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By Errin O'Connor, Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group

EPC Group provides enterprise Microsoft Sentinel (formerly Azure Sentinel) consulting for SIEM implementation, threat detection, incident response, and SOC operations. We deploy Sentinel with Microsoft Defender XDR integration for unified security visibility. Compliance: HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and GDPR. Fixed-fee accelerators. Microsoft experience since 1997. 11,000+ enterprise engagements, zero audit failures.

Key Facts

  • Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR platform built on Azure Log Analytics.
  • Integrates with Microsoft Defender XDR, Defender for Cloud, and 100+ data connectors out of the box.
  • Pricing: pay-per-GB ingested or capacity reservation (commitment tier for predictable costs).
  • Supports compliance frameworks: HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, GDPR, CMMC, PCI DSS.
  • Automation: Sentinel Playbooks (Azure Logic Apps) automate incident response workflows.
  • EPC Group: Microsoft consulting since 1997, 11,000+ enterprise engagements.
HomeServicesAzure Sentinel Consulting
50+
SOC Implementations
Fortune 500
Enterprise Clients
Microsoft
Security Partner
24/7/365
Security Monitoring
Our Services

Comprehensive Security Operations

End-to-end Azure Sentinel services from initial deployment to 24/7 managed security operations.

SIEM Implementation

Deploy Azure Sentinel as your cloud-native SIEM with optimized data connectors, custom analytics rules, and automated threat detection tailored to your environment.

  • Data connector configuration and optimization
  • Custom analytics rules and detection logic
  • Log ingestion strategy and cost optimization
  • Workspace architecture design

Threat Detection & Hunting

Proactive threat hunting using advanced analytics, machine learning, and custom KQL queries to identify sophisticated attacks before they cause damage.

  • Advanced hunting queries and playbooks
  • UEBA (User Entity Behavior Analytics)
  • Custom threat intelligence integration
  • Anomaly detection tuning

Incident Response

Streamlined incident response workflows with automated playbooks, investigation tools, and remediation procedures to minimize breach impact.

  • Automated response playbooks (SOAR)
  • Investigation workbooks and dashboards
  • Incident classification and prioritization
  • Post-incident forensics and reporting

SOC Setup & Operations

Build or enhance your Security Operations Center with Azure Sentinel at its core. 24/7 monitoring, alert triage, and escalation procedures.

  • 24/7 security monitoring services
  • Alert triage and escalation workflows
  • SOC analyst training and enablement
  • KPI dashboards and reporting

Microsoft Defender Integration

Unified security across Microsoft 365 Defender, Defender for Cloud, and Defender for Endpoint with centralized visibility in Sentinel.

  • Microsoft 365 Defender integration
  • Defender for Cloud connectivity
  • Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
  • Cross-product correlation rules

Compliance & Governance

Meet regulatory requirements with security controls, audit logging, and compliance dashboards built into your Sentinel deployment.

  • HIPAA security rule compliance
  • SOC 2 Type II controls mapping
  • FedRAMP security monitoring
  • GDPR data protection logging
Microsoft Security

Complete Azure Security Stack

Unified security across the entire Microsoft ecosystem with centralized visibility and response.

Microsoft Sentinel

Cloud-native SIEM and SOAR platform for intelligent security analytics

Microsoft Defender

Unified XDR solution for endpoints, identities, email, and cloud apps

Defender for Cloud

Cloud security posture management and workload protection

Compliance

Security Compliance Expertise

Meet regulatory requirements with security controls designed for compliance-heavy industries.

HIPAA

Healthcare security and privacy rule compliance with comprehensive audit trails and access controls.

PHI access monitoring
Security incident tracking
Audit log retention
Breach notification workflows

SOC 2

Service organization controls for security, availability, and confidentiality of customer data.

Security monitoring controls
Change detection alerts
Access review automation
Compliance dashboards

FedRAMP

Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program compliance for government cloud security.

Continuous monitoring
NIST 800-53 controls
POA&M tracking
Security assessment support

GDPR

European data protection regulation compliance with data subject rights and privacy monitoring.

Data access logging
Consent tracking
Breach detection alerts
Cross-border transfer monitoring
Capabilities

Enterprise Security Features

Advanced security capabilities powered by Microsoft's threat intelligence and AI.

Advanced Threat Detection

ML-powered detection of sophisticated attacks including APTs, ransomware, and insider threats.

Automated Playbooks

SOAR capabilities with Logic Apps for automated incident response and remediation.

Threat Hunting

Proactive hunting with custom KQL queries and threat intelligence integration.

Real-Time Analytics

Stream analytics processing millions of events per second with instant alerting.

Multi-Cloud Visibility

Unified security view across Azure, AWS, GCP, and on-premises environments.

Log Analytics

Scalable log ingestion with intelligent tiering and cost optimization.

85%
Faster Detection

Reduce mean time to detect threats with automated analytics

70%
Reduced False Positives

Machine learning tuning for accurate threat identification

50+
SOC Implementations

Enterprise security operations centers deployed

24/7
Monitoring

Round-the-clock security operations and response

Integrations

Connect Your Entire Environment

Azure Sentinel integrates with your existing infrastructure for unified security visibility.

Microsoft 365

  • Exchange Online
  • SharePoint Online
  • Teams
  • OneDrive
  • Azure AD
  • Intune

Azure Services

  • Azure AD
  • Key Vault
  • Storage
  • Virtual Machines
  • App Services
  • Kubernetes

On-Premises

  • Active Directory
  • Windows Servers
  • Firewalls
  • Network Devices
  • Linux Servers
  • Custom Apps

Third-Party

  • AWS CloudTrail
  • GCP Logging
  • Palo Alto
  • CrowdStrike
  • Okta
  • ServiceNow
Our Approach

Security Implementation Process

Our proven methodology ensures successful Azure Sentinel deployments with minimal disruption.

01

Security Assessment

Comprehensive evaluation of your current security posture, threat landscape, and compliance requirements to design an optimal Sentinel deployment.

02

Architecture Design

Design workspace architecture, data connector strategy, and analytics rules tailored to your organization and industry requirements.

03

Implementation

Deploy Sentinel with optimized configurations, custom detections, and automated playbooks. Integrate with existing security tools.

04

Continuous Monitoring

Ongoing 24/7 monitoring, threat hunting, incident response, and continuous improvement of your security operations.

Why EPC Group

The Security Partner You Can Trust

With Microsoft security expertise since 1997 and advanced specialization in security solutions, EPC Group delivers enterprise-grade protection for the most demanding environments.

Microsoft Security Partner

Advanced specialization in Microsoft security solutions with direct access to engineering resources.

Enterprise Experience

Proven track record securing Fortune 500 companies in highly regulated industries.

Compliance Expertise

Deep knowledge of HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and GDPR security requirements.

Rapid Deployment

Accelerated implementation with pre-built content packs and proven methodologies.

Ready to Secure Your Enterprise?

Schedule a free security assessment with our experts to evaluate your current posture and discover how Azure Sentinel can protect your organization.

  • Free security posture assessment
  • Threat landscape analysis
  • Customized security roadmap
  • ROI and cost analysis
Schedule Your Security Assessment

Protect Your Organization Today

Join leading enterprises who trust EPC Group for their security operations. Get 24/7 protection with Azure Sentinel and our expert SOC team.

Security assessment within 48 hours. No obligation.

Related Resources

Azure Sentinel (Microsoft Sentinel) Consulting

EPC Group offers expert consulting for Microsoft Sentinel (formerly Azure Sentinel). Our services include:

  • SIEM implementation
  • Threat detection
  • Incident response
  • SOC operations

We integrate Sentinel with Microsoft Defender XDR to ensure complete security visibility. Our compliance standards include:

  • HIPAA
  • SOC 2
  • FedRAMP
  • GDPR

We offer fixed-fee accelerators and have Microsoft experience since 1997. We have completed over 11,000 enterprise engagements with zero audit failures.

Key facts

  • Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR platform built on Azure Log Analytics.
  • Integrates with Microsoft Defender XDR, Defender for Cloud, and 100+ data connectors out of the box.
  • Pricing: pay-per-GB ingested or capacity reservation (commitment tier for predictable costs).
  • Supports compliance frameworks: HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, GDPR, CMMC, PCI DSS.
  • Automation: Sentinel Playbooks (Azure Logic Apps) automate incident response workflows.
  • EPC Group: Microsoft consulting since 1997, 11,000+ enterprise engagements.

Microsoft Sentinel Consulting Services

EPC Group delivers end-to-end Microsoft Sentinel implementations. Our consulting services cover every phase of a SIEM deployment:

  • SIEM implementation — Workspace design, data connector configuration, and analytics rule deployment.
  • Threat detection — Custom KQL analytics rules, scheduled queries, and behavioral analytics for your environment.
  • Threat hunting — Proactive hunting queries across your log data to find threats that automated rules miss.
  • Incident response — Automated playbooks (Logic Apps) for common incident types. Manual investigation procedures and runbooks.
  • SOC setup and operations — SOC organizational design, on-call procedures, escalation paths, and analyst training.
  • Microsoft Defender integration — Connect Defender XDR, Defender for Cloud, Defender for Endpoint, and Defender for Identity into Sentinel for unified incident management.
  • Compliance mapping — Map Sentinel analytics rules to HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and GDPR control requirements with documented evidence.

SIEM Architecture: What We Deploy

A well-designed Sentinel deployment has four layers:

  • Data ingestion — Connect all log sources: Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID, Defender XDR, firewalls, servers, and third-party SaaS. EPC Group configures data connectors and CEF/Syslog forwarders.
  • Detection layer — Scheduled analytics rules, NRT (near real-time) rules, and Microsoft Sentinel Fusion detections for multi-stage attacks. Custom KQL rules tuned for your environment.
  • Investigation layer — Workbooks for visual dashboards. Entity behavioral analytics (UEBA) for anomalous user and device activity.
  • Response layer — Automated playbooks using Logic Apps. Ticket creation in ServiceNow or Jira. Automated containment actions (isolate endpoint, disable user, block IP).

Compliance with Microsoft Sentinel

Microsoft Sentinel supports four major compliance frameworks that EPC Group addresses in every regulated-industry Sentinel deployment:

HIPAA

Sentinel offers HIPAA-required audit logging for all systems that handle PHI. EPC Group sets up analytics rules to:

  • Detect unauthorized access to PHI
  • Alert on unusual access patterns
  • Generate HIPAA audit reports for breach notification obligations

SOC 2

Sentinel audit logs and incident records are essential for meeting the SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria. EPC Group clearly maps Sentinel analytics rules to the following controls:

  • CC7: System operations
  • CC9: Risk mitigation

FedRAMP

Government clients use Sentinel in Azure Government (GovCloud) tenants with FedRAMP Moderate/High authorization. EPC Group implements NIST SP 800-53 analytics rule packs.

We also document the control mapping for the FedRAMP System Security Plan (SSP).

GDPR

Sentinel's audit logging meets GDPR Article 30 requirements for records of processing activities. It also supports breach detection as outlined in Article 33.

EPC Group sets up data retention and purge policies to ensure compliance with the GDPR data minimization principle.

Microsoft Defender Integration

EPC Group integrates the full Microsoft security stack into Sentinel:

  • Microsoft Defender XDR — Unified investigation across endpoints, identities, email, and cloud apps. Incidents from all Defender products flow into Sentinel automatically.
  • Microsoft Defender for Cloud — Cloud security posture management alerts route to Sentinel for centralized SOC investigation.
  • Microsoft Defender for Identity — Active Directory and Entra ID attack detection (pass-the-hash, Kerberoasting, lateral movement) in Sentinel.
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint — Device health, vulnerability data, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) alerts in Sentinel.

Frequently asked questions

What is Microsoft Sentinel?

Microsoft Sentinel (formerly Azure Sentinel) is a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR platform. It collects security logs from your environment and uses analytics rules and AI to detect threats.

Additionally, it automates incident response through playbooks built on Azure Logic Apps.

How much does Microsoft Sentinel cost?

Sentinel pricing depends on the volume of data ingested. You are charged per GB ingested each day.

Commitment tiers starting at 100 GB per day provide discounts of up to 65% compared to pay-as-you-go rates.

EPC Group includes an estimation of ingestion volume in every Sentinel engagement to help you size costs accurately.

What is the difference between Sentinel and Defender?

Microsoft Defender products include XDR, Endpoint, Identity, and Cloud. These tools are designed to detect threats in specific Microsoft product areas. Microsoft Sentinel acts as the SIEM. It collects alerts from Defender, third-party tools, and your own applications. This ensures centralized detection, investigation, and response.

How long does a Sentinel implementation take?

A basic Sentinel implementation includes workspace setup, core data connectors, 20 analytics rules, and 5 playbooks. This process takes about 4–6 weeks.

A full enterprise SOC implementation covers all data sources, 50+ custom analytics rules, UEBA, a complete playbook library, and compliance mapping. This implementation typically takes 12–20 weeks.

Do you support managed SOC services?

Yes. EPC Group provides ongoing managed Sentinel services including alert triage, analyst escalation, threat hunting, monthly reporting, and rule tuning. Contact us for managed SOC service tier pricing.

Secure your organization with Microsoft Sentinel

Talk to an EPC Group security architect about Microsoft Sentinel implementation, threat detection, and SOC design. Call (888) 381-9725 or request a 30-minute discovery call.

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