Microsoft Defender for Business Reviews

Name: Microsoft Defender for Business
Brand: Microsoft
Rating: 3.6 (8 reviews)

3.6 out of 5

8 reviews
75% willing to recommend

What is Microsoft Defender for Business?

Microsoft Defender for Business is a new endpoint security solution that was designed especially for the small and medium-sized business (up to 300 employees). With this endpoint security solution, your company's devices are better protected from ransomware, malware, phishing, and other threats.

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Microsoft Defender for Business is the #18 ranked solution in top Microsoft Security Suite solutions and #41 ranked solution in endpoint security software. PeerSpot users give Microsoft Defender for Business an average rating of 7.2 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 8 most recent Microsoft Defender for Business reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 6.7. Microsoft Defender for Business is most commonly compared to CrowdStrike Falcon: Microsoft Defender for Business vs CrowdStrike Falcon. Microsoft Defender for Business is popular among the small business segment, accounting for 42% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 17% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Defender for Business

November 2024

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Featured reviews

Tim_Howard

CEO at CarbonCents

The product's initial setup phase wasn't too bad. The product's installation phase wasn't terrible, but it could have been good to club the things in the process, especially for the ones who are doing it for the first time, and it would be good if Microsoft offered users, someone, to talk to who knows the product. You will be gambling if you use Google for the tool because who knows if it really knows what Microsoft Defender for Business is all about. On a scale of one to ten, if ten is the easiest, I rate the setup phase as an eight out of ten. The setup phase was straightforward. As the tool was needed in a small shop, the solution's deployment was done in a couple of days. The solution was deployed in my company with the help of a small team of ten people. I had my head of IT help me in rolling it out in our company.

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Raul Miranda

Commercial Manager at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

It offers a mix of EDR, which we find quite useful. When we sell Microsoft's 365 business solution, we tend to promote this particular product as it is a good security feature for businesses. It has helped out client replace their previous antivirus. The setup process is easy. It is easy to configure the solution as needed. It is scalable. I've found the product the be stable.

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Nicolas Zafiriou

Managing Director at a retailer with 11-50 employees

We also use Deep Instinct. We are slowly moving away from the product because we faced a lot of trouble while using it. While it's a good tool, it's probably too good for its own benefit. It made our life very challenging. I had to devote a lot of technical teams and my end resources to figure out problems with the application. There was a financial cost associated with it.

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Microsoft Defender for Business mindshare

Product category:

As of November 2024, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category stands at 1.7%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Nov 21, 2024

Valuable Features

Intune user integration with system-hardening policies enhances security. Sensitive vulnerability checking and EDR mix are valuable. Easy to configure, scalable, and stable setup. User-friendly interface. Suitable for small to medium-sized businesses with solid security flexibility. Integration with Microsoft Lighthouse and other software. Dynamic threat intelligence with trillions of daily signals. Valuable alerts for intrusions, malware, suspicious activities, aiding quick threat isolation and protection across North America, Canada, and Mexico.

"I haven't had any problems with the tool's stability."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its central console."
"The solution provides good scalability."

Room for Improvement

Microsoft Defender for Business requires more refined URL filtering and reporting options. Security improvements and better Data Loss Prevention are needed. Issues arise on Mac applications, and threat protection must reduce false positives. Faster reactions to threats and tighter email integration are necessary. The AI frequently causes false positives and demands excessive training. Microsoft should improve communication about changes to the security portal to avoid user confusion.

"The tool's support is an area of concern where improvements are needed."
"Talking with the tool's technician about any problem is very complicated."
"The solution's AI is notorious for false positives, and the time you have to spend training it is ridiculous."

ROI

Users found a significant return on investment with Microsoft Defender for Business through cost savings on cybersecurity, reduced breach incidents, and efficient threat management. Enhanced protection capabilities and automated response features afforded better security without increasing operational costs. The ease of integration with existing infrastructure minimized additional expenses. Time savings on manual security processes were repeatedly emphasized, allowing staff to focus on higher-priority tasks.

Pricing

The pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Defender for Business is included in Microsoft's business premium license and Office 365 premium subscription. It is free to use under these licenses.

"The tool's cost has been a little high, but I do not think it was terrible."
"The tool is cheap, while some other solutions are more expensive. I remember the tool cost about five euros for a workstation or for a user on a monthly basis."
"Since we're a nonprofit, we get pretty good discounts on the tool."

Popular Use Cases

Microsoft Defender for Business is primarily used for endpoint protection, including desktops and laptops, across networks. It comes with Microsoft 365 for Business and offers features such as endpoint detection, threat prevention, vulnerability management, attack surface detection, and automated investigation. Managed service providers use Microsoft Defender for Business to secure client devices, ensuring comprehensive protection.

Service and Support

Microsoft's technical support is responsive but challenging to reach by phone, quicker through online tickets. Pre-sales personnel are unfamiliar with technical aspects. Users rate support seven to nine out of ten; good, yet sometimes slow in resolving issues. Time-critical security needs improvement, urging proactive, efficient support. Being a large company, Microsoft cannot offer personal MSP-type assistance, requiring customers to manage expectations.

Deployment

Users found Microsoft Defender for Business's initial setup straightforward with minimal administrative configuration required. The process is described as very easy and not as complicated as Deep Instinct. Although one team did not involve every member during the setup, they managed it in their data center and Azure Cloud. The deployment model supports both environments seamlessly.

Scalability

Microsoft Defender for Business is seen as scalable due to its cloud-driven nature. Users find the scalability satisfactory, with multiple deployments on endpoints like laptops and desktops. For example, one organization successfully uses it across approximately 20,000 endpoints and another has about 2,000 users. Users generally rate its scalability highly.

Stability

Users find Microsoft Defender for Business stable and reliable, with minimal crashes and downtime. It effectively handles extensive workloads while performing consistently well. Users also appreciate its ability to integrate seamlessly with other Microsoft ecosystems, enhancing its stability.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Microsoft Defender for Business Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.