Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is an enterprise endpoint security platform from Microsoft delivering endpoint detection and response, antivirus, and automated threat investigation across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android devices through a unified management portal. The platform combines AI-powered threat detection using Microsoft's global threat intelligence, behavioral blocking to stop attacks in real time, and automated investigation and response to isolate compromised endpoints without manual intervention. For attack surface reduction, Defender for Endpoint includes device control to block unauthorized USB drives, application allow-listing to restrict execution to approved software, ransomware protection via controlled folder access, and network firewall management, all configurable via group policy or cloud-based settings.

Defender for Endpoint is typically deployed as part of Microsoft 365 E5 or E5 Security subscriptions, which include Plan 2 with full EDR capabilities at no additional cost, though Plan 1 is available as a standalone subscription starting at £9.20 per user per month billed annually (checked September 2026). For managed service providers, Microsoft 365 Lighthouse provides a dedicated multi-tenant console for managing security posture across customer tenants, running antivirus scans, isolating devices, and viewing incident status without switching between customer portals. Licensing is per user and tied to Microsoft 365 subscriptions rather than per-endpoint pricing.

Defender for Endpoint integrates deeply with the Microsoft security ecosystem including Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management for patch assessment, Microsoft Sentinel for SIEM correlations, Intune for device management, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. REST APIs enable integration with third-party RMM, PSA and security orchestration platforms. MSPs should verify which Microsoft 365 tier includes Plan 2 versus Plan 1, confirm REST API support for their existing ticketing or monitoring platforms, test Lighthouse performance with their customer count, and assess whether the cloud-only console meets their needs or whether additional local or third-party consolidation is required.

Defender for Endpoint offers enterprise-grade EDR as part of Microsoft 365 E5, which suits MSPs deeply invested in the Microsoft stack. The inclusion in M365 E5 makes it a strong default for clients already on Microsoft licensing, but standalone Plan 1 pricing may not compete with dedicated EDR vendors like CrowdStrike Falcon or SentinelOne on feature depth or per-endpoint cost. Lighthouse is designed for MSP multi-tenant management but is relatively new and lacks the maturity of standalone RMM or PSA console integration. Confirm that your client's Microsoft 365 tier includes Plan 2 (not Plan 1), verify API integration with your existing ticketing and monitoring tools, and test Lighthouse performance with your typical customer count before standard deployment.