Ultimate Microsoft XDR for Full Spectrum Cyber Defence

Key Features
? Learn every component of the Defender suite, Entra ID, and Microsoft Sentinel, from fundamentals to advanced automation.
? Build real-world detections, hunt threats, and automate response with guided labs and step-by-step workflows.
? Master KQL query design, cross-platform signal correlation, and threat-informed defense strategies.
? Design, deploy, and manage a mature, unified XDR strategy for organizations of any size.

Book Description
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is essential for unifying security signals, accelerating investigations, and stopping attacks, before they spread. This book,Ultimate Microsoft XDR for Full Spectrum Cyber Defenceshows you how to harness Microsoft’s powerful XDR stack to protect identities, endpoints, cloud workloads, and collaboration platforms.

You will progress from mastering the core Defender products and Entra ID security features to unlocking Microsoft Sentinel’s SIEM and SOAR capabilities. Along the way, you will also build high-fidelity detections with KQL, automate responses with playbooks, and apply Zero Trust principles to secure modern, hybrid environments. Each chapter combines real-world scenarios with step-by-step guidance, so that you can confidently operationalize Microsoft XDR in your own organization.

Hence, whether you are a security analyst, architect, SOC leader, or MSSP team, this guide equips you to design, deploy, and scale a unified detection and response strategy—reducing complexity, improving visibility, and neutralizing threats at machine speed.

Thus, build a security operation that is proactive, resilient, and Microsoft-native.

What you will learn
? Design and deploy Microsoft XDR across cloud and hybrid environments.
? Detects threats, using Defender tools and cross-platform signal correlation.
? Write optimized KQL queries for threat hunting and cost control.
? Automate incident response, using Sentinel SOAR playbooks and Logic Apps.
? Secure identities, endpoints, and SaaS apps with Zero Trust principles.
? Operationalize your SOC with real-world Microsoft security use cases.

Table of Contents
1. Understanding Microsoft XDR
2. Defender for Endpoint
3. Defender for Identity
4. Defender for Cloud Apps
5. Defender for Office 365
6. Entra ID Security
7. Introduction to Microsoft Sentinel
8. Microsoft Sentinel SIEM Capabilities
9. Microsoft Sentinel SOAR Capabilities
10. Efficient KQL Query Design and Optimization
11. Hands-On Lab Setup
12. Building and Operating a Mature Unified XDR Strategy
Index

About the Authors
Ian David Hanleyis a seasoned Cybersecurity Architect, and the founder of Hanley Cloud Solutions. With a career dedicated to helping organizations — from ambitious startups to established Fortune 500 enterprises — secure their Microsoft cloud environments, Ian brings a pragmatic, results-driven approach to modern security challenges. His expertise spans Zero Trust architecture, SIEM/SOAR implementation, threat-informed defense, and enterprise-scale cloud security strategy. If it involves the Microsoft security stack, Ian has likely architected, automated, or optimized it.