Azure Compliance & Security Auditing
Quick Reference
| Property | Details |
|---|---|
| Best for | Compliance scans, security audits, Key Vault expiration checks |
| Primary capabilities | Comprehensive Resources Assessment, Key Vault Expiration Monitoring |
| MCP tools | azqr, subscription and resource group listing, Key Vault item inspection |
Prerequisites
- Authentication: user is logged in to Azure via
az login - Permissions to read resource configuration and Key Vault metadata
Assessments
| Assessment | Reference |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive Compliance (azqr) | references/azure-quick-review.md |
| Key Vault Expiration | references/azure-keyvault-expiration-audit.md |
| Resource Graph Queries | references/azure-resource-graph.md |
MCP Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
mcp_azure_mcp_extension_azqr |
Run azqr compliance scans |
mcp_azure_mcp_subscription_list |
List available subscriptions |
mcp_azure_mcp_group_list |
List resource groups |
keyvault_key_list |
List all keys in vault |
keyvault_key_get |
Get key details including expiration |
keyvault_secret_list |
List all secrets in vault |
keyvault_secret_get |
Get secret details including expiration |
keyvault_certificate_list |
List all certificates in vault |
keyvault_certificate_get |
Get certificate details including expiration |
Assessment Workflow
- Select scope (subscription or resource group) for Comprehensive Resources Assessment.
- Run azqr and capture output artifacts.
- Analyze Scan Results and summarize findings and recommendations.
- Review Key Vault Expiration Monitoring output for keys, secrets, and certificates.
- Classify issues and propose remediation or fix steps for each finding.
Priority Classification
| Priority | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Critical | Immediate remediation required for high-impact exposure |
| High | Resolve within days to reduce risk |
| Medium | Plan a resolution in the next sprint |
| Low | Track and fix during regular maintenance |
Error Handling
| Error | Message | Remediation |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication required | "Please login" | Run az login and retry |
| Access denied | "Forbidden" | Confirm permissions and fix role assignments |
| Missing resource | "Not found" | Verify subscription and resource group selection |
Best Practices
- Run compliance scans on a regular schedule (weekly or monthly)
- Track findings over time and verify remediation effectiveness
- Separate compliance reporting from remediation execution
- Keep Key Vault expiration policies documented and enforced
SDK Quick References
For programmatic Key Vault access, see the condensed SDK guides:
- Key Vault (Python): Secrets/Keys/Certs
- Secrets: TypeScript | Rust | Java
- Keys: .NET | Java | TypeScript | Rust
- Certificates: Rust