Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Cheat Sheet

• Enterprise-grade endpoint protection platform that combines antivirus, endpoint detection and response (EDR), threat and vulnerability management (TVM), and attack surface reduction.

• Part of: Microsoft Defender XDR suite, integrated with Microsoft Defender for Office 365.

• Licensing:

  • Plan 1: Core protection features (next-gen protection, attack surface reduction, manual response).

  • Plan 2: Advanced features (EDR, automated investigation and remediation, threat and vulnerability management, Microsoft Threat Experts).

Key Features & Capabilities

• Next-Generation Protection: Behavioral and heuristic-based antivirus with cloud-delivered protection.

• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Advanced threat detection, alerting, and investigation capabilities.

• Automated Investigation and Remediation (AIR): Automated triage and remediation of threats.

• Threat and Vulnerability Management (TVM): Real-time vulnerability assessment and prioritization.

• Attack Surface Reduction (ASR): Rules to block or audit potentially harmful behaviors.

• Microsoft Threat Experts: Managed threat hunting and expert-level analysis.

Supported Platforms

• Windows: Windows 10, 11, and Windows Server 2012 R2 and later.



• macOS: macOS 10.15 and later.

• Linux: Various distributions (e.g., Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat).

• Mobile: iOS 11.0+ and Android 6.0+.

Integration Points

• Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Unified incident and alert management across Microsoft security services.

• Microsoft Sentinel: SIEM integration for advanced analytics and hunting.

• Microsoft Intune: Policy enforcement and device management.

• Microsoft Entra ID: Identity and access management.

• Microsoft Defender for IoT: Integration for IoT device security.

Common Use Cases

• Enterprise Endpoint Protection: Comprehensive security for corporate devices.

• Incident Response: Investigation and remediation of security incidents.

• Vulnerability Management: Identification and mitigation of endpoint vulnerabilities.

• Compliance Monitoring: Ensuring adherence to security policies and regulations.

• Threat Hunting: Proactive search for potential threats within the environment.

Licensing & Plan Options

• Plan 1:

  • Core protection features.

  • Suitable for organizations seeking essential endpoint security.

• Plan 2:

  • Includes all Plan 1 features.

  • Adds advanced capabilities like EDR, AIR, TVM, and Threat Experts.

  • Recommended for organizations requiring comprehensive threat detection and response.

API & Automation Support

• Microsoft Graph Security API: Access to security alerts, incidents, and intelligence.

• Advanced Hunting: Custom queries using Kusto Query Language (KQL).

• Automation:

  • Playbooks in Microsoft Sentinel.

  • Logic Apps for workflow automation.

  • Power Automate for task automation.

Security Value & Benefits

• Threat Detection: Real-time identification of malicious activities.

• EDR: Deep visibility into endpoint behaviors and attacks.

• TVM: Continuous assessment of vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

• Attack Surface Reduction: Minimization of potential entry points for threats.

• Automated Response: Quick containment and remediation of incidents.

References:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/microsoft-defender-endpoint
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/intune-service/protect/mde-security-integration
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-xdr/pilot-deploy-defender-endpoint