Important
Microsoft Defender for Business is now in preview, and will roll out gradually to customers and IT Partners who sign-up here to request it. We will onboard an initial set of customers and partners in the coming weeks and will expand the preview leading up to general availability. Note that preview will launch with an initial set of scenarios, and we will be adding capabilities regularly.
Some information in this article relates to prereleased products/services that might be substantially modified before they are commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, for the information provided here.
Microsoft Defender for Business (preview) features a simplified configuration process, designed especially for small and medium-sized businesses. This experience takes the guesswork out of onboarding and managing devices, with a wizard-like experience and default policies that are designed to protect your company’s devices from day one. We recommend using the simplified configuration process; however, you’re not limited to this option.
When it comes to onboarding devices and configuring security settings for your company’s devices, you can choose from several experiences:
- The simplified configuration process in Microsoft Defender for Business (preview) (recommended)
- Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which includes Microsoft Intune
- Your non-Microsoft solution for managing devices
What to do
- Review your setup and configuration options
- Learn more about the simplified configuration process in Defender for Business (preview)
- Proceed to your next steps
Review your setup and configuration options
The following table describes each experience:
| Portal experience | Description |
|---|---|
| The simplified configuration experience in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal (https://security.microsoft.com) (This is the recommended option for most customers) |
The simplified configuration experience includes default security settings and policies that help you protect your company’s devices from day one. With this experience, your security team uses the Microsoft 365 Defender portal to: – Set up and configure Defender for Business (preview) – View and manage incidents – Respond to and mitigate threats – View reports – Review pending or completed actions This portal is your one-stop shop for your company’s security settings and threat protection capabilities. You get a simplified experience to help you get started quickly and efficiently. And, you can edit your settings or define new policies to suit your company’s needs. To learn more, see View or edit device policies in Microsoft Defender for Business (preview). |
| The Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center (https://endpoint.microsoft.com) | Microsoft Endpoint Manager includes Microsoft Intune, a cloud-based mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM) provider for apps and devices.
Many organizations use Intune to manage their devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. To learn more, see Microsoft Intune is an MDM and MAM provider for your devices. If you’re already using Microsoft Intune or Microsoft Endpoint Manager, you can continue using that solution. |
| Your non-Microsoft device management solution | If you are using a non-Microsoft productivity and device management solution, such as Jamf for macOS or Ansible for Linux, you can continue to use that solution with Defender for Business (preview).
When devices are onboarded to Defender for Business (preview), you’ll see their status and alerts in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. To learn more, see Onboarding and configuration tool options for Defender for Endpoint. If you’re already using a non-Microsoft device management solution, you can continue using that solution. |
Why we recommend using the simplified configuration process
We recommend using the simplified configuration process in Microsoft Defender for Business (preview) for most customers. The simplified configuration process is streamlined especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Defender for Business (preview) is designed to help you protect your company’s devices on day one, without requiring deep technical expertise or special knowledge. With default security settings and policies, your devices are protected as soon as they are onboarded.
Defender for Business (preview) is designed to provide strong protection while saving you time and effort in configuring your security settings. The streamlined experience in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal makes it simple to onboard devices and manage them. In addition, default policies are included so that your company’s devices are protected as soon as they are onboarded. You can keep your default settings as they are, or make changes to suit your business needs. You can also add new policies to manage devices as needed.