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What Microsoft Sentinel does
Microsoft describes Sentinel as “a cloud-native SIEM solution that delivers scalable, cost-efficient security across multicloud and multiplatform environments.” See the Microsoft Sentinel SIEM overview for the service description.
Collects and normalizes security data
Sentinel brings logs, alerts and other security telemetry into a central workspace. Sources can include Microsoft services, cloud platforms, operating systems, applications, network devices and third-party security products. This gives analysts a shared context instead of requiring a separate console for every environment.
Detects threats and investigates incidents
Analytics rules evaluate incoming data for suspicious activity and can create incidents for investigation. Analysts can examine related entities and events, investigate timelines, and use hunting queries to look for activity that did not yet trigger an alert.
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- Compact and Efficient Design: The FortiGate 40F is designed for small to mid-sized businesses and enterprise branch offices, featuring a compact, fanless desktop form factor that ensures quiet operation and minimizes space usage.
- Robust Connectivity Options: Equipped with 5 GE RJ45 ports, including 1 WAN port and 4 internal ports, this model provides essential connectivity and flexibility for various network configurations in a small-scale environment.
- High-Performance Security: Offers up to 1 Gbps IPS throughput and 600 Mbps threat protection throughput, using Fortinet’s purpose-built security processor technology to deliver industry-leading performance and protection for SSL encrypted traffic.
- Advanced Threat Protection: Integrated with Fortinet’s AI-powered FortiGuard Labs, the FortiGate 40F offers comprehensive cybersecurity, identifying and mitigating both known and unknown threats to maintain robust security across your network.
- Simplified Management and Deployment: Features a user-friendly management console that provides comprehensive network automation and visibility, coupled with Zero Touch Integration with Fortinet’s Security Fabric for easy deployment.
Supports response and operations
Sentinel includes security content and automation for operational work. Depending on the integration, that content can include analytics rules, parsers, workbooks, hunting queries and playbooks. Automation can route alerts, enrich incidents and initiate response actions, while human approval remains appropriate for disruptive changes.
How Security Copilot uses Sentinel
Security Copilot adds a natural-language assistance layer to selected security workflows. Microsoft documents Sentinel integration in both standalone Security Copilot and Microsoft Defender portal experiences. The Security Copilot with Microsoft Sentinel documentation describes incident analysis and hunting-query generation using Sentinel data.
Sentinel and Copilot have different roles
| Component | Primary role | What it does not imply |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Sentinel | Cloud SIEM: collect data, detect threats, investigate incidents, hunt and automate response. | Sentinel alone does not mean every Security Copilot capability is included. |
| Microsoft Security Copilot | Generative-AI assistance for supported security tasks, including working with Sentinel data. | Copilot output is assistance, not a guarantee that a query, explanation or recommendation is correct. |
Incident analysis
With the integration configured, an analyst can ask Copilot to summarize or analyze a Sentinel incident in natural language. Copilot can help connect entities and events in the incident so the analyst can decide which evidence to validate and what action to take.
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- HARDWARE PLUS SECURITY SERVICES: FortiGate-60F Firewall Appliance bundled with 1 year of FortiCare Premium and FortiGuard Unified Threat Protection.
- UNIFIED THREAT PROTECTION (UTP): Secures against advanced online threats with comprehensive web filtering and anti-botnet technologies.
- OPTIMIZED FOR MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES: Tailored for businesses needing robust security without the infrastructure of larger enterprises.
- RELIABLE CUSTOMER SUPPORT: FortiCare Premium ensures high-quality support and service continuity.
- EFFECTIVE PROTECTION: Employs advanced filtering technologies to safeguard against sophisticated threats.
Natural-language hunting
Copilot can translate a plain-language hunting request into a Kusto Query Language (KQL) query for Sentinel. The analyst should inspect the generated KQL, confirm that the tables and time range fit the environment, run it safely, and validate the results before using them to make a detection or response decision.
Setup requirements and preview status
Microsoft’s documented setup includes selecting a default Sentinel workspace. Microsoft also recommends connecting that workspace to Microsoft Defender XDR to maximize the integrated experience. In the standalone experience described by Microsoft, the Microsoft Sentinel plugin and the Natural language to KQL for Microsoft Sentinel plugin are labeled preview features. Preview availability, supported regions, licensing and interface details can change, so confirm the live documentation and tenant eligibility before deployment.
Data sources and connectors
Out-of-the-box integrations
Sentinel provides connectors for Microsoft and third-party sources. Microsoft’s current Sentinel overview reports more than 350 out-of-the-box connectors. The page extract does not identify a publication year for that figure, so treat it as a current-page count rather than a dated benchmark.
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- 【Up to 1100 Mbps VPN Speed 】 Hardware-accelerated WireGuard and OpenVPN-DCO deliver up to 1100 Mbps VPN throughput, over 3× faster than Brume 2 for smooth remote access and file transfers.
- 【Three 2.5G Ports & Multi-WAN】Tri-port 2.5GbE design with flexible WAN LAN configuration supports multi-gigabit wired setups, dual-ISP Multi-WAN and failover to keep home and SOHO networks online.
- 【Stealth VPN Obfuscation】VPN obfuscation disguises VPN traffic as regular HTTPS, helping you evade blocking, bypass restrictive networks and maintain stable, private connections.
- 【DPI protection】Deep Packet Inspection with visual dashboards blocks adult/gambling/malicious sites, while SQM and QoS prioritize gaming, calls, and video when bandwidth is tight
- 【OpenWrt & USB 3.0 Expansion】OpenWrt with 1GB DDR4 and 8GB eMMC lets you install plugins and build VPN, ad-blocking or NAS, while USB 3.0 Type‑C connects high-speed storage or 4G/5G dongles
Custom integration paths
When a product lacks a ready-made connector, organizations can use custom integration routes to send data into Sentinel. The practical choice is between the speed and maintained content of a native connector and the control—but ongoing engineering and maintenance—of a custom route. Before onboarding a source, define which events are needed, expected volume, parsing requirements, retention period and ownership for failures.
From SIEM to a broader security platform
Microsoft’s current overview presents Sentinel as extending beyond traditional SIEM functions. Alongside core collection and detection, it describes a data lake, graph capabilities, an MCP server and developer tooling for larger-scale analysis and AI-oriented scenarios.
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Two partner-solution patterns
Microsoft distinguishes SIEM solutions from platform solutions in its SIEM and platform solution overview:
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| Solution type | Focus | Typical components | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIEM solution | Detection, investigation and automated response. | Connectors, analytics rules, hunting queries, parsers, workbooks and playbooks. | Operational monitoring and analyst workflows. |
| Platform solution | Large-scale analysis and AI-driven scenarios. | Copilot agents, MCP tools, custom graphs and notebook jobs. | Advanced data, automation and developer-led use cases. |
This distinction helps set expectations: installing an SIEM solution does not automatically provide the components of a platform solution, and platform capabilities may require additional design, permissions and engineering.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Deployment and operating choices
| Decision | Option 1 | Option 2 | What to evaluate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portal experience | Azure portal Sentinel experience. | Microsoft Defender portal experience. | Analyst workflow, existing Defender XDR integration and Microsoft’s migration direction. |
| Data integration | Native connector and Microsoft-maintained content. | Custom connector or ingestion route. | Coverage, parsing effort, data quality and long-term maintenance. |
| AI workflow | Sentinel SIEM operations without Copilot. | Sentinel data used by Security Copilot. | Separate Copilot licensing, supported features, preview status and analyst review. |
| Commercial model | Pay-as-you-go ingestion and related usage. | Commitment tier. | Daily volume, retention, region, selected data tiers and forecast stability. |
How Sentinel pricing works
There is no single universal Sentinel price. Microsoft’s billing and pricing guidance describes pay-as-you-go billing based on data volume and commitment tiers. Commitment-tier pricing starts at 100 GB per day, according to that documentation.
- Ingestion volume: More daily security data generally means higher usage charges, so filter unnecessary events before ingestion where doing so does not weaken detection.
- Commitment tier: A commitment can suit a predictable workload, but estimate sustained volume carefully before committing.
- Retention: Analytics-tier retention beyond 90 days can add charges.
- Infrastructure and related services: Storage, automation, networking and other services can affect the total bill.
- Region and configuration: Rates and available options vary by region and selected service configuration.
Use the current regional calculator and your measured daily data profile rather than applying a generic per-month estimate.
What the Azure-to-Defender portal transition means
Microsoft’s billing documentation states that after March 31, 2027, Sentinel will no longer be supported in the Azure portal and will be available only in the Microsoft Defender portal. The date and migration guidance are subject to change, so existing Azure-portal customers should recheck Microsoft’s current instructions before scheduling work.
Transition checklist for existing deployments
- Inventory analysts, workbooks, queries, automation rules, playbooks and integrations that currently rely on the Azure portal.
- Confirm that each user has the required Microsoft Defender portal access and permissions.
- Test daily investigation, hunting, incident assignment and response workflows in the Defender portal.
- Validate Sentinel workspace connectivity to Microsoft Defender XDR if you plan to use the integrated Copilot experience.
- Update runbooks, training material, bookmarks and automation documentation before the support deadline.
When Sentinel with Copilot is a good fit
- You need one SIEM view across Microsoft, third-party, multicloud or multiplatform telemetry.
- Your security team wants managed connectors and content but also needs custom integrations for uncovered systems.
- Analysts spend significant time writing KQL, assembling incident context or starting hunts from unstructured questions.
- You can establish governance for AI-assisted work: review generated queries, protect sensitive data, record decisions and restrict automated response actions.
- Your budget process can account for ingestion, retention, infrastructure and any separate Security Copilot licensing.
Limits to plan for
- Connector availability does not guarantee that every event type, field or parser your team needs is covered.
- Custom integrations create continuing ownership for schema changes, failures and data-quality checks.
- Copilot assistance can accelerate analysis, but analysts must validate generated KQL and recommendations.
- Preview plugins and experiences can change or be withdrawn, so avoid making critical operating procedures depend on an uncommitted preview feature.
- High-volume telemetry and long retention can materially change the economics of a deployment.
Bottom line
Sentinel is the SIEM foundation: it centralizes security data and provides detection, investigation, hunting and response across diverse environments. Security Copilot is a separate integrated product that can add natural-language incident analysis and KQL assistance when the documented workspace, portal, licensing and preview prerequisites are met. Treat Copilot output as analyst-reviewed assistance, and design Sentinel around measured data volume, retention needs, connector coverage and the planned move to the Defender portal.
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