Microsoft makes enterprise-grade protections a possibility for SMEs

Please note: This post was written by Highlander prior to their rebrand to FluidOne Business IT - Sheffield.

Security remains an ongoing challenge for organisations of every size, but as the number of attacks increases, small and medium sized businesses are increasingly becoming prime targets. Last year saw a near 300% increase in ransomware attacks, with over 50% of these targeting small businesses.

The unfortunate reality for many smaller businesses is that they are simply ill-equipped to keep up with emerging threats, and lack the resources to deliver more resilient protection, both in terms of skilled security personnel and sophisticated solutions.

In the face of increasing security threats, small and medium-sized businesses are trying to find means of attaining enterprise-grade protection without compromising their budgets, over-saturating existing IT resource or compromising day-to-day user experience.

Defender for Business is the latest addition to Microsoft’s extensive security portfolio. Specifically designed for businesses with roughly 300 users or less, it’s an endpoint-security solution that delivers enterprise-grade protection without demanding enterprise-grade resources.

Defender for Business goes way beyond the capabilities of traditional endpoint defences. It delivers proactive endpoint detection and response alongside comprehensive threat and vulnerability management. Crucially, these protections can be seamlessly deployed across any existing Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android devices within your existing device estate.

Here’s a rundown of the key features and capabilities:

Threat and vulnerability management

Prioritise potential vulnerabilities and focus on tackling the most urgent and biggest risks to your business. This proactive identification and remediation of threats forms a strong foundation for your security estate.

Attack surface reduction

Cybercriminals are continually identifying new routes to exploit. Your attack surface, the number of places that your company is vulnerable, therefore continues to grow. Defender for Business uses a combination of measures to reduce your attack surface such as ransomware mitigation, application control, web protection, network protection, network firewall, and attack surface reduction rules.

Endpoint detection and response (EDR)

Using behavioural-based detection and response alerts, you can quickly identify persistent threats and remove them from your environment before they cause harm. Manual response actions within Defender for Business help you to secure processes and files, while live response allows you to take control of a device and ensure potential threats are properly remediated.

Automated investigation and remediation

Allows you to easily scale your security operations by examining alerts and taking immediate action to resolve threats on your behalf. This in turn helps you prioritise security tasks and dedicate more time to sophisticated or challenging threats.

APIs and Integration

Integrate security data into your existing security platforms and reporting tools to support simplified security management, and get maximum value from your security estate. Automated workflows can also be added to support faster event management.

Alongside the extensive security capabilities offered by Defender for Business, small and medium-sized organisations can attain several other potential benefits by implementing this solution.

Cost-effective commercials

Enterprise-grade security doesn’t have to come with an enterprise-level price tag. Defender for Business’ simplified management and lack of complexity helps you get started with little to no operational overhead, and does not require advanced in-house cybersecurity skills.

Simplified management with an easy-to-use solution

With many small and medium-sized business lacking dedicated security personnel, Defender for Business has been designed to make onboarding and operating the solution as simple as possible. No specialised knowledge is required. Wizard-driven set-up streamlines the onboarding experience, and out-of-the-box security policies get you up and running in just a few clicks.

With a number of flexible licencing options available, you can easily purchase and deploy Defender for Business as part of your security posture, regardless of whether your email and productivity apps live in Microsoft 365, on-premises or in the cloud.

As a standalone solution – Defender for Business can be easily deployed as a standalone solution as part of a simple per-user-per-month subscription.

As part of Microsoft Business Premium – If you’re already operating or considering Microsoft Business Premium licenses, it’s handy to know that Defender for Business is included as part of the package. This means you could already have these comprehensive tools within your arsenal, giving you the freedom to move away from alternative products and refocus IT budget in new areas.

If you’re a small or medium-sized business looking to increase your resilience, then Microsoft Defender for Business is your route to accessing enterprise-level defences without breaking the bank.

Whether you want to deploy Defender for Business as a new standalone solution, or want to unlock the capabilities already included with Business Premium, our skilled team is ready to help. Get in touch with us to learn more about Microsoft Defender for Business or discuss your options.