How Leading SOCs Maximize Microsoft Security Without Drowning in Alerts

Microsoft Defender and Sentinel give security teams powerful tools to detect threats across endpoints, identity, email, and cloud. But many teams are still overwhelmed by alert volume, struggling to turn that visibility into decisive action. 

So, what separates high-performing SOCs from the rest? 

In our recent fireside chat, The Modern SOC: Operationalizing Microsoft Security with MDR, Tim Bandos (Field CISO & VP of Presales Engineering), Terrance Starling (Senior Security Analyst), and Jason Moody (Microsoft Solution Principal​) showed how you can bridges the gap between your tools’ capabilities and the operational outcomes you need. 

The Volume Problem Is Real

Even the most advanced teams face alert fatigue.

“The biggest challenge that I kind of see in a SOC environment right now is the amount of alerts people are getting,” said Terrance Starling. “That volume, that noise … what you do with that information is very important.” 

Microsoft Defender XDR delivers expansive visibility, but that visibility comes with noise. The Critical Starts human-led MDR filters out the noise using curated detections, Microsoft-native integration, and real analysts who know how to separate what matters from what doesn’t.

Visibility Across the Full Attack Chain

Modern attacks don’t stay in one lane. They blend tactics across email, identity, endpoints, and cloud apps often within the same campaign.

“Let’s say somebody sends a phishing e-mail that you know has malware in it and it’s compromising the user’s accounts,” said Jason Moody. “Well, that’s e-mail, identity, and endpoint vectors all in one attack.”

Microsoft Defender’s XDR suite can correlate across domains, giving security teams context that point solutions can’t. But correlation alone isn’t enough. The real value comes from being able to investigate across that full kill chain quickly and accurately. 

Copilot Is a Tool. Analysts Still Drive. 

Microsoft Security Copilot can enrich investigations and speed up context gathering, but AI isn’t ready to run the SOC.

“I mean, it’s called Copilot and not Pilot for a reason, right?” said Jason. “It still needs us.” 

The Critical Start SOC participated in the Copilot for Security design program. Analysts use it as a force multiplier, but the nuance, decisions, and escalations still come from people who understand the environment. 

Fast, Direct Response Without Tool Hopping

Once detection happens, response is everything. 

Critical Start connects directly to Microsoft Defender and Sentinel via API. That means analysts can remove phishing emails, reset credentials, isolate infected devices without jumping between dashboards or deploying extra agents. 

“Pretty much all of the response actions that are available on the Microsoft side we could do straight from our platform,” said Moody.

This direct access keeps investigations efficient and attacker dwell time low. 

Building Operational Maturity Around Microsoft 

Tools are only as effective as the processes behind them. Critical Start works with organizations to align Microsoft’s security capabilities with their team’s workflows and risk tolerance using custom rules of engagement and 24x7x365 analyst support. 

“You don’t want to just buy a suit that’s ill-fitted. You want to have it tailored directly to your person,” said Starling. 

That’s how high-performing SOCs run leaner, move faster, and focus on the alerts that truly matter. 

Ready to Maximize Your Microsoft Security Investment? 

Your tools are already powerful. The next step is turning them into outcomes. 

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