Multicloud, One View: Using Microsoft Sentinel for Cross-Cloud Threat Visibility

In today's enterprise landscape, organizations no longer rely on a single cloud provider. Instead, they operate in a multicloud environment composed of Azure, AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and a wide variety of SaaS and on-premises systems.

Managing security across this fragmented landscape is a growing challenge. That’s where Microsoft Sentinel for multicloud environments comes in.

As a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR solution, it gives security teams unified visibility, enabling them to detect threats, respond faster, and strengthen their security posture across every cloud.

Why Multicloud Threat Detection Is Hard

Operating in a multicloud architecture brings flexibility and scalability, but also complexity in security operations. Each cloud provider has its own security tools, telemetry formats, identity management methods, and APIs. Without a centralized view, security teams face:

• Siloed security tools and logs that hinder cross-cloud correlation.
• No single identity plane, making it hard to monitor users and permissions across systems.
• Limited visibility across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS layers, increasing risk of lateral movement and undetected threats.

These blind spots result in slower detection, poor incident response capabilities, and weak access control. A multicloud environment needs a unified approach to threat detection and response—which is exactly what Microsoft Sentinel for multicloud delivers.

What Is Microsoft Sentinel?

Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR platform designed for flexibility and scale. It ingests data sources from a wide range of systems including Azure, AWS, GCP, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Defender XDR, third-party security tools, and on-premises systems.

Key features of Microsoft Sentinel include:

• Built-in machine learning and analytics rules for real-time threat detection.
• Integration with Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Entra, and Azure AD for deeper identity and workload visibility.
• Support for custom workbooks, dashboards, and automation playbooks.
• An intuitive workspace with log analytics, threat intelligence integration, and scalable security operations capabilities.

Microsoft Sentinel empowers security teams with centralized visibility and the ability to automate incident response, streamline investigation workflows, and remediate vulnerabilities across environments.

Using Microsoft Sentinel for Cross-Cloud Threat Visibility

With Microsoft Sentinel for multicloud environments, security analysts can finally gain a single pane of glass for monitoring cloud services, users, and workloads across Azure, AWS, GCP, and beyond. Here’s how:

I. Native Multicloud Data Connectors

Sentinel includes data connectors for AWS CloudTrail, Google Cloud Audit Logs, and Azure Activity Logs, allowing seamless data ingestion into a unified log analytics workspace. This real-time telemetry provides visibility into actions performed across clouds, including access changes, configuration drifts, and anomalous API calls.

II. Multicloud Identity Monitoring

Using integrations with Azure AD, Okta, and other identity providers, Sentinel helps monitor multi-tenant identity activity. This makes it possible to detect permissions abuse, credential misuse, and login anomalies regardless of the cloud provider.

III. Detecting Lateral Movement and Advanced Threats

Threat actors often pivot between environments to evade detection. Sentinel correlates security incidents across IaaS and SaaS layers to identify these patterns. Whether a token is compromised in AWS and used in Azure, or a Microsoft 365 account is leveraged to access a GCP app, Microsoft Sentinel for multicloud enables end-to-end tracking.

IV. Centralized Incident Response Workflows

By combining incident alerts, automated playbooks, and integrated Microsoft Defender capabilities, security teams can triage and respond to multicloud threats faster. Use automation to isolate endpoints, disable compromised accounts, and notify stakeholders with predefined workflows.

V. Threat Hunting and Intelligence Correlation

Security analysts can conduct threat hunting across multicloud logs using built-in queries and threat indicators. Integration with threat intelligence feeds enhances detection of known cyber threats, malware signatures, and attacker behavior.

How ne Digital can help: Operationalizing Sentinel for your company

While Microsoft Sentinel for multicloud delivers powerful capabilities, successful implementation requires deep cloud security expertise, constant tuning, and integration with your business objectives. That’s where our Azure Managed Services come in. We help organizations not only deploy Sentinel—but transform it into a fully operational, business-aligned security solution.

Multicloud Security Assessment

We begin with a comprehensive assessment of your multicloud landscape, including Azure, AWS, GCP, Microsoft 365, and on-prem systems. Our assessment identifies:

• Critical data sources and logging gaps across platforms
• Opportunities for telemetry normalization and cross-cloud correlation
• Misconfigurations, identity blind spots, and compliance risks

The result is a clear, prioritized roadmap to modernize your multicloud security using Microsoft Sentinel and other Azure-native capabilities.

Deployment Roadmaps

We design your Sentinel environment with scale and adaptability in mind. Our Azure experts roadmaps:

• Configure log ingestion pipelines using native connectors, REST APIs, and custom agents
• Build custom analytics rules to match your threat models and risk tolerance
• Integrate Microsoft Defender XDR, Azure AD, and Zero Trust principles into your SOC processes
• Deploy automated playbooks for rapid containment, notification, and remediation

Whether you're building a SOC from scratch or augmenting existing operations, we help accelerate value from day one.

Sentinel Managed Services

In addition to implementation, we offer management of Azure resources, such as Sentinel, included in our ongoing Managed Service. Our team handles day-to-day SIEM operations, so your internal teams can focus on your strategic priorities. Services include::

• Proactive tuning of detection rules and threat indicators
• 24/7 monitoring and triage of alerts, escalations, and security incidents
• Maintenance of your Log Analytics Workspace, KQL queries, and automation workflows
• Continuous development of custom dashboards, workbooks, and business-aligned reporting

You’ll receive actionable insights—not just raw data—supported by our team of certified Microsoft cloud and security specialists.

Full Lifecycle Integration

Our managed services extend well beyond SIEM. As a Microsoft Partner with deep experience in Azure migration, cloud governance, and compliance readiness, we align your Sentinel deployment with broader transformation goals:

• Integrate Sentinel with Azure Lighthouse for cross-tenant security operations
• Use Azure Policy, Defender for Cloud, and Microsoft Purview to harden your environments
• Enable secure access, privileged identity management, and data protection using Microsoft Entra and Purview

Security is not a one-time project—it’s a lifecycle. We help operationalize Microsoft Sentinel within that lifecycle to maximize ROI, reduce dwell time, and ensure ongoing alignment with your regulatory and business requirements.

Conclusion

Microsoft Sentinel for multicloud environments gives organizations a unified view into their security posture across Azure, AWS, GCP, and SaaS. With built-in machine learning, powerful playbooks, native data connectors, and flexible workspace tools, it enables scalable and effective threat detection and incident response.

But technology alone isn't enough. To fully realize Sentinel’s potential, you need an experienced partner to design, implement, and manage your environment.

Want to see across all your clouds? Talk to our team about a Sentinel Readiness Assessment and a tailored Managed Security Roadmap to get started.