VENDOR NOTES · MICROSOFT
Microsoft Defender EASM: ASM and exposure management facts (2026)
SHORT ANSWER
Microsoft Defender EASM is the easiest start in this set: a prebuilt inventory, recursive discovery from seeds, a 30-day free trial and billing on the Azure bill. Confidence-based asset states make doubtful matches visible. It describes no exploit validation and no built-in remediation workflow, and it does not support cross-tenant resource access.
By The Exposure Desk · Exposure Management Finder · Published 2026-10-11
Desk research from public vendor pages read in September 2026, updated 2026-10-11. Profiles follow our published method; we did not run the products.
Which tool types does Defender EASM describe?
- Outer point: described on the vendor's pages we read
- Inner point: not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it)
| Type | Status | What the pages say | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EASM discovery | Described | A prebuilt inventory for many organisations plus recursive discovery from seeds you supply. | Source: Microsoft Learn: what is discovery · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Exposure validation | Not in our sources | Not described on the pages we read. | None |
| Exposure management platforms | Not in our sources | Not described on the pages we read. | None |
| CTEM programme support | Described | Covers discovery and inventory with dashboards for vulnerabilities, compliance and hygiene; remediation happens downstream through Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer. | Source: Microsoft Learn: data connections · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| WAF posture | Not in our sources | Not described on the pages we read. | None |
How does Defender EASM prove an exposure is real?
| Exploitability checked | Not in our sources |
|---|---|
| Attack-style testing | Not in our sources |
| Retests after a fix | Not in our sources |
What does Defender EASM do with a finding?
| Subsidiary and owner attribution | Partly Every asset carries a state (Approved Inventory, Dependency, Monitor Only, Candidate, Requires Investigation) based on connection strength and confidence; cross-tenant access is not supported. Source: Microsoft Learn: what is discovery · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Routes findings to owners and tickets | Partly Data connectors to Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer trigger remediation actions downstream. Source: Microsoft Learn: data connections · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Applies a compensating control | Not in our sources |
| Works through your WAF or edge | Not in our sources |
| WAF coverage across several vendors | Not in our sources |
| Integrations | Data connections to Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer, and a Security Copilot integration in preview. Source: Microsoft Learn: data connections · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
Where does Defender EASM run, and what does it connect to?
| Deployment | An Azure resource. Cross-tenant resource access, including Azure Lighthouse, is not supported. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender EASM overview · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Internal as well as external assets | Not in our sources |
| Cloud connections named | Partly Runs as an Azure resource; connections to other clouds are not described. Source: Microsoft Learn: data connections · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Platform it extends | Native to Azure, billed on the Azure bill, with a Security Copilot integration in preview. Source: Microsoft Learn: Defender EASM documentation · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Platforms it connects to | None in our sources |
What does Defender EASM cost?
Billed through Azure on billable assets (approved host:IP combinations, domains and IP addresses) after a 30-day free trial. Microsoft's pricing page did not show a rate when we read it; check it for the current figure.
Source: Microsoft Learn: understanding billable assets · Read 27 Sep 2026
Trial or self-serve start: Matches A 30-day free trial, then Azure billing.
Source: Microsoft Learn: understanding billable assets · Read 27 Sep 2026
Where is Defender EASM strong, and where are its limits?
Strengths and limits come from the vendor's own pages and our sources; a limit can be something we did not find.
Strengths
- The easiest start in this set: a prebuilt inventory, a 30-day free trial and billing on the Azure bill.
- Confidence-based asset states make doubtful matches visible.
- Data connections to Log Analytics and Azure Data Explorer for teams already working in Azure.
Limits
- No exploit validation is described.
- No built-in remediation workflow, and no cross-tenant resource access for groups with several Azure tenants.
What does Defender EASM say about itself?
No vendor figures are quoted in these notes.
What do peer reviews say?
Context only. Ratings come from Gartner Peer Insights' External Attack Surface Management market page read on 11 October 2026. They are not used in the finder and we have not verified them.
4.3 from 151 ratings.
Source: Gartner Peer Insights: External Attack Surface Management market · Read 11 Oct 2026
What has Defender EASM announced recently?
No dated announcements in our sources.
Who should shortlist Defender EASM?
Consider Defender EASM if you are on Azure and want to start without a sales call, or if you want a discovery baseline before buying validation.
In our example finder profiles, Defender EASM is not in the first group; your own answers may differ.
Run the finder with your answersHow does Defender EASM compare with each other vendor?
Questions readers ask
Does Defender EASM prove exploitability?
Not in our sources. Not in our sources. Attack-style testing: Not in our sources.
Does Defender EASM work with WAFs?
Not in our sources. Not described on the pages we read.
Does Defender EASM publish its prices?
Billed through Azure on billable assets (approved host:IP combinations, domains and IP addresses) after a 30-day free trial. Microsoft's pricing page did not show a rate when we read it; check it for the current figure.