Microsoft Defender Deployment

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Advanced threat protection for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Features:

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) Antivirus Attack surface reduction Automated investigation

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Email and collaboration protection. Features:

Safe Links Safe Attachments Phishing detection

Microsoft Defender for Identity Monitors Active Directory for suspicious activities. Capabilities:

Detects lateral movement Identifies credential theft

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Cloud workload protection for Azure, AWS, and GCP. Features:

Security posture management Threat detection

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Continuous vulnerability scanning and remediation guidance.

Deployment Steps

1. Planning & Assessment

Identify endpoints, servers, and cloud resources Review licensing (Microsoft 365 E5 or Defender add-ons)

2. Onboarding Devices

Use Microsoft Endpoint Manager (Intune) or Group Policy Configure onboarding scripts for servers and non-Windows devices

3. Policy Configuration

Set antivirus settings and attack surface reduction rules Enable real-time and cloud-delivered protection

4. Integration

Connect with Microsoft 365 Security Center Enable SIEM/SOAR integration (e.g., Microsoft Sentinel)

5. Testing & Validation

Run simulated attacks using Microsoft Attack Simulator Validate alerts and automated remediation

6. Monitoring & Reporting

Use Microsoft 365 Security portal dashboards Set up alerts and compliance reports