Azure Private Link
Azure Private Link is a Microsoft Azure service that enables secure, private connectivity to Azure platform-as-a-service (PaaS) services, customer-owned services, and Microsoft partner services over a private endpoint in your virtual network. It eliminates data exposure to the public internet by routing traffic through the Microsoft backbone network, enhancing security and compliance. This service supports various Azure resources like Azure Storage, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Key Vault.
Private Endpoints keep traffic on Azure's network, but the pricing model includes endpoint and data-processing charges. Use the privacy boundary intentionally, then price the traffic instead of assuming it is free.
Developers should use Azure Private Link when building applications that require high security and compliance, such as in finance, healthcare, or government sectors, to prevent data exfiltration and meet regulatory requirements like GDPR or HIPAA. It is ideal for scenarios involving sensitive data processing, hybrid cloud architectures, or multi-tenant environments where isolating network traffic is critical.