Schedule scans with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on macOS

While you can start a threat scan at any time with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, your enterprise might benefit from scheduled or timed scans. For example, you can schedule a scan to run at the beginning of every workday or week.

Schedule a scan with launchd

You can create a scanning schedule using the launchd daemon on a macOS device.

For more information on the .plist file format used here, see About Information Property List Files at the official Apple developer website.

Schedule a quick scan

The following code shows the schema you need to use to schedule a quick scan.

1. Open a text editor and use this example as a guide for your own scheduled scan file.
   XMLCopy

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN"
     "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
   <plist version="1.0">
   <dict>
       <key>Label</key>
       <string>com.microsoft.wdav.schedquickscan</string>
       <key>ProgramArguments</key>
       <array>
           <string>sh</string>
           <string>-c</string>
           <string>/usr/local/bin/mdatp scan quick</string>
       </array>
       <key>RunAtLoad</key>
       <true/>
       <key>StartCalendarInterval</key>
       <dict>
           <key>Day</key>
           <integer>3</integer>
           <key>Hour</key>
           <integer>2</integer>
           <key>Minute</key>
           <integer>0</integer>
           <key>Weekday</key>
           <integer>5</integer>
       </dict>
       <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
       <string>/usr/local/bin/</string>
   </dict>
   </plist>
   

2. Save the file as com.microsoft.wdav.schedquickscan.plist.

Schedule a full scan

1. Open a text editor and use this example for a full scan.
   XMLCopy

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN"
     "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
   <plist version="1.0">
   <dict>
       <key>Label</key>
       <string>com.microsoft.wdav.schedfullscan</string>
       <key>ProgramArguments</key>
       <array>
           <string>sh</string>
           <string>-c</string>
           <string>/usr/local/bin/mdatp scan full</string>
       </array>
       <key>RunAtLoad</key>
       <true/>
       <key>StartCalendarInterval</key>
       <dict>
           <key>Day</key>
           <integer>3</integer>
           <key>Hour</key>
           <integer>2</integer>
           <key>Minute</key>
           <integer>0</integer>
           <key>Weekday</key>
           <integer>5</integer>
       </dict>
       <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
       <string>/usr/local/bin/</string>
   </dict>
   </plist>
   

2. Save the file as com.microsoft.wdav.schedfullscan.plist.

Load your file

1. Open Terminal.
2. Enter the following commands to load your file:
   BashCopy

   launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/<your file name.plist>
   launchctl start <your file name>
   

3. Your scheduled scan will run at the date, time, and frequency you defined in your p-list. In the examples above, the scan runs at 2:00 AM every Friday.

   The Weekday value of StartCalendarInterval uses an integer to indicate the fifth day of the week, or Friday.

Schedule a scan with Intune

You can also schedule scans with Microsoft Intune. The runMDATPQuickScan.sh shell script available at Scripts for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint will persist when the device resumes from sleep mode.

See Use shell scripts on macOS devices in Intune for more detailed instructions on how to use this script in your enterprise.

Source : Official Microsoft Brand
Editor by : BEST Antivirus KBS Team