Microsoft on Tuesday officially announced the upcoming release of Microsoft Defender for Business, which will soon be available in a preview edition. The new security suite provides enterprise-level endpoint security for up to 300 employees in an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution.
Price
Once the service is available, customers can purchase the security platform directly from Microsoft as a standalone offering for $3 per user per month.
The new release was prompted by the 300% increase in ransomware attacks in the past year, with more than half of these attacks affecting small and medium-sized businesses. Defender for Business aims to take traditional antivirus protection to the next level with end-to-end detection and response, threat, and vulnerability management, among other capabilities.
Features
It also offers simplified configuration and management with intelligent, automated scanning and recovery functions for devices running Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android, tailored to the specific needs of the target user group.
According to Microsoft, the platform would cover a wide range of tasks, from dealing with threats and vulnerabilities to fixing misconfigurations, reducing the attack surface, and protecting against malware.
Simple User Interface
The simplified management console allows for manual operations, and no special IT security skills are required to install and manage the platform. It also includes a setup wizard with recommended settings and security policies that can be activated immediately, saving users time with administrative controls. The new model can help small businesses on the cost side, but it can also empower them to learn and implement more complex security concepts.
In The Cloud or On-Premise
The Defender for Business service works regardless of the deployment location. It can be installed on-site or with Microsoft 365 or other solutions. It will also be part of Microsoft 365 Business Premium accounts and be integrated into Microsoft 365 Lighthouse administration interface.
Back in April, Microsoft announced a pre-release of a capability to support unmanaged devices and network devices running Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, or Android with Microsoft Defender. In addition, Microsoft recently unveiled a new package to protect nonprofit organizations (Microsoft Security Program for Nonprofits) in response to the growing number of threats to nonprofits and NGOs worldwide, particularly state-sponsored attacks.
