In which environments can Microsoft Defender for Containers effectively scan for vulnerabilities?

Microsoft Defender for Containers is designed to provide comprehensive security for containerized environments, particularly those deployed within Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). By scanning for vulnerabilities in both Windows and Linux containers, it ensures that applications running in these technologies are secure from potential threats.

The effective integration with Azure AKS enables Defender for Containers to leverage Azure's robust security and management features, resulting in a streamlined approach to container security. Scanning vulnerabilities in this context involves analyzing the container images and the running workloads, which is essential given the increasing complexity and use of both types of containers in cloud-native applications.

The other environments listed are not supported for effective vulnerability scanning by Microsoft Defender for Containers in the same comprehensive manner as AKS. While Docker containers on local machines might have some security tools available, they do not benefit from the specialized features designed for enterprise-level security that Azure AKS offers. Furthermore, virtual machines running Windows Server and Azure VMs serving Windows containers do not encompass the full range of container security management that Microsoft Defender provides in the AKS environment.