# Review identity Secure Score, custom detections, and hunting every week > Use Weekly operational guide - Microsoft Defender for Identity to review this narrow operational decision without extending the source beyond its stated scope. - Canonical URL: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/review-identity-secure-score-custom-detections-and-hunting-weekly/ - Publisher: Detection Systems & Engineering (DSE Security) - Author: DSE Security Editorial Team - Published: 2026-08-27T12:12:36+00:00 - Modified: 2026-08-27T13:04:10+00:00 - Last reviewed by DSE: 2026-08-26 - Resource type: Playbook - DSE priority: Advisory - Topics: Cybersecurity, IT, Microsoft 365 & Identity - Reading time: 3 minutes ## What you need to know Use Weekly operational guide - Microsoft Defender for Identity to review this narrow operational decision without extending the source beyond its stated scope. ## Potentially affected Teams, systems, services, or facilities within the stated scope of Weekly operational guide - Microsoft Defender for Identity ## DSE recommendation Compare the observed state with the cited official source, document applicability and exceptions, and test any approved change with rollback safeguards. ## Article Keep this document to one review outcome: Review identity Secure Score, custom detections, and hunting every week. Only the official source and traced locations below supply facts. Confirm applicability before acting. ## Source fact: The official [Weekly operational guide – Microsoft Defender for Identity](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-for-identity/ops-guide/ops-guide-weekly) from Microsoft supports the following bounded statements: - Microsoft’s weekly guide calls for reviewing Secure Score recommendations, responding to emerging threats with custom detections, and proactive threat hunting. The research record locates this support at Opening scope statement. - The guide describes Defender for Identity Secure Score recommendations as focused on on-premises identities and weak points in identity infrastructure. The research record locates this support at Secure Score section. These statements are the factual basis for this document. Do not extend them into a broader assurance. Review identity alerts, investigations, remediation roles, evidence retention, escalation, exclusions, and incident workflows only where the source and recorded environment align. ## What the source does not establish A weekly vendor checklist does not override incident urgency or prove that accepted recommendations are applicable or complete. Do not read the source as proof of implementation or permission to change production. Its guidance remains conditional on Active Directory, Windows DNS, time, cloud portals, endpoint data, network telemetry, privileged access, and response staffing and the environment’s recorded constraints. ## Applicability questions - For source statement 1 at Opening scope statement, which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here? - For source statement 2 at Secure Score section, which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here? - Which deployed instance of identity alerts, investigations, remediation roles, evidence retention, escalation, exclusions, and incident workflows will be compared with the source, and why that instance? - How will the review distinguish a source mismatch from a failure in Active Directory, Windows DNS, time, cloud portals, endpoint data, network telemetry, privileged access, and response staffing? - Who approves the conclusion, exception, test window, and rollback threshold? ## DSE recommendation: DSE recommends using the cited source as the evidence anchor for this decision. Start with applicability, then compare the observed state with the cited source. Record the source location, examined part of identity alerts, investigations, remediation roles, evidence retention, escalation, exclusions, and incident workflows, observed and expected states, owner, and reason for deviation. Translate the conclusion into change control only after documenting dependencies, impact, test method, expected signals, failure signals, and restoration steps. Include Active Directory, Windows DNS, time, cloud portals, endpoint data, network telemetry, privileged access, and response staffing, while excluding secrets and sensitive personal or topology data from ordinary tickets. ## Verification and evidence Keep the source locations Opening scope statement; Secure Score section adjacent to the sanitized artifacts used for comparison. Prefer alert records, investigation timelines, analyst actions, tuning or exclusion approvals, remediation results, and case closure, with enough identity and timing data for an independent recheck. Record the decision even when no change is made, including uncertainty and the next trigger. Use safe testing conditions for disruptive work, preserve rollback proof, and revisit the conclusion after relevant platform, dependency, vendor, or ownership changes. ## Official references - [Weekly operational guide – Microsoft Defender for Identity](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-for-identity/ops-guide/ops-guide-weekly) — Microsoft ## Primary reference - Name: Weekly operational guide - Microsoft Defender for Identity - Authority: Microsoft Learn - URL: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-for-identity/ops-guide/ops-guide-weekly - Source publication date: 2026-07-02 ## Citation and use Preferred citation: “Review identity Secure Score, custom detections, and hunting every week,” DSE Security, https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/review-identity-secure-score-custom-detections-and-hunting-weekly/ Publishing principles: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/dse-updates-editorial-methodology/ Usage and citation policy: https://update.dsesecurity.com/usage/ Copyright © 2026 Detection Systems & Engineering. 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