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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Ubuntu and Microsoft are not announcing a new Linux distribution or handing security responsibility from one company to the other. The story is an ongoing Canonical–Microsoft collaboration: Canonical provides Azure-optimized Ubuntu images and optional Ubuntu Pro services, while Microsoft provides Azure infrastructure and platform controls. Used together, they can strengthen a Linux deployment—but administrators still need to choose and configure the protections their workloads require.
What the Canonical–Microsoft collaboration means
Canonical develops Ubuntu and maintains its guest operating system, packages, and Ubuntu Pro services. Microsoft operates Azure and supplies cloud controls such as compute, networking, identity, policy, and platform-level security features. Canonical says the companies work together to optimize Ubuntu images for Azure and support Azure capabilities. Canonical’s Azure overview describes that continuing relationship.
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Ubuntu images on Azure are tailored to the platform and integrate with services such as Azure pricing, guest patching, and Update Management Center. Canonical’s Azure image documentation describes the available offerings and integrations. This is a layered model, not a transfer of responsibility: Azure controls do not replace guest-OS maintenance, and Ubuntu Pro does not configure every Azure security setting.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches| Layer | What it contributes |
|---|---|
| Canonical and Ubuntu | Ubuntu LTS images, Azure-optimized kernels, operating-system and package security maintenance, Livepatch, compliance-oriented tools and images, and optional Ubuntu support. |
| Microsoft Azure | Cloud compute, storage, networking and identity controls; Trusted Launch and Confidential VM infrastructure where supported; Azure-native monitoring, policy, update management, and Marketplace billing. |
| Customer | Image and VM selection, configuration, patch policy, identity and network rules, application security, data protection, monitoring, and evidence needed for compliance. |
Standard Ubuntu LTS or Ubuntu Pro?
Standard Ubuntu Server on Azure is not an unprotected operating system. Canonical lists standard LTS security updates for the kernel and key infrastructure components, five years of LTS support, and features such as Secure Boot and AppArmor. The standard image is free to use; Azure compute and other cloud resources still incur their own charges. The differences below are described on Canonical’s Ubuntu on Azure page.
#1 Best Overall
| Capability | Standard Ubuntu LTS on Azure | Ubuntu Pro on Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Ubuntu security updates and five-year LTS support | Yes | Yes |
| Expanded security maintenance for Ubuntu and open-source packages | No | Yes; package coverage depends on release and entitlement |
| Kernel Livepatch | Not included | Included |
| Extended maintenance | Standard LTS lifecycle | Up to 15 years, depending on release and entitlement |
| FIPS and Common Criteria components | Not included as Ubuntu Pro features | Available through relevant Pro offerings |
| CIS and DISA STIG capabilities | Not included as Ubuntu Pro features | Available through relevant tools and images |
| Optional 24/7 Canonical support | Not included | Available as a separate supported offering |
| Azure billing | Standard Azure resource billing | Pro metering or other offer terms, in addition to applicable Azure resource costs |
Ubuntu Pro is an expanded security, lifecycle, and compliance layer, not a prerequisite for running Ubuntu safely. It is most relevant when a production system depends on packages outside the core operating system, needs longer maintenance, would benefit from fewer kernel-related maintenance interruptions, or has specific support or compliance requirements.
What Ubuntu Pro adds to the guest operating system
Broader package security coverage
Ubuntu Pro extends security maintenance to a much wider set of Ubuntu and open-source packages. Canonical’s Azure product page currently describes coverage for up to 36,000 packages; that figure is a product-page claim, not a universal count for every release or entitlement. Canonical also describes security coverage for ecosystems and packages including Apache Kafka, NGINX, Redis, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, RabbitMQ, and Node.js. Actual coverage depends on the package, Ubuntu release, and Pro entitlement. See Ubuntu Pro on Azure and Canonical’s Azure support page.
Longer maintenance
Canonical advertises up to 15 years of security maintenance for Ubuntu Pro, subject to release and entitlement. Treat that as a maximum for applicable offerings, not a promise that every Ubuntu installation receives 15 years. Check the lifecycle applicable to the exact release and image before setting a support plan.
Kernel Livepatch
Livepatch can apply certain kernel security fixes without an immediate reboot, helping reduce downtime for long-running services. It does not cover every kernel vulnerability, replace routine updates, or remove the need for all reboots. Kernel transitions, some fixes, hardware changes, and non-kernel updates can still require a planned restart. Canonical describes Livepatch as a way to minimize downtime and unplanned reboots on its Ubuntu security page.
Checking what is covered
On an attached system, use pro status --all --wait to inspect services and entitlement status, then run pro security-status to review installed packages and their security coverage. The latter is recommended on Canonical’s Ubuntu Pro page. A coverage report helps identify package gaps; it does not assess application code, cloud configuration, or the security of the entire workload.
Azure platform protections: Trusted Launch and Confidential VMs
Trusted Launch protects the boot chain
Trusted Launch can use Secure Boot, a virtual trusted platform module (vTPM), and measured boot to help protect and verify the VM’s boot process. Canonical’s documentation says Ubuntu images from 20.04 LTS support Trusted Launch on Hyper-V Generation 2 instances, and describes it as available by default when launching an Ubuntu image on Azure. Confirm the selected image, VM generation, region, and current Azure availability rather than assuming every combination has the same default. See Canonical’s Azure security overview.
Confidential VMs protect data in use
Confidential VMs use hardware-backed trusted execution environments to protect data while it is being processed. Canonical documents Ubuntu LTS support beginning with 22.04 for AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX; the cited documentation identifies Intel TDX as public preview, so it should not be treated as generally available in every configuration. Certain AI configurations also support confidential GPU processing, including NVIDIA H100-based environments. Availability depends on Azure VM series, region, image, and hardware.
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Memory protection is not the same as full-disk encryption. Canonical notes that full-disk encryption is optional and must be activated after provisioning. Confidential VM deployments also need compatibility, performance, attestation, and key-management planning; sensitivity alone is not enough to establish that a confidential VM is the right choice. The feature details and disk-encryption qualification are in Canonical’s security overview.
Azure Update Manager can surface Pro update gaps
Canonical reported in August 2025 that Azure Update Manager added visibility into missing Ubuntu Pro updates for Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 22.04, and 24.04 instances, at both individual-VM and fleet levels. That visibility can help teams identify exposure before deciding whether to attach Pro entitlements. See Canonical’s August 2025 explanation and Azure Update Manager.
Compliance-focused options are not compliance guarantees
Ubuntu Pro FIPS
Canonical’s Ubuntu Pro FIPS image is intended for environments requiring validated cryptographic modules. Canonical describes pre-enabled FIPS 140-3-certified modules, alongside Ubuntu Pro package coverage and compliance-oriented capabilities. Its highlighted 22.04 image is documented as receiving extended security maintenance through April 2032; other releases have different dates. Confirm the selected image’s lifecycle and module details on Canonical’s Ubuntu Pro FIPS page.
FIPS-certified modules can be an important part of a government or regulated deployment, but an image does not make an entire application or Azure environment compliant. Configuration, identity governance, logging, monitoring, change control, incident response, network design, data handling, and audit evidence remain part of the organization’s responsibility.
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Ubuntu Pro offerings include hardening tools or images associated with CIS and DISA STIG guidance, as well as Common Criteria EAL2-certified components. Those capabilities can support a control program; they do not prove that a running VM conforms to a benchmark or that a broader system has been assessed. Administrators still need to apply the relevant profile, review exceptions, maintain configuration, and collect evidence.
Deploying or attaching Ubuntu Pro
For a new VM
Choose an Ubuntu Pro image in Azure’s image catalog or Marketplace when creating the VM. Canonical says new Pro instances attach entitlements automatically and receive Pro features by default. Before deployment, verify these details in Azure because image availability varies:
- Ubuntu release and architecture.
- VM generation and size, including any Trusted Launch or Confidential VM requirement.
- Region availability for the image and VM series.
- Whether standard Ubuntu, Pro, FIPS, CIS-hardened, minimal, or Confidential VM is the right image.
- Whether the offer includes Pro alone or also Canonical support.
See Canonical’s instructions for getting Ubuntu Pro on Azure.
For an existing Azure VM
Canonical documents an in-place path that does not require service redeployment or a planned outage. From a system with Azure CLI access, set the VM license type, then attach the entitlement inside the guest:
az vm update
-g myResourceGroup
-n myVmName
--license-type UBUNTU_PROsudo apt install ubuntu-pro-client
sudo pro auto-attachCheck the result with:
pro status --all --waitThe Azure license-type change can take time to propagate. If auto-attachment fails, wait several minutes and retry; if it continues to fail, Canonical’s documented guidance is to raise the issue with Microsoft support. The steps are in Canonical’s upgrade instructions. Older guides may use the former ua command; current Canonical documentation uses pro. See Canonical’s onboarding guide.
Which option fits the workload?
| Workload or need | Likely starting point | Reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Small internal service using standard Ubuntu repositories | Standard Ubuntu LTS | Appropriate when standard LTS updates and the organization’s own patch and support processes are sufficient. |
| Internet-facing production application using a broad open-source stack | Evaluate Ubuntu Pro | Expanded package coverage and longer maintenance may reduce unmanaged security gaps. |
| High-availability database or service with costly maintenance windows | Evaluate Ubuntu Pro | Livepatch can avoid an immediate reboot for certain kernel fixes, though it does not eliminate all reboots. |
| Government or regulated workload requiring validated cryptography | Evaluate Ubuntu Pro FIPS | Provides a FIPS-oriented image and certified modules; the full environment still needs assessment. |
| Organization needing vendor escalation or an enterprise SLA | Ubuntu Pro with Support | Adds Canonical-backed 24/7 technical support, with infrastructure support and optional application support. |
| Workload whose threat model includes exposure to privileged cloud infrastructure and requires data-in-use protection | Evaluate Confidential VMs | Hardware-backed memory protection may address that threat model if the VM, image, and application are compatible. |
| Short-lived test system or workload with no extended coverage need | Standard Ubuntu LTS may suffice | Pro’s additional package coverage, lifecycle, compliance features, or support may not justify its cost. |
Canonical describes Ubuntu Pro with Support as adding 24/7 technical support for Azure workloads, with infrastructure support and optional application support. Its offer and support scope are described at Canonical’s Azure support page.
Costs and alternatives
Ubuntu Pro on Azure is metered, with pay-as-you-go or annual billing options; Canonical points buyers to the Azure Calculator rather than giving one universal server price. Cost depends on VM configuration, image, region, offer, and whether support or a specialized compliance image is included. Azure compute, storage, networking, monitoring, backup, and other services can add separate charges. Check the current calculator and Marketplace terms for the intended deployment using Canonical’s Pro page and Ubuntu on Azure.
Ubuntu Pro is not universally more secure than other enterprise operating systems. Compare options by package scope, lifecycle, reboot practices, compliance requirements, vendor support, Azure billing, staff expertise, and application compatibility:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux on Azure may suit organizations standardized on Red Hat subscriptions, support, Satellite, or OpenShift.
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server on Azure may fit teams with SUSE expertise, SAP requirements, or existing SUSE management investments.
- Debian or standard Ubuntu can work where an organization is prepared to assemble more of its own lifecycle, support, and compliance processes.
- Windows Server is a relevant alternative when the application or identity stack depends on Windows rather than Linux.
What the combined model does not secure for you
Ubuntu Pro can maintain covered packages and provide compliance-oriented features, while Azure supplies cloud infrastructure controls. Neither automatically fixes application vulnerabilities or unsafe operational choices. A security plan still needs to address:
- Application code, dependencies, and container images.
- Network security groups, exposed management ports, and segmentation.
- Identity permissions, credentials, and secrets handling.
- Data classification, encryption at rest and in transit, and key management.
- CI/CD pipeline security, logging, monitoring, incident response, and change control.
- Patch policies, reboot planning, and the verification of image and region availability.
The practical value of Ubuntu Pro plus Azure is the combination of broader Ubuntu maintenance and Azure platform capabilities. It is a stronger foundation for workloads whose requirements match those features, not a substitute for designing, operating, and auditing the system securely.
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