Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Cloud and workloadsCloud Security Posture Management
In brief
The page now only states that Foundational CSPM is free. It no longer includes the October 27, 2026 opt-in notice for new Azure subscriptions or the AWS and GCP scope note.
What Defender admins need to know
Administrators will no longer find those timing and onboarding details on this page. No action is stated.
Summaries are generated from the documentation change itself.
Documentation change
View on Microsoft LearnThe comparison below shows only the changed extract. Use the full-page view for complete context.
When Foundational CSPM is enabled, the Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark (MCSB) standard provides recommendations to help secure your multicloud environment. The secure score based on some of the MCSB recommendations helps you monitor cloud compliance. A higher score indicates a lower identified risk level.
Important
Starting October 27, 2026, Foundational CSPM will move to an opt-in model and will no longer be enabled by default for new Azure subscriptions. The free plan will continue to be available at no cost and can be enabled at any time based on your organization's needs. Existing subscriptions that already have Foundational CSPM enabled will remain enabled unless you turn off the plan. For more information, see Opt in to Foundational CSPM.
CSPM plans
Defender for Cloud offers two CSPM plans:
- Foundational CSPM (free): Available at no cost.
Starting October 27, 2026, new Azure subscriptions must opt in. AWS and GCP onboarding isn't affected. - Defender CSPM (paid): Provides extra capabilities beyond the Foundational CSPM plan, including advanced CSPM tools for cloud visibility and compliance monitoring. This plan offers advanced security posture features such as AI security posture, attack path analysis, and risk prioritization.
Plan availability
@@ -51,15 +51,11 @@ For Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server, Defender CSPM continuously ev
When Foundational CSPM is enabled, the [Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark (MCSB)](concept-regulatory-compliance) standard provides recommendations to help secure your multicloud environment. The [secure score](secure-score-security-controls) based on some of the MCSB recommendations helps you monitor cloud compliance. A higher score indicates a lower identified risk level.
-Important
-
-Starting October 27, 2026, Foundational CSPM will move to an opt-in model and will no longer be enabled by default for new Azure subscriptions. The free plan will continue to be available at no cost and can be enabled at any time based on your organization's needs. Existing subscriptions that already have Foundational CSPM enabled will remain enabled unless you turn off the plan. For more information, see [Opt in to Foundational CSPM](foundational-cspm-opt-in).
-
## CSPM plans
Defender for Cloud offers two CSPM plans:
-- **Foundational CSPM** (free): Available at no cost. Starting October 27, 2026, new Azure subscriptions must opt in. AWS and GCP onboarding isn't affected.
+- **Foundational CSPM** (free): Available at no cost.
- **Defender CSPM** (paid): Provides extra capabilities beyond the Foundational CSPM plan, including advanced CSPM tools for cloud visibility and compliance monitoring. This plan offers advanced security posture features such as AI security posture, attack path analysis, and risk prioritization.
### Plan availability