When you hear about Microsoft adding security apps to M365, it’s often the business versions. But now the pandemic changed the way that we see the workplace. It’s now a hybrid world. One made up of several connected “mini-offices” located in employee homes.
The outsourcing of team members has also impacted company networks. This has lead to freelancers often being contracted to work the same hours as employees. This means less overhead and taxes to pay. Approximately 68% of large consumer products companies outsource a part of their workforce.
Our long winded point is that the need for home devices and network security has never been greater. Company data is now at the mercy of employee devices, situated in homes across the globe.
55% of employees use their own devices and software to work from home.
Microsoft has been at the forefront of this huge shift in the work environment. Its latest release is another example of how it has positioned its products to address the new needs of individuals and businesses.
The latest security offering by Microsoft is not for business plans. It's for Personal and Family users of Microsoft 365. The company announced Microsoft Defender for Individuals on June 16, 2022. This is a brand-new digital home security tool.
Microsoft Defender is a new app that Microsoft 365 subscribers can download. Anyone with a Personal or Family plan can access it for no extra cost.
Microsoft said that there was a main driver for offering this app. It was to protect the digital life of small businesses and families. This is because small businesses will often use the consumer Microsoft 365 plans. These plans are less expensive than the business plans.
This app brings many digital protections together into one dashboard. These include the following.
Most families in Australia (and globally for that matter) have several devices connected to their network. This includes computers, tablets, and smartphones. It can be hard to know which are vulnerable before a hacked device infects the others.
Microsoft Defender gives you visibility into the security status of your devices. It does this in a single place. So, you could see if that new phone of Bob's has antivirus enabled. You can also easily add or remove devices.
The app includes extra protections from online threats. These are in the form of help from antivirus and anti-phishing protection.
This can continually scan devices for threats, both new and existing. You also gain control of scanning customisation. For example, you can note certain apps as safe and tell Microsoft Defender what to scan. Personalisation is the key, every device and it's use cases is different.
Hackers use automation and AI to unleash their attacks and help them spread. This means that it’s often a race against the clock to stop a breach from getting worse.
To react fast, the first step is actually knowing that something is wrong. Microsoft Defender helps you by giving you real-time alerts. Fortunately, these also come with recommended actions. So, you not only know something is wrong, but you also know what to do about it. It could be a bit awkward otherwise...
Here are a few other important things you should know about using Microsoft Defender for Individuals.
You can download Microsoft Defender for Individuals from Microsoft here. You need to have a Microsoft 365 subscription for either the Personal or Family plan.
You can use Defender to secure and monitor the following devices:
Microsoft Defender allows you to watch the security of many of your home or work devices. The exact M365 plan you have will dictate how many.
Both plans can access the many different Office and other Microsoft applications. The main difference is how many people and devices can use the Microsoft 365 services.
So, if you want to sign up even 2 people, you’re saving quite a bit with the Family plan. Even more, if you have six people total using the service
Most Windows users are already familiar with the Microsoft Security app. It comes pre-installed on Windows. Microsoft Defender differs from this app in several ways.
Microsoft Defender:
Are you looking to get more from your Microsoft 365 subscription? We can help! Reach out today to schedule a technology consultation with our M365 experts.
Article used with permission from The Technology Press.