Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides layered security endpoint protection. The platform has 7 key features designed to go further than a traditional antivirus solution and provide real time next generation protection.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integrates with Azure Defender and Microsoft Intune. Having full cloud based architecture ensures robust and scalable endpoint security, offering deep insight whilst incurring minimal endpoint impact. Overall, this leads to greatly improved attack surface reduction and quicker endpoint detection and response capabilities.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
This element is used for host visibility and utilised to identify advanced threats that may have made it past the first two security layers. Microsoft Defender EDR detects attacks in real-time and provides SOC security analysts with actionable alerts.
Threat & Vulnerability Management
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has real-time insights into changes in patches and software installations. Defender for Endpoint includes a vulnerability management dashboard that offers insight in to known security vulnerabilities or missing patches. It provides the visibility required for effective vulnerability management.
Microsoft Threat Experts
The managed threat hunting service comes with two components. Targeted attack notifications provide special insights and analysis that help to identify and respond to the most critical threats quickly and accurately. It also comes with Microsoft Threat Experts on demand who can provide you with a technical consultation in the absence of an active SOC.
Attack Surface Reduction
It’s possible to minimise areas where cyber threats could attack your defences by putting specific controls in place. These will act as a first line of defence. An example of this application control, such as marking specific applications as being trusted to run, rather than allowing them to be run by default.
Next Generation Protection
Microsoft Defender Antivirus is next generation anti virus software that combines big data analysis, machine learning, in-depth threat research, and Microsoft cloud infrastructure to protect devices. It uses behaviour monitoring that notes characteristics as well as real-time threat protection to detect and block malicious threats almost instantly.
Auto Investigation & Remediation
The AI built in to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint uses advanced inspection algorithms that a SOC analyst would use for the purposes of threat investigation and remediation. These are automatic capabilities that help quash suspicious activities and reduce the volume of alerts in minutes. It can also be configured to ignore false positives.
Inventory
Using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides comprehensive device inventory. This includes visibility of device risks, operating systems, domain connectivity, health status, and exposure levels. Defender for Endpoint can onboard devices quickly and securely.
Defender for Endpoint & Integrations
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integrates with other products in the Microsoft ecosystem to provide advanced threat protection.
Defender for Endpoint, as a proactive and preventative protection tool, provides information to support other tools with their tasks, such as Azure Security Center and Microsoft 365 Defender. Information such as this provides a boost to your Microsoft Secure Score and improves an organization’s security posture.
Correct Microsoft Defender Antivirus configuration settings and Defender for Endpoint integration provide visibility to both client and Windows server endpoints, and reviews associated malware detections to stop propagation of an attack on your organization by banning potentially malicious files or suspected malware.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can be easily collated with other Microsoft logs and integrated into Microsoft Azure Sentinel to provide host visibility, correlation, and advanced analytics to better secure enterprise assets.
CloudTech24 – A Microsoft Partner
In conclusion Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a very effective cyber security tool. From automated investigation to overall operating system security, Defender for Endpoint is an excellent choice for those using Microsoft environments.
At CloudTech24, we leverage our position as a Microsoft Partner to offer all licensing options for Defender for Endpoint. Perhaps more crucially, our experience in configuring, implementing, and managing this program for our clients has led to greater security for their businesses.
As a managed security service provider, we offer:
- A dedicated account manager
- A security operations center (SOC) with a mix of experience and ability
- 24/7 protection, 365 days per year
- A managed threat hunting service to proactively secure your network and its endpoints
Find Out More
Talk to us now to discuss your current endpoint detection tooling or your requirement for an endpoint security solution.
Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
WHAT DOES MICROSOFT DEFENDER FOR ENDPOINT DO?
Defender for Endpoint is a commercial security platform that is licensed as a standalone product or included as part of a Microsoft E5 package.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint leverages its deep insight in to endpoint systems and utilises its cloud architecture to harden systems and reduce the attack services.
It uses heuristic and behavioural engines for next generation threat detection and prevention, and proactively enacts an automated response for remediation and system isolation.
IS MICROSOFT DEFENDER FOR ENDPOINT ANTI-VIRUS?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a comprehensive security platform that includes a includes a next generation anti-virus program. The Next Gen AV (NGAV) and real time protection works as a preventative measure in addition to increase endpoint visibility and offer the ability to detect and respond to advanced threats.
IS WINDOWS DEFENDER ENOUGH 2021?
Windows Defender is a solid, ready-made antivirus software for home Windows systems. As a business, it is essential to increase endpoint protection where possible.
Many breaches arise as a result of human error and, in this case, the first line of defence is endpoint protection. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offers advanced antivirus protection alongside the ability to proactively find breaches through automatic investigation of an organization’s endpoints. It does this
HOW MUCH IS MICROSOFT DEFENDER FOR ENDPOINT?
The Microsoft 365 E5 package includes Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and E5 costs around £48.10 per user per month.
D4E can also be purchased as a standalone application, or delivered as a fully managed Defender for Endpoint solution managed by the CloudTech24 security operations team. Further detail on pricing can be obtained here
WHICH FEATURE IN MICROSOFT DEFENDER FOR ENDPOINT PROVIDES THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST CYBER THREATS BY REDUCING THE ATTACK SURFACE?
The feature in Defender for Endpoint that acts as the first line of defense is the attack surface reduction rules. These rules reduce cyberthreats significantly by reducing the vectors through which an attacker can breach your environment.
IS MICROSOFT DEFENDER FOR ENDPOINT ANTIVIRUS?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft Defender Antivirus are two different programs.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integrates with the Antivirus program to boost it’s effectiveness and implement attack surface reduction rules.
WHAT IS MICROSOFT DEFENDER ATP?
Microsoft Defender ATP, or Defender Advanced Threat Protection, sits within a Microsoft tenant to offer increase security within the environment. Microsoft Defender ATP works in conjunction with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint by providing a holistic method of increasing an organization’s Microsoft endpoint protection.
WHAT PLANS INCLUDE DEFENDER FOR ENDPOINT?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint will soon be spit in to two plans – Plan 1 and Plan 2. Currently, Defender for Endpoint is bundled in E5. As a result, Microsoft will soon offer several different pricing plans to suit user requirements.
