Microsoft Defender for Business vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management comparison

Microsoft Defender for Business vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management

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Helped 848,207 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Defender for Busi...

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (25th)

Microsoft Purview Insider R...

Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite

30th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Insider Risk Management (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business is 2.9%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Microsoft Security Suite

Featured Reviews

Syed Abid

Snr. Infrastructure Architect at LogicEra

Advanced threat protection secures diverse workloads with cost-effective deployment

If I need logs and don't have local storage bundled with Defender, I need to add workspace and log analytics, which is costly for storing logs of 2 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB. A default storage of 5 GB for logs should be included with Defender. There are limitations in whitelisting folders and files, and the whitelisting feature for Defender threat protection was deprecated. A straightforward feature for this should be added.

Read full review

Dogan Colak

IT Consultant at freelancer

The solution's graphing is highly specific and useful

Implementing policies in the solution isn't easy, and it takes time. For example, you need to use some secrets in Windows or Mac to execute your policies, and you can assign these policies with Microsoft Intune. However, when you execute a policy, you still need to wait up to two days to see alerts. Some of our customers aren't happy because they didn't expect it to take so long. They're satisfied once it starts working because they see the alerts and graphs. The user interface also isn't user-friendly. When we introduce Insider Risk Management to our clients, they often find it difficult to understand. There is too much information, and the UI is not scalable. Also, entry-level IT technicians are not always interested in learning something new. It should be clearer and easier to understand. Microsoft is still working on machine learning and AI components. They're constantly updating the product. However, from my experience, most of my customers are not ready or able to use the AI solution. They are creating some project plans and specific policies. They don't want to see dozens of alerts when they use Microsoft's recommendations or the AI-based solution.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is scalable."

"The security features are valuable because they come with more capabilities that other licenses do not have, including the enterprise license like E3."

"Microsoft Defender for Business works well with the Microsoft Azure Security ecosystem, including Defender for Endpoint and Office 365 Cloud."

"A few things are valuable. One is the alerting we see when any kind of intrusion is happening, any kind of malware is being deployed across the endpoints, or any kind of suspicious activity is going on. We have a footprint across all of North America, Canada, and Mexico, so we want to make sure that all our endpoints are protected and we are able to look for any anomalous activity."

"The solution provides good scalability."

"Microsoft Defender for Business offers the best pricing option in the market and is very cost-effective."

"The most effective features of Microsoft Defender for Business include its threat detection and response capabilities in managing vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks."

"I recommend Microsoft Defender for Business to startup organizations looking for a plug-and-play solution."

More Microsoft Defender for Business pros

"The best thing about Purview is that it's easy to integrate with our day-to-day environment. We have Active Directory, and Word and Excel. Using a third-party vendor and trying to integrate with our existing environment would be much more challenging."

"Insider Risk Management's graphing is highly specific and useful. You can see the last six months of data for the Microsoft tenant. You can easily find what you need. For example, you can filter for alerts about devices, emails, etc."

"Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management was helpful in performing investigations after alerts were received."

Cons

"Pricing could be lowered as it is expensive and not suitable for low-budget organizations."

"The threat detection capabilities require significant customization for multistage threat detection."

"I am not satisfied with Microsoft's technical support. There are challenges with the knowledge and experience of the support staff, frequent redirection between departments, and slow response times."

"The biggest one is that Defender needs to be more proactive to the emerging threats. There can be tighter integration with email, especially how it integrates with our email system, which is the Microsoft Outlook suite. There should be the ability to react a lot quicker to emerging threats because sometimes, it takes a few days before some of these new threats are fully identified, and we need that to be a few hours."

"The user interface has a lot of features which can make it complex and hard to adapt to for some users."

"Defender's threat protection should be fine-tuned to reduce false positives. It could be more targeted, reflecting a continuous evolution in detecting. Also, it could be easier to integrate into other environments."

"Talking with the tool's technician about any problem is very complicated."

"Customer service is not bad, yet not great either, and I would rate it maybe five or six out of ten."

More Microsoft Defender for Business cons

"The user interface also isn't user-friendly. When we introduce Insider Risk Management to our clients, they often find it difficult to understand. There is too much information, and the UI is not scalable. Also, entry-level IT technicians are not always interested in learning something new. It should be clearer and easier to understand."

"For certain things, you need to install an agent. I understand it's for integrity, but if there could be a clientless solution for certain aspects, it would make life easier."

"The reporting capabilities sometimes leave a little to be desired. It could be improved in terms of producing reports to provide information to the C-suite or others."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It has to get more competitive because we are starting to see some of the competitors providing better pricing, and some of it, of course, is to gain market share. The Defender product pricing is probably a little higher than the competitors."

"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."

"The tool's cost has been a little high, but I do not think it was terrible."

"Since we're a nonprofit, we get pretty good discounts on the tool."

"Defender for Business is included by default with an Office 365 premium subscription."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Comms Service Provider

Retailer

Government

Computer Software Company

29%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft Defender for Business?

A few things are valuable. One is the alerting we see when any kind of intrusion is happening, any kind of malware is being deployed across the endpoints, or any kind of suspicious activity is goin...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Business?

Microsoft Defender for Business offers the best pricing option in the market and is very cost-effective.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Business?

The areas where Microsoft Defender for Business could improve include the support, installation process, and wiki. I should be able to find solutions to issues quickly without having to delve too d...

What needs improvement with Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?

The reporting capabilities sometimes leave a little to be desired. It could be improved in terms of producing reports to provide information to the C-suite or others.

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?

The primary use case for Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management was data loss prevention. This was my main objective.

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?

I would recommend Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management to others. I would rate the overall solution as a nine.

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Product Reports

Microsoft Defender for Business

Download Microsoft Defender for Business product report

Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management vs. Proofpoint Insider Threat Management

Download Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management product report

Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management report

Also Known As

No data available

Microsoft Insider Risk Management

Overview

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.

Microsoft

Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is used to identify and mitigate internal threats, monitor risky activities, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards, tracking confidential information, detecting unusual behavior, and managing data protection.

Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management provides actionable insights and automates risk management processes to enhance security and safeguard sensitive data. Users benefit from its ability to detect insider threats early and appreciate its comprehensive auditing capabilities and customizable risk indicators. It seamlessly integrates with existing systems, allowing for easy policy configuration and leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms. Users find the real-time alerts to enhance security monitoring and proactive risk mitigation. Its detailed incident reporting and efficient data protection are frequently commended.

What are the key features of Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?

Early Detection: Identifies insider threats at an early stage.
Comprehensive Auditing: Offers extensive auditing capabilities for thorough investigation.
Customizable Risk Indicators: Allows for tailoring risk indicators to specific needs.
Seamless Integration: Integrates effortlessly with existing systems.
Easy Policy Configuration: Simplifies the setup of security policies.
Advanced Machine Learning: Utilizes sophisticated algorithms for better threat detection.
Real-time Alerts: Provides instant notifications to enhance monitoring.
Detailed Incident Reporting: Generates comprehensive reports on incidents.
Efficient Data Protection: Ensures confidential information is secure.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Enhanced Security: Improved threat detection and mitigation.
Actionable Insights: Helps in making informed security decisions.
Automated Processes: Reduces manual effort in risk management.
Compliance Assurance: Ensures adherence to regulatory standards.

In industries such as finance, healthcare, and legal, Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is implemented to secure client data, ensure regulatory compliance, and proactively mitigate internal threats. Organizations leverage its real-time alerts, advanced machine learning capabilities, and detailed reporting to maintain stringent security standards in highly regulated environments.

Microsoft

Microsoft Defender for Business vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management