Microsoft Defender for Business stand-alone now generally available

kC77

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Just signed up for the trial, and works out £2.30 per month per user (unless you already have business premium+)

from Bleeping Computer:
Microsoft says that its enterprise-grade endpoint security for small to medium-sized businesses is now generally available as a standalone solution.

Known as Microsoft Defender for Business, this product is designed for SMBs with up to 300 employees who need protection against malware, phishing, and ransomware attacks on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices.

"Microsoft believes in security for all. We are proud to further deliver on that vision today," said Vasu Jakkal, CVP, security, compliance and identity at Microsoft.

"With the GA of Defender for Business, SMBs will get greater protection with simplified security to help them better protect, detect and respond to threats."

Microsoft Defender for Business has started rolling out to Microsoft 365 Business Premium customers worldwide beginning March 1st.

Now customers can also get Defender for Business as a standalone license straight from Microsoft and Microsoft Partner Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) channels at $3 per user per month.


Defender for Business features a wizard-driven setup that makes it easier to configure clients. It will also enable all recommended security policies for organizations without a dedicated security team.

Key features bundled with this SMB-focused endpoint security suite include:

  • Simplified deployment and management for IT administrators who may not have the expertise to address today's evolving threat landscape.
  • Next-generation antivirus protection and endpoint detection and response to detect and respond to sophisticated attacks with behavioral monitoring.
  • Automated investigation and remediation to help customers react quickly to threats.
  • Threat and vulnerability management proactively alerts users to weaknesses and misconfigurations in software.
  • Microsoft 365 Lighthouse integration with Microsoft Defender for Business for IT service providers to view security events across customers, with additional capabilities coming.
Microsoft said that it's also planning to add support for servers later this year with the help of an add-on solution.
**sub note - if you sign up for the trial it asks for card details..... just close the page .. sign into office.com again and go to admin.... your licenses are there and no billing details
 
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Trooper

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Aug 28, 2015
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Just signed up for the trial, and works out £2.30 per month per user (unless you already have business premium+)

from Bleeping Computer:
Microsoft says that its enterprise-grade endpoint security for small to medium-sized businesses is now generally available as a standalone solution.

Known as Microsoft Defender for Business, this product is designed for SMBs with up to 300 employees who need protection against malware, phishing, and ransomware attacks on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices.

"Microsoft believes in security for all. We are proud to further deliver on that vision today," said Vasu Jakkal, CVP, security, compliance and identity at Microsoft.

"With the GA of Defender for Business, SMBs will get greater protection with simplified security to help them better protect, detect and respond to threats."

Microsoft Defender for Business has started rolling out to Microsoft 365 Business Premium customers worldwide beginning March 1st.

Now customers can also get Defender for Business as a standalone license straight from Microsoft and Microsoft Partner Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) channels at $3 per user per month.


Defender for Business features a wizard-driven setup that makes it easier to configure clients. It will also enable all recommended security policies for organizations without a dedicated security team.

Key features bundled with this SMB-focused endpoint security suite include:

  • Simplified deployment and management for IT administrators who may not have the expertise to address today's evolving threat landscape.
  • Next-generation antivirus protection and endpoint detection and response to detect and respond to sophisticated attacks with behavioral monitoring.
  • Automated investigation and remediation to help customers react quickly to threats.
  • Threat and vulnerability management proactively alerts users to weaknesses and misconfigurations in software.
  • Microsoft 365 Lighthouse integration with Microsoft Defender for Business for IT service providers to view security events across customers, with additional capabilities coming.
Microsoft said that it's also planning to add support for servers later this year with the help of an add-on solution.

Let me know what you think about it. I would not mind trying it out but I am using a 3rd party av at work, so not much time to test WD. Cheers.
 

kC77

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well theres nothing much "to test", its the same core AV... the advantage here is with the cloud integration.... having all devices in a single pane of glass, and controlled by cloud policies... there is a few nice extras like isolating devices, quickly locking down apps, and the auto remdiation/investigation by Microsoft, also nice is how it categorizes your devices by security scores (missing patches/firmware/risky software) or if a device is affected by a CVE

if you have 1 device youd be better served with the free defender/hard configurator or defnderUIPro
if you have lots of devices... or look after your family etc.... its a great centralized way to mange policy and alerts/security events/issues across them all.
Stunning product!

working for an MSP we use bitdefender GravityZone.... I cant wait to start deploying MS
 

Trooper

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well theres nothing much "to test", its the same core AV... the advantage here is with the cloud integration.... having all devices in a single pane of glass, and controlled by cloud policies... there is a few nice extras like isolating devices, quickily locking down apps, and the auto remdiation/investigation by microsoft, also nice is how it categorizes your devices by security scores (missing patches/firmware/risky software) or if a device is affected by a CVE

if you have 1 device youd be better served with the free defender/hard configurator or defnderUIPro
if you have lots of devices... or look after your family etc.... its a great centralized way to mange all security events/issues.
I realize that. Did not think I needed to explain myself further. Interested to hear more about it though.
 
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ss10

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May 2, 2022
2
@kC77 Hello! I'm trying to add devices to Microsoft 365 Defender. According to my research, I can add devices via security.microsoft.com->[Settings]->[Endpoints] but [Endpoints] is missing in my settings. Is there any other way to add devices to Microsoft 365 Defender?
 

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kC77

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Aug 16, 2021
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@kC77 Hello! I'm trying to add devices to Microsoft 365 Defender. According to my research, I can add devices via security.microsoft.com->[Settings]->[Endpoints] but [Endpoints] is missing in my settings. Is there any other way to add devices to Microsoft 365 Defender?
 

ss10

New Member
May 2, 2022
2
I tried to follow it before but I am stuck with step 2 since I don't have the Settings > Endpoints.
Step 2: In the navigation pane, choose Settings > Endpoints, and then under Device management, choose Onboarding.
 

kC77

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Aug 16, 2021
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I tried to follow it before but I am stuck with step 2 since I don't have the Settings > Endpoints.
Step 2: In the navigation pane, choose Settings > Endpoints, and then under Device management, choose Onboarding.
you need to complete the profile/setup before you get the onboarding screen
once you complete the setup, unless you are using group policy or intune.... the simplest way is to just download the onboarding.bat file, run it, wait 5 mins and the device/devices will show in the portal
defenderbusonboard.png
defender onboard 2.png

the first thing noticeable, if you have a firewall is the first connection of ATP
atp connection.png
 
F

ForgottenSeer 94654

Since this is geared towards businesses, assume that it cant be used for family etc?
There is no advantage without being a part of AD or Azure Active Directory, and having access to the ATP features via a web portal.

Trial is 30 Euros per person per year. Family of 3 means almost 100 Euros, and do not get all the bells & whistles. Those additional features cost extra. Once the trial expires, the cost will increase significantly. Microsoft always does expensive modular and pay-as-you-go pricing.

 
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ss10

New Member
May 2, 2022
2
you need to complete the profile/setup before you get the onboarding screen
once you complete the setup, unless you are using group policy or intune.... the simplest way is to just download the onboarding.bat file, run it, wait 5 mins and the device/devices will show in the portal

the first thing noticeable, if you have a firewall is the first connection of ATP
Thank you! I'm using a newly created account. My account is now fully activated. I'm currently onboarding my devices. :)
 

Trooper

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Aug 28, 2015
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There is no advantage without being a part of AD or Azure Active Directory, and having access to the ATP features via a web portal.

Trial is 30 Euros per person per year. Family of 3 means almost 100 Euros, and do not get all the bells & whistles. Those additional features cost extra. Once the trial expires, the cost will increase significantly. Microsoft always does expensive modular and pay-as-you-go pricing.


Had a feeling that was the case. Perhaps I will look into this for my work next year as we currently are using ESET. For home use, price would be way too high and without AD like you said, kind of pointless.
 

Anthony Qian

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Apr 17, 2021
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well theres nothing much "to test", its the same core AV... the advantage here is with the cloud integration.... having all devices in a single pane of glass, and controlled by cloud policies... there is a few nice extras like isolating devices, quickly locking down apps, and the auto remdiation/investigation by Microsoft, also nice is how it categorizes your devices by security scores (missing patches/firmware/risky software) or if a device is affected by a CVE

if you have 1 device youd be better served with the free defender/hard configurator or defnderUIPro
if you have lots of devices... or look after your family etc.... its a great centralized way to mange policy and alerts/security events/issues across them all.
Stunning product!

working for an MSP we use bitdefender GravityZone.... I cant wait to start deploying MS
Yeah. The biggest advantages of MD for Business are EDR, cloud-based sandboxing, and premium support. Unlike MD for home users, MD for Business provides detailed insights into threats detected on endpoints.
 
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