Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP) solution. It extends its capabilities beyond Azure to multicloud environments, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). By connecting AWS and GCP accounts to Defender for Cloud, you can continuously assess their security posture against regulatory compliance standards. Defender for Cloud automatically provides prioritized security recommendations (improvement actions) with detailed implementation guidance. These assessments and recommendations directly contribute to the technical control status within Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager, thus automating compliance monitoring and minimizing administrative effort for the multicloud environment.

B. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps: This is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) focused on securing SaaS applications, not the underlying IaaS/PaaS infrastructure of AWS and GCP for regulatory compliance posture.

C. Microsoft Sentinel: This is a SIEM/SOAR solution for threat detection and response. While it can ingest logs from multicloud environments, its primary function is not compliance posture management or providing improvement actions.

D. Compliance Manager connectors: While connectors are a concept, Microsoft Defender for Cloud is the specific, primary service that provides the multicloud CSPM capabilities required to connect AWS and GCP for automated compliance assessment.

1. Microsoft Documentation - Microsoft Defender for Cloud: "Connect your AWS accounts to Microsoft Defender for Cloud". This document details how Defender for Cloud integrates with AWS to provide CSPM. It states

"When you connect your AWS accounts to Defender for Cloud

you're integrating AWS Security Hub with Defender for Cloud. Defender for Cloud thus provides visibility and protection across both of these cloud environments to provide: ... Compliance with regulatory standards."

Source: Microsoft Learn

"Connect your AWS accounts to Microsoft Defender for Cloud"

Introduction section.

2. Microsoft Documentation - Microsoft Defender for Cloud: "Connect your GCP projects to Microsoft Defender for Cloud". This document explains the integration with GCP. It mentions

"When you connect your GCP projects to Microsoft Defender for Cloud

you are integrating GCP Security Command Center with Defender for Cloud... You get recommendations from Defender for Cloud that help you protect your resources in line with Microsoft cloud security benchmark."

Source: Microsoft Learn

"Connect your GCP projects to Microsoft Defender for Cloud"

Introduction section.

3. Microsoft Documentation - Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager: "Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager and Microsoft Defender for Cloud". This document explains the integration. It states

"Defender for Cloud's regulatory compliance dashboard provides insights into your compliance posture based on continuous assessments of your Azure and hybrid environments... The integration of Defender for Cloud with Compliance Manager allows you to get a single view of your overall compliance posture."

Source: Microsoft Learn

"Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager and Microsoft Defender for Cloud"

How the integration works section.