In the previous section, we used standard VM offerings in Azure and used two different methods to do some configuration work afterward. However, as stated before, there are reasons why a default image might not be the solution for you. Let's summarize the reasons one more time.

The native image offerings by Azure are a good starting point to deploy VMs. Some of the benefits of using native images are as follows:

• Created and supported by Linux distribution vendors or a trusted partner
• Fast to deploy, both manually and orchestrated, and, of course, you can customize them afterward
• Easy-to-extend functionality and options with Azure extensions

If you are going with the native offerings there are some disadvantages or, in other words, some drawbacks:

• If you want more hardening than the standard image, then you have to rely on hardened image versions from the Marketplace, which is expensive for some.
• The standard...