Cyberthreat Defense with Defender XDR and KQL

In an era of sophisticated cyberattacks, organizations need proactive defense systems to secure their digital assets. Understanding how to leverage modern Extended Detection and Response (XDR) tools is one of the most in-demand skills for security professionals today. This text-based course guides you through the core concepts of security operations using Defender XDR. You will transition from understanding basic security architecture to actively investigating endpoint incidents, writing custom queries to hunt for threats, and aligning your defenses with modern Zero Trust principles. What you'll learn: - Understand the foundational architecture of modern XDR and how it integrates with Zero Trust security models. - Investigate and analyze endpoint alerts to identify malicious activity and gather critical threat evidence. - Write and execute Kusto Query Language (KQL) queries to hunt for hidden threats across your environment. - Configure automated investigation and response actions to neutralize threats before they spread. - Apply threat intelligence principles to proactively discover vulnerabilities and secure endpoints. This comprehensive text-only course begins with essential security terminology and XDR fundamentals before moving into detailed written walkthroughs of real-world investigation scenarios, query building, and incident remediation. Designed for aspiring security analysts, IT administrators, and beginners looking to enter the cybersecurity field, this course requires no prior experience with security operations center (SOC) tools. Start reading today to build practical, real-world skills in modern threat defense.