Micrsoft Defender for Endpoint Home-Lab

ℹ️Overview

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a comprehensive endpoint security solution that helps protect enterprise networks from advanced threats. Setting up a home lab for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint allows individuals to gain hands-on experience in deploying, configuring, and managing this powerful security tool in a simulated environment.

In this Home-Lab, we will cover:

• Requirement
• Lab Diagram
• Setting up Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
• Excercises

🧮Requirements

• Operting System/Distro:

  • Kali Linux(Attacker)
  • Windows 11(Victim Machine with Defender agent)

• Software:

  • Virtualbox
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 or 2(Trial)

🖼️Lab Diagram

</> Setting up Microsoft Defender for Endpoint(Trial Account)

• Sign up for Free Trial of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
• Onboard the Victim Windows 11 Machine

🧑‍💻Excercises

• Real-Time Protection: Execute a known malware file on the Windows 11 virtual machine and observe how Microsoft Defender detects and blocks the threat in real-time.
• Automatic Sample Submission: Run a file with suspicious behavior on the Windows 11 machine and observe how Microsoft Defender automatically submits the sample to Microsoft for analysis.
• Network Protection: Conduct an email phishing attack with malicious link in Windows 11 machine from Kali Linux and observe how Microsoft Defender's network protection feature detects and blocks the malicious traffic.
• Live Response: Utilize Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's live response feature to remotely investigate and respond to security incidents on the Windows 11 machine, such as collecting forensic data, terminating malicious processes, or isolating compromised devices.
• Deep Analysis: Perform deep analysis of suspicious files or processes detected by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint using built-in tools or third-party analysis platforms, and explore advanced techniques for identifying indicators of compromise (IoCs) and understanding malware behavior.
• Advanced Hunting Queries: Use the Microsoft Defender Security Center to create and execute advanced hunting queries to search for specific security events or suspicious activities on the Windows 11 machine.
• Threat Intelligence Analytics: Analyze the threat analytics provided by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to identify trends, patterns, or anomalies in endpoint security events and telemetry data.