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Configure endpoint proxy and internet connectivity settings

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Each Microsoft Defender for Identity sensor requires internet connectivity to the Defender for Identity cloud service to report sensor data and operate successfully.

In some organizations, the domain controllers aren't directly connected to the internet, but are connected through a web proxy connection, and SSL inspection and intercepting proxies are not supported for security reasons. In such cases, your proxy server must allow the data to directly pass from the Defender for Identity sensors to the relevant URLs without interception.

Important

Microsoft does not provide a proxy server. This article describes how to ensure that the required URLs are accessible via a proxy server that you configure.

Enable access to Defender for Identity service URLs in the proxy server

To ensure maximal security and data privacy, Defender for Identity uses certificate-based, mutual authentication between each Defender for Identity sensor and the Defender for Identity cloud back-end. SSL inspection and interception are not supported, as they interfere in the authentication process.

To enable access to Defender for Identity, make sure to allow traffic to the sensor URL, using the following syntax: <your-workspace-name>sensorapi.atp.azure.com. For example, contoso-corpsensorapi.atp.azure.com.

  • If your proxy or firewall uses explicit allowlists, we also recommend ensuring that the following URLs are allowed:

    • crl.microsoft.com
    • ctldl.windowsupdate.com
    • www.microsoft.com/pkiops/*
    • www.microsoft.com/pki/*

  • Occasionally, the Defender for Identity service IP addresses may change. If you manually configure IP addresses, or if your proxy automatically resolves DNS names to their IP address and uses them, we recommend that you periodically check that the configured IP addresses are still up-to-date.

  • If you've previously configured your proxy using legacy options, including WiniNet or a registry key update, you'll need to make any changes using the method you used originally. For more information, see Change proxy configuration using legacy methods.

Enable access with a service tag

Instead of manually enabling access to specific endpoints, download the Azure IP Ranges and Service Tags - Public Cloud, and use the IP address ranges in the AzureAdvancedThreatProtection Azure service tag to enable access to Defender for Identity.

For more information, see Virtual network service tags. For US Government offerings, see Get started with US Government offerings.

Change proxy configuration using the CLI

Prerequisites: Locate the Microsoft.Tri.Sensor.Deployment.Deployer.exe file. This file is located together with the sensor installation. By default, this location is C:\Program Files\Azure Advanced Threat Protection Sensor\version number\

To change the current sensor's proxy configuration:

Microsoft.Tri.Sensor.Deployment.Deployer.exe ProxyUrl="http://myproxy.contoso.local" ProxyUserName="CONTOSO\myProxyUser" ProxyUserPassword="myPr0xyPa55w0rd"

To remove the current sensor's proxy configuration entirely:

Microsoft.Tri.Sensor.Deployment.Deployer.exe ClearProxyConfiguration

Change proxy configuration using PowerShell

Prerequisites: Before running Defender for Identity PowerShell commands, make sure that you've downloaded the Defender for Identity PowerShell module.

You can view and change the proxy configuration for your sensor using PowerShell. To do so, sign into your sensor server and run commands as shown in the following examples:

To view the current sensor's proxy configuration:

Get-MDISensorProxyConfiguration

To change the current sensor's proxy configuration:

Set-MDISensorProxyConfiguration -ProxyUrl 'http://proxy.contoso.com:8080'

This example sets the proxy configuration for the Defender for Identity sensor to use the specified proxy server without any credentials.

To remove the current sensor's proxy configuration entirely:

Clear-MDISensorProxyConfiguration

For more information, see the following DefenderForIdentity PowerShell references:

Change proxy configuration using legacy methods

If you'd previously configured your proxy settings via either WinINet or a registry key and need to update them, you'll need to use the same method you used originally.

While configuring your proxy from the command line during installation ensures that only the Defender for Identity sensor services communicate through the proxy, using WinINet or a registry allow other services running in the context as Local System or Local Service to also direct traffic through the proxy.

Configure a proxy server using WinINet

When configuring the proxy using WinINet, keep in mind that the embedded Defender for Identity sensor service runs in system context using the LocalService account, and that the Defender for Identity Sensor updater service runs in the system context using LocalSystem account.

  • If you use WinHTTP for proxy configuration, you still need to configure Windows Internet (WinINet) browser proxy settings for communication between the sensor and the Defender for Identity cloud service.

  • If you're using Transparent proxy or WPAD in your network topology, you don't need to configure WinINet for your proxy.

Configure a proxy server using the registry

This section describes how to configure a static proxy server manually using a registry-based static proxy.

Important

Configuring a proxy via the registry affects all applications that use WinINet with the LocalService and LocalSystem accounts, including Windows services.

Apply registry changes only to the LocalService and LocalSystem accounts.

To configure your proxy, copy your proxy configuration in user context to the LocalSystem and LocalService accounts as follows:

  1. Back up your registry keys.

  2. In the registry, search for the DefaultConnectionSettings value as REG_BINARY, under the HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\DefaultConnectionSettings registry key, and copy it.

  3. If the LocalSystem doesn't have the correct proxy settings, copy the proxy setting from the Current_User to the LocalSystem, under the HKU\S-1-5-18\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\DefaultConnectionSettings registry key.

    Make sure to paste the value from the Current_User's DefaultConnectionSettings registry key as REG_BINARY.

    This may happen if your proxy settings aren't configured, or if they're different from the Current_User.

  4. If the LocalService doesn't have the correct proxy settings, then copy the proxy setting from the Current_User to the LocalService, under the HKU\S-1-5-19\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\DefaultConnectionSettings registry key.

    Make sure to paste the value from the Current_User's DefaultConnectionSettings registry key as REG_BINARY.

Related content

For more information, see:

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