature availability | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/feature-availability |
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