Analytics Rules & Detections
Understanding the Concept
Sentinel analytics rules run scheduled KQL queries against ingested data to detect threats. Rule types include Microsoft Security (importing Defender alerts), Scheduled (custom KQL), NRT (Near Real-Time with minimal delay), Fusion (ML-based multi-stage attack detection), and Anomaly (behavioral anomaly detection).
Scheduled rules are the most flexible. Each rule defines a KQL query, schedule (how often to run), lookback period (data time window), alert threshold, entity mapping (user, host, IP), and incident creation settings. Alert grouping controls whether all alerts from one rule create separate incidents or group into one.
Rule templates from the Content Hub provide pre-built detection rules for common threat scenarios. Templates can be customized before deployment. Custom rules should follow best practices: specific queries, appropriate scheduling, proper entity mapping, and meaningful alert details.
Key Points
- Rule types: Microsoft Security, Scheduled, NRT, Fusion, Anomaly
- Scheduled rules: KQL query, schedule, lookback, threshold, entity mapping
- Entity mapping: extracts User, Host, IP, URL for investigation
- Alert grouping: controls incident creation from multiple alerts
- Content Hub templates for pre-built detections
- Fusion rules detect multi-stage attacks with ML
Why This Matters in Real Organizations
Analytics rules are the detection engine of Sentinel. Well-crafted rules with proper tuning separate actionable alerts from noise. Organizations with tuned analytics rules reduce false positives by up to 90%.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Interview Tips
- Explain the different analytics rule types and when to use each
- Discuss how you tune rules to reduce false positives
Exam Tips (SC-200)
- Know all analytics rule types and their characteristics
- Understand entity mapping configuration
- Know how alert grouping and incident creation work
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