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What Is Microsoft Sentinel Used For: Features, Reviews & Alternatives

Cloud-native SIEM and SOAR.

Editorially updated Oct 25, 2025

The overview

What Microsoft Sentinel is for

Microsoft Sentinel operates as a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR platform, primarily accessed and managed through the Azure portal. It provides a unified web interface for security operations teams to ingest security logs from diverse sources, detect threats using built-in and custom analytics, investigate incidents with contextual data, and automate response actions. The platform's browser-first design facilitates real-time security monitoring and incident management directly within a web environment, enabling security analysts to maintain continuous oversight of their organization's security posture without requiring client-side software installations.

Key features

1Core Capabilitie

Data Connector Gallery: Web interface for configuring ingestion from Azure services, M365, AWS, GCP, and on-premises source
Kusto Query Language (KQL) Editor: Browser-based environment for crafting complex queries against ingested security log
Analytics Rule Wizard: Guided web flow for defining custom detection rules based on KQL queries or built-in template
Incident Investigation Graph: Interactive web visualization for exploring relationships between alerts, entities, and events during an incident
Threat Intelligence Blade: Centralized web view for integrating and managing various threat intelligence feed

2Specialized Workflow

Playbook Designer (Logic Apps): Visual web canvas for building automated response workflows (SOAR playbooks)
Workbook Template Library: Pre-built and customizable dashboard templates for security monitoring and reporting, accessible via browser
Hunting Query Repository: Curated collection of KQL queries for proactive threat hunting, executable directly from the web interface
User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) Panel: Web-based insights into anomalous user and entity activitie
Watchlist Management Interface: Browser-accessible panel for creating and managing custom data lists for detection and hunting

Who it helps

Useful ways to use Microsoft Sentinel

Proactive Threat Hunting

Security analysts leverage the KQL query editor and hunting query repository within the Azure portal to proactively search for indicators of compromise (IOCs) and advanced persistent threats (APTs) across their ingested security data, identifying stealthy attacks before they escalate

Centralized Incident Management

SOC managers utilize the incident queue and investigation graph in the web interface to oversee active security incidents, assign tasks, track progress, and review the full context of an attack, ensuring timely and coordinated response effort

Automated Incident Response

Incident responders configure and deploy SOAR playbooks via the Logic Apps designer to automate repetitive response tasks such as blocking malicious IPs, isolating compromised hosts, or enriching incident data, accelerating mean time to respond (MTTR) directly from the browser

A practical path

How to use Microsoft Sentinel

Onboard Data Source

Navigate to the Azure portal, search for " ," then select "Data connectors." Choose relevant connectors (e.g., Azure Activity, Microsoft 365 Defender, Syslog) and follow the browser-guided setup to begin ingesting security log

External signals

Reviews & reputation

AI aggregated

2.5/ 5

Aggregated review score

Microsoft Sentinel is highly valued by security operations teams for its scalable, cloud-native SIEM and SOAR capabilities, deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, and powerful KQL-driven analytics. Users frequently praise its ability to centralize security data, automate incident response, and leverage AI for threat detection, though some note the learning curve for KQL and initial configuration complexity.

G2 LarryLudwig Product Review SmartCustomer Trustpilot

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

1How is data ingestion and retention priced for Sentinel?⌄

Sentinel's pricing is primarily consumption-based, charged per gigabyte (GB) of data ingested into the Log Analytics workspace it utilizes. There are also charges for data retention beyond the initial free 90 days, and for specific features like UEBA. Costs scale with your data volume and retention policies.

2Can Sentinel integrate with my existing on-premises security tools and cloud providers?⌄

Yes, Sentinel offers a broad range of data connectors. Beyond native Azure services, it supports ingestion from various on-premises sources via agents (e.g., Syslog, CEF, Windows Event Forwarding) and integrates with other cloud providers like AWS and GCP through specific connectors or API integrations, all managed from the web portal.

3What level of customization is available for detection rules and automated responses?⌄

Sentinel provides extensive customization. Detection rules can be built from scratch using KQL, allowing for highly specific logic. Automated responses (playbooks) are built using Azure Logic Apps, offering a visual designer to integrate with hundreds of services and create complex, multi-step workflows tailored to your incident response processes.

4Is Sentinel suitable for organizations with strict compliance requirements like HIPAA or GDPR?⌄

Yes, as an Azure service, Sentinel inherits Azure's comprehensive compliance certifications, including HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and many others. Data residency options are also available, allowing organizations to meet specific regulatory requirements by deploying Sentinel in compliant Azure regions.

5How does Sentinel compare to traditional on-premises SIEM solutions?⌄

Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM, offering elastic scalability, pay-as-you-go pricing, and reduced operational overhead compared to traditional on-premises SIEMs that require significant hardware, software, and maintenance investments. It also benefits from Microsoft's global threat intelligence and AI capabilities for enhanced detection.

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