Azure Security Center Pricing
Understand the cost associated with Azure Security Center, a unified infrastructure security management system that strengthens the security posture of your data centers, and provides advanced threat protection across your hybrid workloads in the cloud and on-premises.
Key Pricing Models
Azure Security Center offers a flexible pricing model based on the types of features you enable and the number of resources you protect. Key components include:
- Advanced Threat Protection (ATP): Priced per protected resource.
- Security Assessment & Recommendations: Generally included with Azure subscriptions, with advanced features requiring specific tiers.
- Vulnerability Assessment: Integrated scanning services.
Pricing Tiers Explained
Azure Security Center provides different pricing tiers to suit various needs, from basic security posture management to advanced threat detection and response.
Free Tier
- Basic security posture management
- Asset inventory
- Vulnerability assessment integration
- Security recommendations
- Regulatory compliance dashboard
Standard Tier
- All Free tier features
- Advanced threat protection for VMs, containers, databases, and more
- Just-in-time VM access
- File integrity monitoring
- Adaptive application controls
- Network map
Advanced Threat Protection (Per Resource Type)
- Specialized ATP for:
- - Azure SQL Database
- - Azure Cosmos DB
- - Azure Storage
- - Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
- - And more...
Understanding Cost Factors
The total cost of Azure Security Center depends on several factors:
- Number of Protected Resources: The primary driver for Standard tier and ATP pricing. This includes virtual machines, SQL databases, containers, and other supported resources.
- Features Enabled: Enabling advanced features like Just-in-Time VM access or advanced threat detection for specific services will incur additional costs.
- Data Retention: While core features are priced per resource, longer data retention for security alerts and logs might have associated storage costs.
Free Trial & Discounts
New Azure customers can often benefit from free credits and trials. Explore the Azure pricing calculator for detailed cost estimations based on your specific workload and usage patterns.
Consider Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server and SQL Server licenses when deploying on Azure VMs to reduce costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free version of Azure Security Center?
Yes, Azure Security Center offers a Free tier that provides essential security posture management capabilities without charge. Advanced threat protection features are available in the Standard tier.
How is pricing calculated for the Standard tier?
The Standard tier is priced per protected resource per day. You are charged for each resource that has Standard tier capabilities enabled and is actively protected.
Can I estimate my costs before implementing?
Absolutely. We highly recommend using the Azure Pricing Calculator to get a personalized estimate based on your expected resource count and enabled features.