Solutions / Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint rollout, on the licences you already own.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is included with Microsoft 365 E5 and available as a standalone P1 or P2 add-on. Most tenants have MDE licensed but only partially deployed: Windows workstations onboarded via Intune, macOS and Linux missing, ASR rules at default, tamper protection unconfigured. Identra runs the full rollout with attack surface reduction tuning, integration with Defender XDR and Sentinel, and post-rollout hardening validation.
- Product
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (P1 or P2)
- License requirement
- M365 E5, EMS E5, or MDE standalone
- Delivery mode
- Remote-first, US timezone
- Delivery
- Fixed scope, fixed price
01 / What we configure
Four workstreams for a complete MDE deployment.
- 01
Cross-platform onboarding
Windows via Intune onboarding package. macOS via MDM profile from Intune or Jamf. Linux via installer scripts on servers and workstations. Onboarding covers current in-scope OS versions with a plan for the long-tail (legacy Windows Server, retired macOS versions).
WindowsmacOSLinux - 02
Attack Surface Reduction rules
ASR rules deployed to Audit mode first, evaluated for false positives, then flipped to Block. Standard rule set includes credential theft, Office child process, ransomware behaviour, and script-based attacks. Custom rules added for tenant-specific patterns.
ASRAudit to BlockCustom rules - 03
Tamper protection and hardening
Tamper protection enabled to prevent local admins or malware from disabling MDE. Web content filtering enabled with category policy. Network protection enabled. Device control policy configured for removable media. Application control (WDAC) rolled out to high-value endpoints in phased mode.
Tamper protectionNetwork protectionWDAC - 04
Integration with XDR and Sentinel
MDE alerts correlated with Defender for Identity, Defender for Office 365, and Defender for Cloud Apps into single XDR incidents. Sentinel ingests MDE raw data (free connector) for hunting and long retention. SOC playbook covers device isolation and file quarantine automation.
XDR correlationSentinelPlaybooks
02 / What it looks like
Three MDE rollout engagements.
Different starting states and OS mixes, same rollout discipline.
IT Director at a 2,000-user professional services firm
Situation. Windows workstations onboarded to MDE via Intune. macOS on the design team (200 devices) still running a legacy EDR. Contract renewing at 40 percent increase.
Outcome. macOS onboarded to MDE via Intune MDM profile. Legacy EDR removed cleanly. ASR rules deployed to Audit for 4 weeks then flipped to Block. Existing EDR contract cancelled at renewal, saving 60 percent of the renewed cost.
CISO at a US SaaS company
Situation. SOC 2 auditor asked for evidence of endpoint detection coverage on production infrastructure. Existing environment had EDR on developer workstations but not on the Linux production servers.
Outcome. MDE deployed on Linux production servers via installer script. Server-specific detection rules deployed. Coverage matrix documented for the audit. Type II observation window ran clean.
Security Officer at a healthcare organisation
Situation. HIPAA-covered practice with Windows workstations, macOS on physician devices, and iOS/Android on clinical staff. Cyber insurance renewal required EDR coverage on all endpoints.
Outcome. MDE deployed on Windows and macOS. Defender for Mobile deployed on iOS and Android via Intune app protection. Insurance renewal completed at improved rate.
03 / Frequently asked
What buyers ask first.
- Do we need Defender for Endpoint P1 or P2?
- P1 covers baseline endpoint protection: next-gen antivirus, ASR rules, device inventory. P2 adds EDR (endpoint detection and response), automated investigation and remediation, threat and vulnerability management, and Threat Experts. Most regulated organisations need P2. P1 is enough for basic AV replacement or as a Defender for Business alternative for smaller tenants.
- How does MDE work on non-Windows platforms?
- MDE has full clients for macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Feature parity is highest on Windows and macOS. Linux coverage includes EDR, next-gen AV, and vulnerability management on major server distributions. iOS and Android coverage focuses on web protection, phishing protection, and MDM policy enforcement.
- What are Attack Surface Reduction rules?
- ASR rules are Windows-native controls that block specific attack behaviours: Office documents launching child processes, credential theft via LSASS memory access, scripts running from email attachments, and similar patterns. Standard rule set covers 16 rules. Deploy in Audit mode first, review Sentinel events for false positives, then flip to Block. Many tenants leave ASR at default (which is off) because they never staged the audit-to-block workflow.
- Can MDE replace our existing EDR?
- If you have M365 E5 or MDE P2 licensed, yes in most cases. MDE P2 has full EDR, automated investigation, and threat intelligence. Coverage on Windows, macOS, and Linux servers matches or exceeds most standalone EDR products. The transition timeline typically overlaps 4 to 8 weeks with the outgoing EDR to validate coverage before final decommission.
- How long does an MDE rollout take?
- Typical rollout runs 8 to 14 weeks. Weeks 1 to 3 assess current endpoint state and design the onboarding waves. Weeks 4 to 10 onboard Windows, macOS, and Linux in waves with ASR audit period. Weeks 11 to 14 flip ASR to Block, harden with tamper protection and network protection, integrate with Sentinel. Multi-OU or multi-region tenants can run longer.
04 / Related
Where this fits.
Detection
Defender XDR deployment
MDE plus Defender for Identity, Office 365, and Cloud Apps correlated together.
SIEM
Microsoft Sentinel deployment
MDE raw data ingested to Sentinel for hunting and long retention.
Identity
Microsoft Entra consulting
Device compliance from MDE feeds Conditional Access policies.