In reviewing NIST 800-53 compliance for an Azure subscription, what is the first action to take?

Reviewing the secure score recommendations from Defender for Cloud is an essential first step in assessing NIST 800-53 compliance for an Azure subscription. The secure score provides a quantifiable measure of your security posture based on your Azure configurations, account settings, and overall practices. By starting with this tool, you can identify specific areas that require improvement and alignment with NIST standards. It helps prioritize security controls and recommendations that can directly influence compliance efforts.

This approach allows you to have a foundational understanding of your current security state, enabling you to address the most pressing vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that might affect compliance with NIST 800-53. Moreover, the secure score recommendations include actionable items that can guide your remediation efforts effectively, aligning them with compliance requirements.

Other actions, while potentially beneficial later in the compliance process, may not provide the focused insight necessary for an initial assessment, making 'B' the most strategic choice to kickstart the compliance review.