Microsoftdocs Agent Skills

Included skill

Azure Security

Expert knowledge for Azure Security development including best practices, decision making, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when securing AKS images, Azure Antimalware, CMK/Key Vault, Lockbox, or Notation-signed container pipelines, and other Azure Security related development tasks. Not for Azure Defender For Cloud (use azure-defender-for-cloud), Azure Sentinel (use azure-sentinel), Azure DDoS Protection (use azure-ddos-protection), Azure Web Application Firewall (use azure-web-application-firewall).

Source: /skills/azure-security/SKILL.md

Azure Security Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Security. Covers best practices, decision making, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

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

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

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

  • Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
  • Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

Category Lines Description
Best Practices L34-L58 End-to-end Azure security guidance: hardening IaaS/PaaS, identity and access, network and operational security, backups and ransomware resilience, secrets management, and service-specific checklists.
Decision Making L59-L64 Guidance on choosing Azure security options, including comparing security features in US Gov clouds and selecting appropriate key management (Key Vault, managed keys, BYOK).
Security L65-L97 Platform-level and workload security: threat modeling mitigations, AKS image validation, crypto/authz/session hardening, Azure infra/network/SQL security, keys, Lockbox, Secure/Measured Boot, and integrity monitoring.
Configuration L98-L108 Configuring Azure security features: antimalware, container scanning (Dependabot/Copacetic), firewall rules, CMK encryption, logging/auditing, TLS changes, ransomware protections, and Customer Lockbox alerts.
Integrations & Coding Patterns L109-L114 Guides for generating signed SBOMs for container images and scripting Microsoft Antimalware configuration in Azure using PowerShell.
Deployment L115-L120 Guides for signing and verifying container images with Notation in Azure Pipelines/GitHub Actions, plus comparing security feature availability in Azure vs Azure Government.

Best Practices

Topic URL
Harden Azure Marketplace images before publishing https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-marketplace-images
Design Azure backup and restore plans against ransomware https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/backup-plan-to-protect-against-ransomware
Implement Azure security best practices and patterns https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/best-practices-and-patterns
Apply Azure data security and encryption best practices https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/data-encryption-best-practices
Use Azure SQL database security checklist https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/database-security-checklist
Secure Azure IaaS workloads and virtual machines https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/iaas
Apply Azure identity and access control best practices https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/identity-management-best-practices
Implement incident response processes for Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/incident-response-overview
Apply Azure network security best practices https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/network-best-practices
Apply Azure operational security best practices https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/operational-best-practices
Secure Azure App Service PaaS applications https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/paas-applications-using-app-services
Secure PaaS databases with Azure SQL and Synapse https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/paas-applications-using-sql
Secure PaaS applications using Azure Storage https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/paas-applications-using-storage
Design and operate secure Azure PaaS deployments https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/paas-deployments
Detect and respond to ransomware in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ransomware-detect-respond
Prepare Azure environments for ransomware resilience https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ransomware-prepare
Harden Azure Firewall Premium for ransomware defense https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ransomware-protection-with-azure-firewall
Protect and manage secrets in Azure workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/secrets-best-practices
Harden Azure Service Fabric clusters and security https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/service-fabric-best-practices
Implement Microsoft Entra identity security checklist https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/steps-secure-identity
Prevent Azure subdomain takeover via DNS hygiene https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/subdomain-takeover

Decision Making

Topic URL
Compare security feature availability in US Government clouds https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/feature-availability
Choose the right Azure key management solution https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/key-management-choose

Security

Topic URL
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
Implement auditing and logging mitigations with Threat Modeling Tool https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-auditing-and-logging
Implement authentication mitigations with Threat Modeling Tool https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-authentication
Mitigate authorization threats in Threat Modeling Tool https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-authorization
Secure communications based on Threat Modeling Tool findings https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-communication-security
Harden configuration management using Threat Modeling Tool mitigations https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-configuration-management
Implement cryptography mitigations from Threat Modeling Tool https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-cryptography
Secure exception management using Threat Modeling Tool guidance https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-exception-management
Apply secure input validation mitigations from Threat Modeling Tool https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-input-validation
Protect sensitive data using Threat Modeling Tool mitigations https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-sensitive-data
Implement secure session management from Threat Modeling Tool https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/develop/threat-modeling-tool-session-management
Apply Azure-specific security best practices for AI workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ai-security-best-practices
Use Azure Certificate Authority roots and requirements https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-certificate-authority-details
Enforce platform code integrity in Azure production https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/code-integrity
Understand and configure Azure Customer Lockbox access https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/customer-lockbox-faq
Control Microsoft engineer data access with Customer Lockbox https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/customer-lockbox-overview
Identify Azure services supporting customer-managed keys https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/encryption-customer-managed-keys-support
Secure Azure hardware, firmware, and supply chain https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/firmware
Maintain Azure infrastructure integrity and security controls https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/infrastructure-integrity
Monitor Azure infrastructure for security and vulnerabilities https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/infrastructure-monitoring
Manage and operate the Azure production network securely https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/infrastructure-operations
Understand Azure SQL Database security capabilities https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/infrastructure-sql
Apply firmware measured boot and host attestation in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/measured-boot-host-attestation
Apply Azure operational security checklist controls https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/operational-checklist
Follow Azure penetration testing rules and scope https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/pen-testing
Verify Azure platform integrity and secure host lifecycle https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/platform
Secure access to the Azure production network https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/production-network
Control and audit access to customer data in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/protection-customer-data
Use Secure Boot to protect Azure virtual machines https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/secure-boot

Configuration

Topic URL
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
Configure Microsoft Antimalware for Azure workloads https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/antimalware
Plan firewall rules using Azure domain patterns https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/azure-domains
Configure alternate email notifications for Customer Lockbox https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/customer-lockbox-alternative-email
Configure Azure security logging and auditing https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/log-audit
Adapt to Azure managed TLS feature changes https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/managed-tls-changes
Configure Azure-native features for ransomware protection https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ransomware-features-resources

Integrations & Coding Patterns

Topic URL
Create and attach signed SBOMs to container images https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/attach-sbom
Use PowerShell to configure Microsoft Antimalware in Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/antimalware-code-samples

Deployment

Topic URL
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
Sign container images with Notation in GitHub Actions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/notation-sign-gha
Verify container image signatures with Notation in GitHub Actions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/container-secure-supply-chain/articles/verify-gha