Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Applies to:
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2
- Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management
- Microsoft Defender XDR
Want to experience Microsoft Defender for Endpoint? Sign up for a free trial.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is an enterprise endpoint security platform designed to help enterprise networks prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats.
Note
Example endpoints may include laptops, phones, tablets, PCs, access points, routers, and firewalls.
Tip
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is available in two plans, Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 and Plan 2. A new Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management add-on is now available for Plan 2.
For more information on the features and capabilities included in each plan, including the new Defender Vulnerability Management add-on, see Microsoft 365 guidance for security & compliance.
Watch the following video to learn more about Defender for Endpoint:
Defender for Endpoint uses the following combination of technology built into Windows 10 and Microsoft's robust cloud service:
Endpoint behavioral sensors: Embedded in Windows 10, these sensors collect and process behavioral signals from the operating system and send this sensor data to your private, isolated, cloud instance of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
Cloud security analytics: Leveraging big-data, device learning, and unique Microsoft optics across the Windows ecosystem, enterprise cloud products (such as Office 365), and online assets, behavioral signals are translated into insights, detections, and recommended responses to advanced threats.
Threat intelligence: Generated by Microsoft hunters, security teams, and augmented by threat intelligence provided by partners, threat intelligence enables Defender for Endpoint to identify attacker tools, techniques, and procedures, and generate alerts when they are observed in collected sensor data.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Tip
- Learn about the latest enhancements in Defender for Endpoint: What's new in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint demonstrated industry-leading optics and detection capabilities in the recent MITRE evaluation. Read: Insights from the MITRE ATT&CK-based evaluation.
Important
The capabilities on non-Windows platforms may be different from the ones for Windows. For more information on what capabilities are available for non-Windows platforms, see Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for non-Windows platforms.
Core Defender Vulnerability Management
Built-in core vulnerability management capabilities use a modern risk-based approach to the discovery, assessment, prioritization, and remediation of endpoint vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. To further enhance your ability to assess your security posture and reduce risk, a new Defender Vulnerability Management add-on for Plan 2 is available.
For more information on the different vulnerability management capabilities available to you, see Compare Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management offerings.
The attack surface reduction set of capabilities provides the first line of defense in the stack. By ensuring configuration settings are properly set and exploit mitigation techniques are applied, the capabilities resist attacks and exploitation. This set of capabilities also includes network protection and web protection, which regulate access to malicious IP addresses, domains, and URLs.
To further reinforce the security perimeter of your network, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint uses next-generation protection designed to catch all types of emerging threats.
Endpoint detection and response
Endpoint detection and response capabilities are put in place to detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats that may have made it past the first two security pillars. Advanced hunting provides a query-based threat-hunting tool that lets you proactively find breaches and create custom detections.
Automated investigation and remediation
In conjunction with being able to quickly respond to advanced attacks, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offers automatic investigation and remediation capabilities that help reduce the volume of alerts in minutes at scale.
Microsoft Secure Score for Devices
Defender for Endpoint includes Microsoft Secure Score for Devices to help you dynamically assess the security state of your enterprise network, identify unprotected systems, and take recommended actions to improve the overall security of your organization.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's new managed threat hunting service provides proactive hunting, prioritization, and additional context and insights that further empower Security operation centers (SOCs) to identify and respond to threats quickly and accurately.
Important
Defender for Endpoint customers need to apply for the Microsoft Threat Experts managed threat hunting service to get proactive Targeted Attack Notifications and to collaborate with experts on demand. Experts on Demand is an add-on service. Targeted Attack Notifications are always included after you have been accepted into Microsoft Threat Experts managed threat hunting service.
If you are not enrolled yet and would like to experience its benefits, go to Settings > General > Advanced features > Microsoft Threat Experts to apply. Once accepted, you will get the benefits of Targeted Attack Notifications, and start a 90-day trial of Experts on Demand. Contact your Microsoft representative to get a full Experts on Demand subscription.
Centralized configuration and administration, APIs
Integrate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint into your existing workflows.
Integration with Microsoft solutions
Defender for Endpoint directly integrates with various Microsoft solutions, including:
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Microsoft Sentinel
- Intune
- Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
- Microsoft Defender for Identity
- Microsoft Defender for Office
- Skype for Business
With Microsoft Defender XDR, Defender for Endpoint, and various Microsoft security solutions, form a unified pre- and post-breach enterprise defense suite that natively integrates across endpoint, identity, email, and applications to detect, prevent, investigate, and automatically respond to sophisticated attacks.
Security, privacy, and compliance information
Tip
Do you want to learn more? Engage with the Microsoft Security community in our Tech Community: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Tech Community.