Microsoft Defender for Office 365 versus Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

With the increasing reliance on technology in the business world, it is more important than ever to ensure that your company’s data and systems are secure. Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computer networks and systems from unauthorized access, cybersecurity attacks and theft. Microsoft offers numerous advanced cyber security tools, including Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) that protects vital data from any kind of internal and external cyber security threats. In this article, we explain the difference between Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (formerly Office 365 ATP) and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (formerly Windows Defender ATP).

What is Microsoft Defender for Office 365?

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is a cloud-based email filtering service that protects organizational data from various malware, viruses, phishing and other unsafe links by providing zero-day protection in real time. Before email recipients open attachments or click on URLs, the content of the email is evaluated. It scans attachments and hyperlinks through separate, independent policies that administrators apply to specific users, groups or domains. Companies can also use this service to protect their files in Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive.

Features of Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Following are the features of Microsoft Defender for Office 365.

• It provides a “secure attachments” feature that analyzes all attachments to prevent the delivery of malicious files.
• The Secure Links feature scans the Web page content of hyperlinks in e-mail and Office documents to reduce phishing and other Web site attacks.
• It generates detailed reports to alert IT administrators, if certain users receive an unusually high volume of suspicious emails or malicious content and which users open or click on potentially malicious content.

When is Microsoft Defender for Office 365 required?

Microsoft Defender for Office 365, formerly known as Office 365 ATP, is used to filter and scan emails to prevent possible email phishing. Therefore, it is recommended for users who want to protect their e-mail accounts from malicious attachments and URLs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is included in the Microsoft 365 E5 security plan. Users can also access these features by purchasing them as add-on subscriptions: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 subscription 1 ($2.00 user/month) and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 subscription 2 ($5.00 user/month).

What is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint?

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a cyber security tool that protects devices and data from malware, spyware and many other malicious software. It provides preventive protection, detection after a breach, automated investigation and response capabilities. It helps companies defend against advanced attacks by using machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify anomalies, isolate malicious activity and enable proactive response.

Features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offers several features, including:

• It discovers security vulnerabilities, prioritizes them and enables companies to fix them with security recommendations.
• It provides “Attack Surface Reduction” by ensuring hardware isolation, reducing the attack surface and isolating untrusted websites and PDFs to keep them separated from Windows 10.
• Uses various algorithms and processes to evaluate alerts and take immediate action to address violations.
• It provides a dashboard through which the organization’s security status, such as risk machines, risk users, suspicious activity, active alerts and automated investigations can be explored in various ways from a centralized location.

When is Microsoft Defender required for endpoint?

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, formerly known as Windows Defender ATP, helps businesses protect their system and vital documents from ransomware, malware, viruses and many other attacks. Therefore, it is recommended for users who want complete system protection against cyber security threats. These features are included in Microsoft 365 E5 & Microsoft 365 E3 subscriptions and are also available as add-on subscriptions: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint ($3.00 user/month) and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 ($5.20 user/month).

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Although Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offer different functionalities, it is recommended to use both security solutions to protect vital business data from malicious emails and from ever-increasing cyber security attacks to ensure complete data integrity.

Source: o365cloudexperts