Azure Virtual Machine (VM) Security Checklist

1. Identity and Access Management

1. Use Microsoft Entra ID authentication where possible
2. Enforce Role-Based Access Control with least privilege
3. Avoid using Owner or Contributor roles for VM administration
4. Use Privileged Identity Management for admin access
5. Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication for all administrators
6. Use Just-In-Time VM access for management ports
7. Regularly review and remove unused access

2. Secure VM Access

1. Disable direct RDP and SSH from the internet
2. Use Azure Bastion for secure remote access
3. Restrict management ports using NSGs
4. Use Just-In-Time access to limit exposure windows
5. Implement IP whitelisting for administrative access
6. Use secure authentication methods (SSH keys, not passwords)

3. Network Security

1. Place VMs in secure subnets within a vNet
2. Apply Network Security Groups with strict rules
3. Deny all inbound traffic by default
4. Restrict outbound traffic where required
5. Use Azure Firewall for centralized traffic control
6. Avoid assigning public IPs unless absolutely necessary

4. Operating System Hardening

1. Keep OS updated with latest patches
2. Disable unnecessary services and ports
3. Use secure baseline configurations
4. Apply CIS or Microsoft security benchmarks
5. Enforce strong password policies
6. Enable disk encryption for OS and data disks

5. Data Protection

1. Enable Azure Disk Encryption
2. Use customer-managed keys where required
3. Protect sensitive data stored on VMs
4. Encrypt data in transit using TLS
5. Avoid storing secrets on the VM
6. Use secure storage services instead of local storage

6. Secrets and Key Management

1. Store secrets in Azure Key Vault
2. Avoid hardcoding credentials in scripts or applications
3. Rotate keys and secrets regularly
4. Use managed identities for VM access to services
5. Restrict access to Key Vault using RBAC and policies

7. Monitoring and Logging

1. Enable Azure Monitor for VMs
2. Collect guest OS logs and metrics
3. Enable diagnostic logging
4. Send logs to Log Analytics or SIEM
5. Monitor login attempts and anomalies
6. Set alerts for suspicious activity

8. Threat Protection

1. Enable Microsoft Defender for Servers
2. Monitor for malware and vulnerabilities
3. Enable endpoint protection
4. Detect unusual behavior or lateral movement
5. Investigate alerts promptly

9. Backup and Disaster Recovery

1. Enable Azure Backup for VMs
2. Configure regular backup schedules
3. Test restore procedures
4. Use availability sets or zones for resilience
5. Plan for regional failover

10. Patch and Update Management

1. Enable automatic updates
2. Use Azure Update Management
3. Regularly patch OS and applications
4. Monitor update compliance
5. Address vulnerabilities promptly

11. Governance and Compliance

1. Use Azure Policy to enforce VM security standards
2. Standardize VM configurations
3. Document configurations and architecture
4. Implement change management processes
5. Review compliance requirements regularly

12. Endpoint and Application Security

1. Install endpoint protection software
2. Restrict application installation
3. Monitor running processes
4. Remove unused software
5. Secure application configurations

13. Continuous Security Operations

1. Perform regular VM security assessments
2. Audit configurations periodically
3. Continuously monitor VM activity
4. Update configurations based on threats
5. Validate security posture regularly
6. Maintain documentation

 Always use best practices. Never assume trust. Always verify access. Security is not static and must be continuously monitored, reviewed, and improved.