Is Microsoft Defender Any Good

Why Microsoft Defender?

It's important to know why choosing Microsoft Defender for Business is better than simply using any old anti-virus software. Sure, popular anti-virus software has been around a long time and has proven to give you what you need to identify threats within the device it is applied to, but it doesn't give that extra sense of security that MS Defender for Business will give you. Defender for Business is more than just an anti-virus and can be extremely comprehensive when combined with security features and products in M365 to give you the best possible protection from threats that are becoming more and more common. Some of the features that come with Defender that you will not get in a standard anti-virus are endpoint protection and response (EDR), automated investigation and remediation (AIR), attack surface reduction and threat and vulerability management, among other things. In today's world, it doesn't hurt to have more protection as it continues to adapt to the higher security items being applied to businesses. Hackers have proven that nothing will stop them from figuring out how to gain access to businesses regardless of the security features in place. Thankfully, Microsoft knows exactly that and continues to improve and adopt security products and features to combat those threats.

What Makes Defender for Business Stand Out From the Rest?

1. ​​Compatability - When you already have M365 for email and productivity, it just makes sense to go with Microsoft Defender for Business because it all works together in the most perfect way. It is always a security risk to go with too many third-party vendors becuase of the lack of compatability. Having too many vendors will always open you up to being compromised. You will also see other anti-viruses tell you that it works with products like Microsoft and you will even see Security Dashboards similar to what you will see with Microsoft Defender, but this third-party software has a major disadvantage: they are not directly connected to the data you are trying to protect! You have to create separate user accounts and store sensitive information in that third-party software that is not your Microsoft environment.
2. Functions as traditional anti-virus​​ - Aside from doing all the things that sets Defender for Business apart, you can also feel comfortable that it will function in all the ways that a traditional anti-virus will.
3. Behavioral Containers - This is something that is unique to Defender for Business. Behavioral Containers creates a virutal container for each app on the device you are protecting. If one of the apps on the device becomes infected or compromised in any way, it is contained inside the Behavioral Container and cannot spread to anything else on the device or the operating system. Even if the user downloads an already infected application, it will not be able to compromise anything else on the device. Defender will simply send a notification stating the app is infected and to delete, and voila! You have saved multiple headaches and possible some serious cash!
4. Vulerability Management -  In the Security Dashboard for Defender, you are able to see which devices being protected is the most vulnerable to being compromised. MOst anti-viruses do not include something like this and it can be a huge asset as a window into how things are going with each user's environment.
5. Runs on all platforms - ​Defender for Business in compatable with IOS and Android, macOS and Windows, so there is no need to go out and find multiple solutions that will fit each operating system. Defender takes care of it all!