Vectra AI enhances platform with new Azure defences

Vectra AI has announced the extension of its cybersecurity platform to include coverage for Microsoft Azure environments, enhancing its hybrid and multi-cloud defence capabilities.

The extension to the Vectra AI Platform adds over 40 new attacker behaviour detections specifically for Microsoft Azure, expanding the total to more than 100. This development is intended to address the increasing number of potential entry points on the ever-growing Microsoft attack surface, as more organisations adopt hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

The Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024 highlights the scale of the challenge, noting that Microsoft customers face over 600 million cybercriminal and nation-state attacks daily, ranging from ransomware to identity theft. This situation is exacerbated by the expanding Microsoft attack surface, which includes on-premises data centres, networks, cloud services, and various endpoints.

The Vectra Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services reported a sixfold increase in attacks on Microsoft E5 customers between June and October 2024. This highlights the pressing need for robust security measures to protect these environments. Vectra AI's platform provides over 40 attacker behaviour detections unique to Azure and a comprehensive set of detections across other Microsoft services, including Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Copilot for M365.

Hitesh Sheth, CEO and Founder of Vectra AI, commented, "We consistently hear from CISOs that they want AI to help them identify real threats, connect the dots in real-time, and deliver accurate, integrated attack signal to the SOC. This is especially true for CISOs securing rapidly sprawling Microsoft environments. No one is better than Vectra AI at delivering integrated attack signal in real-time."

He added that the Vectra AI Platform utilises patented AI-driven Attack Signal Intelligence to continuously learn and detect attacker behaviours spanning an organisation's cloud and network environments. This feature aims to provide Microsoft customers with the attack coverage and signal clarity needed to simplify their security operations and improve efficiency.

Fabian Heiz, CISO of Coop, stated, "Vectra AI covers not only the basics, but with the detection models, it really looks at the identities traversing through Microsoft Azure and Office 365, and that gives us a complete picture. Vectra AI has been a good partner for the last eight years."

Jeff Reed, Chief Product Officer of Vectra AI, remarked, "By expanding our coverage of the Microsoft ecosystem with AI detections for Azure and Copilot, we are demonstrating to SOC teams that our Attack Signal Intelligence is AI they can trust, providing a unique blend of advanced technology, contextual understanding, and automation that other threat detection tools cannot compete against."