Verify That Microsoft Defender for IoT Hub Is Set To 'On'
Why this matters
IoT devices often run outdated firmware and are rarely patched, making them a common attack vector into enterprise networks. Microsoft Defender for IoT provides centralized monitoring, threat detection, and vulnerability management for connected IoT assets.
Enabling Defender for IoT ensures early detection of anomalous device behavior, network intrusions, and potential exploits targeting IoT infrastructure. Without it, your organization risks blind spots in its security posture and delayed response to IoT-related incidents.
What this check does
This Auto Check verifies that:
- Microsoft Defender for IoT is set to βOnβ for the selected Azure IoT Hub.
- The check passes if Defender for IoT is actively enabled and reporting telemetry.
- The check fails if Defender for IoT is disabled or not onboarded for the IoT Hub.
- Applies to: Azure IoT Hub (Standard and Basic tiers).
How to fix it
Azure Portal
- Go to Azure IoT Hub.
- Select the IoT Hub instance to validate.
- Navigate to Defender for IoT β Overview.
- Click Secure your IoT solution and complete the onboarding process.
- Verify that Threat prevention and Threat detection appear as enabled.
Azure CLI:az iot security-solution create \
--resource-group <resourceGroupName> \
--name <solutionName> \
--iot-hubs <iotHubResourceId> \
--location <region>
PowerShell:
New-AzIotSecuritySolution `
-ResourceGroupName "<ResourceGroupName>" `
-Name "<SolutionName>" `
-IotHubs "<IotHubResourceId>" `
-Location "<Region>"
Replace the placeholders with your actual resource values.
Exceptions
If IoT device telemetry is fully isolated from external networks or monitored through an approved third-party network security solution, this check may be marked as Not Applicable. Such exceptions must be documented and justified within the organizationβs risk management framework.
Further resources
Microsoft Defender for IoT Overview
Microsoft Learn: Onboard IoT Hub to Defender for IoT