Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM & SOAR) in UAE
What Is Microsoft Sentinel?
Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM and SOAR platform. It collects security data from Microsoft and third-party sources, applies analytics rules and machine learning to detect threats, correlates alerts into incidents, and automates investigation and response through playbooks.
Because it is consumption-priced, Sentinel rewards good design and punishes careless onboarding. Ingesting everything is both expensive and counterproductive; the goal is the right data, parsed correctly, with detections that produce actionable incidents.
For UAE organisations, Sentinel also provides the centralised logging, retention and reporting that NESA/UAE IA, DESC ISR, CBUAE, ADHICS and PCI DSS require.
Sentinel Challenges We Solve
Our Sentinel Services
Sentinel Design & Cost Modelling
Workspace architecture, data tiering, retention design and ingestion cost forecasting.
Data Connector Onboarding
Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Azure, Defender, firewalls, network, OT and SaaS sources connected and parsed.
Detection Engineering
Custom analytics rules mapped to MITRE ATT&CK with tuning to remove false positives.
SOAR Playbook Automation
Logic Apps playbooks for enrichment, containment, ticketing and notification.
Defender XDR Integration
Bidirectional incident sync so Defender and Sentinel operate as one investigation surface.
Sentinel Cost Optimisation
Basic and auxiliary log tiers, filtering at ingestion and commitment tier sizing to cut spend.
Compliance Reporting & Retention
Workbooks and retention configured for NESA, DESC ISR, CBUAE, ADHICS and PCI DSS evidence.
24/7 Managed Sentinel
Our Dubai SOC monitors, hunts and responds in your Sentinel workspace.
Our Sentinel Approach
1. Design
Workspace model, log source priorities, retention and cost targets agreed before onboarding.
2. Onboard
Connect sources in priority waves with parsing validated for each.
3. Detect & Automate
Build and tune analytics rules, workbooks and response playbooks.
4. Operate & Optimise
24/7 monitoring plus quarterly cost and coverage reviews.
Why Choose Skytech for Microsoft Sentinel?
Skytech Cyber Cloud runs its own 24/7 SOC on Microsoft Sentinel, so we build workspaces the way they need to be operated. Our engineers hold SC-200 and AZ-500 certifications and have delivered Sentinel for banks, government entities, healthcare providers and enterprises across the UAE and GCC.
- Cost-aware by design: tiering and filtering that typically cut ingestion spend by 20 to 40 percent.
- Detection-first: MITRE-mapped content built for your environment rather than default rules switched on en masse.
- Automation included: playbooks that cut response time, not just alerts that pile up.
- Co-managed or fully managed: your team keeps control, or we run it entirely.
Related Services
Sentinel is part of our Microsoft security solutions. Related: Defender XDR, SIEM deployment and optimisation, security monitoring and hybrid security operations.
Microsoft Sentinel FAQs
How much does Microsoft Sentinel cost?
Sentinel is priced on data ingested and retained, with commitment tiers reducing the rate at volume. Many Microsoft 365 and Defender logs are free to ingest. Cost depends almost entirely on design, which is why we model it before onboarding anything.
Do we need Sentinel if we have Defender XDR?
Often yes. Defender XDR covers Microsoft workloads with fast detection and response. Sentinel adds non-Microsoft sources such as firewalls, network and OT, long-term retention for compliance and custom analytics. They integrate bidirectionally and are complementary.
Which log sources should we onboard first?
Identity sign-ins and audit logs, Defender alerts, Microsoft 365 audit, firewall and VPN logs, and any internet-facing application logs. These carry the highest detection value per gigabyte. Verbose sources such as full network flow come later and often into cheaper tiers.
How long does a Sentinel deployment take?
Core deployment with Microsoft connectors and initial detections takes 4 to 6 weeks. Adding third-party sources, custom content and automation typically extends it to 8 to 12 weeks.
Can you reduce our existing Sentinel bill?
Usually. We analyse ingestion by source and table, move low-value data to basic or auxiliary tiers, filter at the agent or connector, remove duplicate collection and right-size commitment tiers.
Can Sentinel satisfy UAE log retention requirements?
Yes. We configure interactive and long-term retention to meet the strictest applicable requirement, commonly 12 months or more for NESA, DESC ISR, CBUAE and PCI DSS, balancing cost with searchability.