Microsoft Defender, the company’s security tool not only defend and protect anything on Microsoft platforms from ransomware, but also macOS and Linux machines.
Microsoft Defender is said to be actively involved in Web protection, and it covers events that occur entirely within the browser, such as adware. Giving websites a reputation score, blocking sites known for phishing, malware, exploits, or specific issues you’re concerned about, and tracking where users enter their corporate credentials in case they’re exposed and need to be changed.
On Windows, macOS, and Linux machines, Microsoft Defender can prevent browsers and other apps from connecting to malicious websites. It also prevents Man in the Middle attacks and prevents compromised network devices from connecting to command-and-control servers, preventing attackers from exfiltrating data, launching distributed denial of service attacks, or downloading and spreading malware. It also ensures that users are connected to the correct Wi-Fi network.
Although not all of the endpoint protection features available for Windows devices are available for macOS and Linux, Linux network protection is implemented as a VPN tunnel and Defender, which does not include data loss prevention.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoints employs network protection to display indicators of compromise, assisting security teams in detecting sophisticated attacks. When a user attempts to navigate to a monitored domain on macOS/Linux, their navigation effort is audited/blocked. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint will also notify the user via toast on macOS.
Neither macOS nor Linux have a security management option for managing Defender’s security settings without the need for additional device management software. While a standalone Microsoft Defender for Endpoint license is required for macOS and Linux users to enable network and web protection.
The security features are currently available in preview for macOS version 11 devices. These features are also available in popular Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, and Red Hat.
The sources for this piece include an article in TechRepublic.
