Azure Audit Logs Fix | DSPM Guides

Why It Matters

The core goal is to quickly remediate exposed audit logs that contain sensitive operational and security information in your Azure environment before they lead to compliance violations or security breaches. Fixing audit log exposures in Azure is critical for organizations subject to PCI-DSS, as these logs often contain access patterns, authentication events, and system activities that could reveal sensitive information about cardholder data environments and security controls.

Primary Risk: Shadow data in audit logs containing sensitive operational and security information

Relevant Regulation: PCI-DSS Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

Rapid remediation of audit log exposures maintains audit trail integrity, prevents information disclosure, and ensures compliance with logging and monitoring requirements.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

Azure Security Administrator role
Log Analytics Contributor permissions
Storage Account Contributor access

External Tools

Azure CLI or PowerShell
Cyera DSPM account
Azure Monitor access

Prior Setup

Azure Monitor configured
Log Analytics workspace created
Diagnostic settings enabled
RBAC policies established

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. By automating the detection and remediation of exposed audit logs in Azure using advanced AI and content analysis, Cyera ensures you can quickly secure operational data and maintain PCI-DSS compliance requirements for audit trail protection.

Step-by-Step Guide

Identify exposed audit log locations

Use Cyera's discovery capabilities to scan Azure storage accounts, Log Analytics workspaces, and Event Hubs for audit logs that are publicly accessible or have overly permissive access controls.

az monitor diagnostic-settings list --resource "/subscriptions/{subscription-id}/resourceGroups/{resource-group}"

Secure audit log access controls

Implement proper RBAC controls on storage accounts and Log Analytics workspaces containing audit logs. Remove public access and limit permissions to only authorized security and compliance personnel.

az storage account update --name "auditlogs" --resource-group "security-rg" --public-network-access Disabled

Configure secure log retention and archival

Set up proper retention policies for audit logs to meet compliance requirements while ensuring logs are stored securely. Configure lifecycle management to automatically archive older logs to secure, cost-effective storage tiers.

Implement continuous monitoring and alerting

Set up Azure Monitor alerts to detect unauthorized access attempts to audit logs. Create automated workflows that trigger when audit log access patterns indicate potential security issues or compliance violations.

Architecture & Workflow

Azure Monitor & Logs

Source locations of exposed audit log data

Cyera Scanner

Identifies and classifies sensitive audit log content

Access Controls & RBAC

Secure access management for audit data

Monitoring & Compliance

Ongoing protection and audit trail validation

Remediation Flow Summary

Scan & Discover → Secure Access → Configure Retention → Monitor Compliance

Best Practices & Tips

Access Control Management

Use Azure RBAC with principle of least privilege
Implement conditional access policies
Regularly audit log access permissions

Log Retention & Archival

Set appropriate retention periods for compliance
Use Azure Blob lifecycle management
Implement secure archival to cold storage

Common Pitfalls

Forgetting to secure legacy log storage accounts
Not monitoring for unauthorized log access
Inadequate retention policies for compliance needs

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🔍 Detect: Scan for audit log exposures 🛡️ Prevent: Set up preventive controls