Course Overview
The Microsoft Azure Cloud training course is designed to advance candidates with the skills required to work with one of the most demanding and vibrant Cloud Computing platforms. This comprehensive training includes core Azure Services like computing, storage, security, networking, databases, and identity management after which the concepts of Azure Security and Penetration Testing will be covered. Participants will explore Azure best practices for Security and Penetration Testing, cost optimization tactics, and effective deployment strategies. Practical cloud skills will be reinforced through hands-on labs and real-world scenarios. By the end of the course, learners will gain a solid understanding of Azure architecture and how to secure and pen-test one.
Syllabus
Chapter I- Introduction to Azure and Cloud Computing
- What is Microsoft Azure?
- Azure vs AWS vs GCP overview
- Understanding cloud service models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
- Key concepts: Regions, Availability Zones, Resource Groups
- Azure portal, CLI, PowerShell & Resource Manager (ARM)
- Compute (VMs, App Services, Functions)
- Storage (Blob, Table, File)
- Networking (VNet, NSG, Azure Firewall)
- Identity (Azure AD)
- Database (SQL Database, Cosmos DB)
Chapter II- Identity and Access Management in Azure
- Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) fundamentals
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
- Azure AD Conditional Access Policies
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
- Just-In-Time (JIT) access and Just-Enough-Access (JEA)
Chapter III- Azure Security Services Overview
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Azure Sentinel (SIEM and SOAR)
- Microsoft Defender for Identity
- Azure Key Vault
- Azure Policy and Blueprints
- Azure Information Protection (AIP)
- DDoS Protection Plans
Chapter IV- Azure Networking and Network Security
- Virtual Network (VNet) architecture
- Subnets, Route Tables, and Network Security Groups (NSGs)
- Azure Firewall and Application Gateway
- Private Endpoints and Service Endpoints
- Azure Bastion Host
- VPN Gateway and ExpressRoute
Chapter V- Data Security and Encryption in Azure
- Data classification and protection
- Encryption at rest & in transit
- Customer-Managed Keys (CMKs) vs Microsoft-Managed Keys
- Azure Disk Encryption
- Secure Access to Blob Storage and SAS tokens
- Azure Purview for data governance
Chapter VI- Securing Azure Compute and Applications
- Hardening Azure Virtual Machines
- Secure deployment pipelines (CI/CD) using DevOps and GitHub Actions
- Web application security (App Service, Function Apps)
- Container security in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
- API security with Azure API Management
- Azure App Gateway WAF (Web Application Firewall)
Chapter VII- Incident Detection and Response
- Threat detection with Microsoft Defender
- Setting up Azure Sentinel for centralized threat hunting
- Creating custom detection rules and analytics
- Automated response using Logic Apps and Playbooks
- Forensics in Azure: log collection, evidence isolation
Chapter VIII- Introduction to Azure Penetration Testing
- Microsoft’s cloud pen-testing policy
- Scoping and legal considerations in Azure pentests
- Penetration Testing vs Red Teaming in cloud
- Cloud vs traditional pen-testing methodology
- Permitted activities and rules of engagement
Chapter IX- Reconnaissance and Enumeration in Azure
- Discovering Azure subdomains and services (AzureFront, *.cloudapp.net)
- Identifying exposed resources (VMs, endpoints, blobs)
- Tools: Azucar, MicroBurst, ScoutSuite, CloudFox
- Enumerating Azure AD objects and roles
- Detecting misconfigured public storage and secrets
Chapter X- Attacking Azure Resources
- Exploiting misconfigured IAM and role assignments
- Privilege escalation via role chaining and token abuse
- Accessing unsecured blobs, functions, databases
- Exploiting Azure AD Connect misconfigurations
- Metadata API exploitation in Azure VMs (Managed Identity abuse)
- SSRF & RCE in Azure-hosted apps
Chapter XI- Post-Exploitation and Pivoting in Azure
- Lateral movement techniques in Azure environments
- Extracting credentials from Key Vault and storage accounts
- Abusing Azure automation and Logic Apps for persistence
- Access token reuse and session hijacking
- Dumping AzureAD logs, subscriptions, keys
Chapter XII- Defending and Hardening Azure
- Secure Azure AD tenant configuration
- Secure score analysis and improvement
- Conditional Access and Identity Protection best practices
- Hardening VMs and app services
- Secure DevOps with security gates and dependency scanning
- Logging and alerting for security events