Microsoft Defender XDR is a product family that includes several different products for building comprehensive security management. These products can be used to build customized security monitoring that meets the specific needs of an organization, protecting its most important assets and identity.
Defender products enable complex security management, while also allowing monitoring of individual features or endpoints. Microsoft Defender XDR products combine threat intelligence from different sources and gather information in one place, making it easier to monitor security and respond to incidents and threats. An expert security consultant brings added value in the implementation and development of Defender products. Read more in our blog about what possibilities these products bring, and what added value a security consultant provides!
Microsoft Defender XDR Products
Microsoft Defender XDR products can be roughly divided into two main groups, with the first group including endpoints and individual users. The second group consists of various cloud services used by the organization and the management of the organization’s overall information security picture.
Endpoints and Identity Management
- Defender for Endpoint is used, as the name suggests, to protect endpoints such as computers. The product can protect individual devices or multiple devices at once.
- Defender for Office 365 protects commonly used Microsoft Office products, such as Outlook, OneDrive, or even Teams application.
- Defender for Identity protects on-premise environment identities and local user information.
- Defender for Cloud Apps is designed for monitoring SaaS applications used by the organization and building secure solutions. It can be used, for example, to define which applications employees are allowed to use on their endpoint devices.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Products
Defender also offers various solutions for managing cloud service security. These solutions include:
- Foundational CSPM: This product is free and available in all Microsoft Defender XDR subscriptions. Foundational CSPM enables basic-level monitoring of cloud service security.
- Defender CSPM expands on Foundational CSPM and allows for deeper examination of cloud service security and real-time monitoring of cloud infrastructure security. With Defender CSPM, you can, for example, create various controls, create attack path analysis, and fix misconfigurations.
- Cloud Workload Protection offers the possibility to monitor security in cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. This product provides a comprehensive view of different services and allows for in-depth security building and monitoring, from a single virtual machine to monitoring all of the company’s virtual machines.
The first section of the product family primarily focuses on end-user protection and endpoint protection against security risks. The second section protects workloads more, such as hardened and managed cloud workloads. These products are used to protect cloud workload security and reduce security risks. Due to the multidimensionality of the products, overall security management becomes easier, and Defender products bring synergy to security management.
How Does the Monitoring Environment Improve with Microsoft Defender XDR Products?
The Microsoft Defender XDR product family offers comprehensive options for managing corporate cybersecurity and building a monitoring environment.
One of the biggest benefits of the products is that they can protect an organization’s most important asset—the organization’s identity—on many different levels. This provides a strong overall protection for the organization, enabling it to respond to very different threats and reduce security risks, which is critical for the continuity of the organization’s business.
Another important feature enabled by Defender products is the layering of the organization’s security management and combining these into an overall picture. Layering enables more extensive security management because it brings multiple controls and different elements to security monitoring, improving overall security. With these controls, an organization can withstand more and different types of attacks, as security is not based on just one or two controls but is built multidimensionally. Examples of layering include endpoint protection, detection of malicious attachments, and prevention of shadow IT development.
The versatility of the products allows for building security management that suits the organization, enabling it to respond to the organization’s unique security challenges.
How Can We Help with the Implementation of Microsoft Defender XDR Products?
Using an external consultant in the implementation and development of Microsoft Defender XDR products offers many advantages to an organization in building comprehensive security management.
2NS has extensive expertise in building various security management solutions, enabling us to provide our customers with a comprehensive view of information security. Our administrative expertise allows for comprehensive integration of products, for example, in situations where expertise in regulatory compliance is required, while in terms of offensive security, we understand attackers’ methods and can thus reduce risks. Our expertise in security gives our experts the ability to follow so-called best practices and comprehensiveness also brings the ability to apply solutions based on the unique needs of the customer’s business. This ensures that the organization’s special characteristics are taken into account in building their information security.
Our consultants are able to provide a broad view of security, allowing for full utilization of Defender products and making their use in overall management versatile and cost-effective.