Azure vs AWS Security Services – Side-by-Side Comparison

🔐 Azure vs AWS Security Services – Side-by-Side Comparison

Security Domain	Azure	AWS	Purpose
SIEM & SOAR	Microsoft Sentinel	None native (use 3rd party)	Centralised log ingestion, threat detection, and automated response
Threat Detection (Cloud)	Defender for Cloud	Amazon GuardDuty	Detects anomalies, malware, risky logins, misconfigurations
EDR/XDR	Defender for Endpoint	Amazon Inspector + external tools	Endpoint protection and response capabilities
Identity & Access	Azure AD / Entra ID	IAM	User, group, and role management
JIT Privileged Access	PIM (Privileged Identity Mgmt)	IAM with limited customisation	Just-in-time role elevation
Secrets Management	Azure Key Vault	AWS KMS + Secrets Manager	Secure storage of keys, secrets, and certs
Governance & Compliance	Azure Policy	AWS Config + SCPs	Enforce and audit compliance with rules
Network Firewall	Azure Firewall	AWS Network Firewall	Stateful L3–L7 traffic inspection
DDoS Protection	Azure DDoS Protection (Standard)	AWS Shield & Shield Advanced	Mitigates network and app layer DDoS attacks
Security Posture Mgmt	Defender for Cloud	Security Hub	Security health, scoring, and dashboard
Compliance Frameworks	Blueprints + Policy	AWS Config + Security Hub	Enforce and monitor standards like CIS, NIST, PCI
Audit Logging	Log Analytics / Activity Logs	CloudTrail + CloudWatch Logs	Track API activity and operational events
Forensics / Investigation	Microsoft Sentinel + Azure Monitor	Amazon Detective	Investigate security incidents and context
Data Classification & DLP	Microsoft Purview	Macie	Discover and protect sensitive data (e.g., PII, credit card)
Access Monitoring	Conditional Access + AAD logs	IAM Access Analyzer + CloudTrail	Monitor access usage and anomalies
Security Automation	Logic Apps (SOAR)	EventBridge + Lambda + Security Hub	Automate alerts and remediations
Storage Security	Storage Account Firewall + SAS + TLS	S3 Bucket Policies + Encryption + TLS	Control who can access storage and how

💡 Key Insights

Azure is more integrated with native SIEM (Sentinel) and endpoint security (Defender).
AWS is more modular, requiring multiple services (e.g. GuardDuty + Macie + Inspector) to achieve what Defender for Cloud offers in a single pane.
Governance tools like Azure Policy and AWS Config/SCPs serve similar roles, but Azure often enforces policies more proactively by default.
IAM granularity is deeper in AWS, but Azure AD is superior for enterprise federation and hybrid identity.

✅ Summary Table – Functional View

Security Function	Best in Azure	Best in AWS
SIEM & SOAR	✅ Microsoft Sentinel	🟥 (requires third-party)
Endpoint Security	✅ Defender for Endpoint	🟥 No native equivalent
Compliance Baseline	✅ Azure Policy	✅ AWS Config + SCPs
Secrets & Key Management	✅ Key Vault	✅ KMS + Secrets Manager
Audit & Logging	⚖️ Log Analytics vs CloudTrail	⚖️ Both excellent
Identity & Federation	✅ Azure AD (Entra ID)	🟥 IAM lacks AD federation
Threat Detection	✅ Defender for Cloud	✅ GuardDuty
Data Classification	✅ Purview	✅ Macie
DDoS Mitigation	✅ Azure DDoS Protection	✅ AWS Shield
Investigation & IR	✅ Sentinel & Monitor	✅ Amazon Detective