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Adedapo Adeniji - PeerSpot reviewer
Modern Workplace Solution Architect at a tech consulting company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Jul 25, 2023
Features excellent attack simulation and seamless integrations, but false positives need to be reduced
Pros and Cons
  • "The attack simulation is excellent; initially, this feature wasn't very robust, but Microsoft improved what we could achieve with it. We can now customize our practice phishing emails and include our company logo, for example. Attack simulation also helps integrate with third-party solutions where applicable and provides an overview of our security architecture through testing. The summary includes areas for improvement in our protection and what steps we need to take to get there."
  • "A simple dashboard without having to use MS Sentinel would be a welcome improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for email protection to scan incoming emails and attack simulation. Attack simulation allows our users to practice detecting phishing emails without any risk. The product also gives us an overview of our security situation. 

We operate a hybrid environment with a wide variety of users around the world. 

We use multiple Microsoft security products, including Defender for Endpoint, Sentinel, and Defender for Cloud Apps.  

We have integrated all our Microsoft security solutions, and the integration is easy and seamless, though an Azure account is required to connect Sentinel with other products. 

The solutions work natively together to deliver coordinated detection and response across our environment.  

The multiple Microsoft security products provide comprehensive threat protection, especially by combining 365 Defender and Defender for Cloud Apps, Endpoint, and Identity.  

How has it helped my organization?

The solution allows us to remediate threats better, and the Microsoft Secure Score tells us where we need to improve the security of our organization.

365 Defender saves us time in the region of 10%.

With security products, it can be hard to determine how much money they save us by protecting us from attacks, but I would say our cost savings are around 15%. 

The tool decreased our time to detect and respond, as we can quickly navigate to the required dashboard to get on top of unfolding threats. It reduced the time by 5% for each.  

What is most valuable?

The attack simulation is excellent; initially, this feature wasn't very robust, but Microsoft improved what we could achieve with it. We can now customize our practice phishing emails and include our company logo, for example. Attack simulation also helps integrate with third-party solutions where applicable and provides an overview of our security architecture through testing. The summary includes areas for improvement in our protection and what steps we need to take to get there.

365 Defender works seamlessly with other Microsoft products like Defender for Endpoint, and once we've onboarded a device, it's easy to see the entire progression of a malicious email. This includes the IP origin, and these are some of the things I love about the product.

The solution provides us with excellent visibility into threats; there are various features that clearly show when our organization is under attack, which country the attack originates from, and what we need to do to mitigate it. 

365 Defender prioritizes threats across the enterprise, which is essential because it gives us an overview of what we need to do to improve our security. We don't need to think of what we must do which is significant for us. 

The solution's threat intelligence helps us prepare for potential threats and take proactive steps before they hit. Over time, the threat intelligence learns and gets better, much like an AI.  

What needs improvement?

A simple dashboard without having to use MS Sentinel would be a welcome improvement. 

We sometimes get false alerts, and Microsoft told us the issue was with them and that they were aware of it. They were supposed to remediate it, but we had to do much ourselves. The false positives need to be reduced. 

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender XDR
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Defender XDR. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
900,838 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using 365 Defender for four years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability isn't bad, but we get too many false positives.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft has been able to scale up the solution over time, so it's scalable. All we need to do is purchase licenses according to our requirements. We have around 1,000 users.

How are customer service and support?

The customer support is good, but there is room for improvement. 

How was the initial setup?

The deployment was straightforward and quick; it took minutes. Onboarding the other solutions can take a little longer, depending on the environment and migration methods.

The setup can be done by one or two staff. In a scenario with many thousands of users and a proficient security admin, the deployment could be done in 15 to 20 minutes. The solution doesn't require any maintenance on our end, as it's cloud-based. 

What was our ROI?

The product gives us an ROI as it protects our organization from potentially costly attacks. Our ROI is around 5%.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product is fairly priced for what we get from it. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution seven out of ten. 

We use MS Sentinel, but I wouldn't say it ingests data from our entire ecosystem. It's straightforward to integrate, but getting the most out of Sentinel requires a lot of configuration, which needs significant expertise and time.

Sentinel enables us to investigate threats and respond holistically from one place, and that's important for us. The process is primarily automatic once the logic hub and configuration are set up.  

Regarding the comprehensiveness of Sentinel's security protection, it's less a tool for protection and more of a solution for providing an overview, management, and optimization of security processes. The most significant security features are found in the Defender line of products. 

We can automate some aspects of 365 Defender, but MS Sentinel is required for more complete automation.

365 Defender doesn't eliminate having to look at multiple dashboards; we still need to click through numerous dashboards for a complete security overview. Sentinel allows management from a single XDR dashboard.

To a security colleague who says it's better to go with a best-of-breed strategy rather than a single vendor's security suite, I'd say, why not save the stress of dealing with multiple vendors? You can have one vendor one click away and seamless integration between your products. 

I recommend the solution; I've worked with it in three different organizations and realized how seamless it is to use the Microsoft suite. They integrate well and help us protect all the services in Microsoft 365.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2186649 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Cybersecurity Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jul 12, 2023
It has many built-in policies that can improve your organization's cloud security posture
Pros and Cons
  • "Microsoft Defender's most critical component is its CASB solution. It has many built-in policies that can improve your organization's cloud security posture. It's effective regardless of where your users are, which is critical because most users are working from home. It's cloud-based, so nothing is on-premise."
  • "Defender also lacks automated detection and response. You need to resolve issues manually. You can manage multiple Microsoft security products from a single portal, and all your security recommendations are in one place. It's easy to understand and manage. However, I wouldn't say Defender is a single pane of glass. You still need to switch between all of the available Microsoft tools. You can see all the alerts in one panel, but you can't automate remediation."

What is our primary use case?

My company mostly uses Microsoft Office products, so we use 365 Defender for our security. 365 Defender is deployed globally, and it works the same whether you are in Europe, China, or India. It currently covers around 4,000 people worldwide. 

How has it helped my organization?

Defender reduced our attack surface with built-in rules for USB-based threats. Sometimes employees plug in a USB containing threats. Defender will immediately stop malicious executables from running. 

We have our own method for defining incident priorities. For example, most identity-related incidents are on the higher side. However, if we see a large number of low-level alerts affecting a single user in a short period, then those need to be checked. Automation can help in these cases. It's good to have, but I don't think Microsoft is currently very capable of machine learning. 

Defender has a security dashboard, but there is a different console for vulnerability management. We can create multiple reports where alerts are categorized and labeled, and Defender provides a single console where we can fetch all those reports. 

There isn't a foolproof method for preventing all cyber attacks, but best practices can reduce risks and limit the impact of threats. If you identify threats, you can build block lists and create regular employee training to tell people what to avoid. 

Preventing threats requires a strong firewall and antivirus solution. Defender is a good one. You can also implement threat prevention and detection technology in your remote environment. Nothing can completely prevent attacks from happening, but you can create policies using threat intelligence to ensure they are stopped. 

365 Defender helps us save time by simplifying threat response. For example, one of my customers uses USB to transfer data from one place to another. Some USB drives contain malicious programs, so I configured a rule to stop the executable. If a user copies documents from the USB with a harmful executable, Defender will lock it down. They can only copy the documents, but the executable will not run. 

It saves us lots of time. It reduces the time we spend on these tasks by about 50 to 60 percent. I switch it to audit mode and collect logs. After a month, I have received hundreds of alerts. With my rule in place to block USB executables, we no longer get alerts for that particular threat. Implementing that single rule reduced our alerts by around 30 percent. 

Defender reduces the detection time. We have a SOC team to review all those logs and alerts, and it helps them work quickly. There is little delay between detection and remediation. 

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Defender's most critical component is its CASB solution. It has many built-in policies that can improve your organization's cloud security posture. It's effective regardless of where your users are, which is critical because most users are working from home. It's cloud-based, so nothing is on-premise.

When dealing with remote users, you need the coverage of firewalls, antivirus, and all those essential security measures. There are multiple policies available that can help the organization secure its environment to prevent something malicious from entering. You need to flag users logging in from a different IP and guard against brute force attacks by detecting multiple failed login attempts.

There is also an option for identity. Most organizations aren't entirely on the Cloud. They still rely on on-prem data centers, so you need Defender for Identity. Another advantage of a cloud-based solution is that you don't need to constantly upgrade it monthly, quarterly, or weekly. All of your infrastructure is online. 

You need multiple solutions for outside threats. I can see if someone is logging in from a malicious IP before they can access the environment. You cannot completely block cybersecurity threats, but you can proactively resolve them and create a wall around your environment. 

What needs improvement?

365 Defender's attack surface reduction rules could be more customizable. Microsoft has its own pre-defined rules that can be adapted to every organization, but Defender should support the ability to create custom rules from scratch.

Defender also lacks automated detection and response. You need to resolve issues manually. You can manage multiple Microsoft security products from a single portal, and all your security recommendations are in one place. It's easy to understand and manage. However, I wouldn't say Defender is a single pane of glass. You still need to switch between all of the available Microsoft tools. You can see all the alerts in one panel, but you can't automate remediation. 

Automated remediation can be improved. I'm currently creating a remediation structure there and pushing it to my vendor, but the vendor should have their own way of resolving things. It only alerts you that something is happening. The security administrator needs to take action because Defender's automated capabilities aren't up to par. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using 365 Defender for more than a year. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

365 Defender is stable. I haven't seen an outage in the past year. We've had 100 availability. Occasionally, the servers go down for maintenance, and the sensors stop working. It doesn't happen frequently. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

365 Defender is highly scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

Microsoft's support is excellent. Most issues resolve on their own, but when we need support, they typically resolve the issue quickly. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

At my previous company, we used other antivirus and identity solutions, but they weren't a complete package like 365 Defender. For example, CrowdStrike was our EDR solution, which had extended capabilities, or XDR. We had various solutions that collectively did the same thing as Defender. 

How was the initial setup?

365 Defender is cloud-based, so the deployment is straightforward and only takes 10 to 15 minutes. You need to change a few configurations on your devices using Intune. One person is sufficient to do the job. It's a simple installer. 

After the deployment, you don't need to do any maintenance because it's on the cloud. The only thing deployed on-premise is the ATP sensor, which automatically upgrades. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

365 Defender is bundled with our Microsoft Enterprise license. Additional costs for support, etc. depend on the license level. If you have a premium account, you will receive priority support, but it costs more. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft 365 Defender a nine out of ten. I personally wouldn't recommend only using a single solution or vendor. If you don't try other products, then you won't be aware of what is happening in the market. There should be multiple products involved, so you can compare the solutions and go with the best one. 

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender XDR
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Defender XDR. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
900,838 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Works at Hometrack
User
Top 20
Apr 3, 2025
Provides comprehensive security and proactive threat management with central visibility, though customer support can be slow
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Defender XDR is its ability to provide preemptive reports regarding excessive privileged access."

    What is our primary use case?

    Microsoft Defender XDR is our primary solution for security. We have a number of use cases across different environments, allowing us to secure all our use cases comprehensively.

    What is most valuable?

    One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Defender XDR is its ability to provide preemptive reports regarding excessive privileged access. This allows us to secure our systems in advance and proactively improve security, rather than waiting for incidents to occur. Additionally, it ensures that we are fully compliant before any audits are conducted, which has potentially saved our reputation. Furthermore, its integration across different environments allows central visibility for different workloads.

    What needs improvement?

    There is nothing I can think of at the moment that needs improvement. I am a contractor and finishing up soon, so I haven't encountered any issues requiring enhancements.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with Microsoft Defender XDR for a few years now, about one and a half to two years.

    What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

    I was involved in the deployment, and it was very easy to set up and configure. I did not encounter any problem—it took half a day to a full day at most.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    There are no complaints regarding the stability of the solution. It seems to do the job well.

    How are customer service and support?

    The customer service is good, and they supported us well. Although it took some time, we got the required support in the end.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Neutral

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was straightforward, and I did not have any issues with it.

    What about the implementation team?

    We used Teams for the deployment, but I could be wrong on that.

    What other advice do I have?

    Overall, I would rate Microsoft Defender XDR a seven out of ten. It is a useful tool and not necessarily the best solution I've seen, but it is good and I wouldn't object to using it.

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Other
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Majid Hussain - PeerSpot reviewer
    Cybersecurity Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Jun 10, 2024
    You can scan the systems remotely to get a complete inventory of assets
    Pros and Cons
    • "Defender XDR enables you to scan a system remotely and get a complete inventory of its assets. You can gather more information from the asset inventory and apply threat intelligence using Office 365 or something."
    • "The initial time spent setting up and configuring Defender XDR is a bit longer than the other solutions. If everything were on one portal, the platforms for managing policies or alerts would be simpler. We must automate and manage policies on Intune rather than the same portal."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the entire 365 security package. Defender XDR is primarily used for real-time malware scanning. Our company has about 1,500 endpoints. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    Before Defender, we used a different tool but were unhappy with its performance and frustrated with the deployment. Defender offers real-time scanning and alert notifications.

    By adopting the Microsoft stack, we have eliminated other security solutions. Defender XDR reduces manual work. Our organization manages more than 1,500 systems, and manual intervention on all these systems would be a huge workload. Cloud solutions are easier to manage and monitor. 

    We are a massive Microsoft shop. We see significant savings by getting all of our security from one vendor. There is a considerable drop compared to buying from other vendors. 

    What is most valuable?

    Defender XDR enables you to scan a system remotely and get a complete inventory of its assets. You can gather more information from the asset inventory and apply threat intelligence using Office 365 or something. It's a user-friendly, cost-effective, and feature-rich solution. The XDR features offer considerable value because you get more insights from your user systems.

    Microsoft Defender XDR stops the movement of advanced attacks by working with the complete 365 package. For example, you can create rules for email filtering to block phishing emails. I can create rules for email filtering. If there are any suspicious links in an email or its attachments, we can quarantine that email. It notifies the admin or the user.  The user can ask the admin to remove the email from the quarantine. We can investigate the email before it reaches the endpoint. Defender also has web content filtering and all the other EDR file features.

    Defender's ability to adapt to evolving threats is critical today. The number of attacks today is multiplying, and Defender's adaptability and awareness are amazing.

    What needs improvement?

    The initial time spent setting up and configuring Defender XDR is a bit longer than the other solutions. If everything were on one portal, the platforms for managing policies or alerts would be simpler. We must automate and manage policies on Intune rather than the same portal.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used Microsoft Defender XDR for nearly 14 months.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I am very satisfied with Defender's stability. It's a reliable solution that improves our confidence in our security.

    How are customer service and support?

    I rate Microsoft support seven out of 10. I would like Microsoft's support to be a little more robust and technical.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Neutral

    How was the initial setup?

    Deploying Defender XDR is pretty straightforward. We deployed it in phases with deadlines. It took a couple of months. We met all our deadlines, and it wasn't a very complex solution to implement. 

    We prepared and configured the tenant. Next, we created XDR policies and groups and orchestrated our requirements. We tried pushing the policies to see if the endpoints received them and sent the required information back to the admin portal. There was a testing period before we went live. Deployment only required two people. 

    Defender doesn't require much maintenance after deployment because it's a cloud-based solution. We only need to tweak and update the policies, then push them out. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Defender XDR is reasonably priced based on the licenses we need and the solution's capabilities. At the same time, Defender is a little pricier than some of the other solutions. 

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We also considered CrowdStrike and Trend Micro. Trend Micro came the closest to meeting our expectations. Ultimately, we decided to use Defender XDR because we already used most of the Microsoft products, so it was a little more cost-effective. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Microsoft Defender XDR nine out of 10. Before deploying Defender XDR, potential users should be informed about the pricing, support, and the labor required to manage, maintain, and deploy the solutions. 

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Vladimir Lopatin - PeerSpot reviewer
    Sr. Security Solution Specialist/Security Solutions Sales Lead at Awara IT
    MSP
    Mar 6, 2024
    The system of analysis and investigation is super convenient for our customers
    Pros and Cons
    • "Microsoft XDR's system of analysis and investigation is super convenient for our customers. It integrates with other Microsoft solutions like Defender for 365 to protect email traffic from malicious external web links and phishing."
    • "Customers say they want absolutely seamless integration between other Microsoft solutions and Defender XDR, including the ability to change device settings within the Defender portal. They need to contact the IT team responsible for the device management tools to change some settings. They would prefer that those changes be initiated directly from the Defender portal or applied from Intune without involving the IT operations team."

    What is our primary use case?

    I am a consultant responsible for deploying and providing customer support for Microsoft products. We use Defender XDR for endpoint protection. It helps them secure endpoints with an advanced XDR solution that conducts behavior analysis and things like that.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Defender XDR provides more visibility into all the connected services, including the security stack and all the productivity software. They're all integrated. It's much less maintenance and has fewer headaches during integration and setup. Implementing the solution and getting the customer fully protected takes very little time. According to Gartner, it's one of the best solutions on the market,  and it requires a limited amount of time and resources to get it fully operational.

    By adopting Defender XDR, our customers have discontinued other security products. The solution can replace products like Kaspersky, McAfee, Trend Micro, and even CrowdStrike. 

    It has affected customers' security operations by simplifying permissions and reducing the total cost ownership if we discontinue all the security products that the customers used before. Customers usually save around 20 percent, but it's more than simply replacing one component with another. It replaces several security solutions like email and cloud application protection. If you compare the total cost of ownership of on-prem solutions versus Microsoft, it is better to go with Microsoft. You also get lifetime upgrades for the systems and features that you implement.

    What is most valuable?

    Microsoft XDR's system of analysis and investigation is super convenient for our customers. It integrates with other Microsoft solutions like Defender for 365 to protect email traffic from malicious external web links and phishing. Customers like that the platform provides a single pane of glass for all the security services. Many of them do not have the capacity to support complex systems, so it's better for them to have most of the tools integrated into one platform. 

    You can integrate XDR with Microsoft's identity solution Entra ID if you have a premium license. Those tools are fully integrated, but you need to purchase a separate solution called Defender for Identity to get tools to protect identities and connect the Enterprise Data Center with Defender.

    Defender XDR's coverage isn't limited to Microsoft products. You can use almost any solution and achieve the same single point of control. For example, you can integrate Microsoft Defender for Cloud Applications, which covers all the cloud service providers. It isn't limited to only Microsoft infrastructure.

    What needs improvement?

    Customers say they want absolutely seamless integration between other Microsoft solutions and Defender XDR, including the ability to change device settings within the Defender portal. They need to contact the IT team responsible for the device management tools to change some settings. They would prefer that those changes be initiated directly from the Defender portal or applied from Intune without involving the IT operations team.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used Microsoft Defender XDR for five years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Defender XDR is almost 100 percent stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Defender XDR is infinitely scalable. 

    How are customer service and support?

    I rate Microsoft standard support six out of 10 and premium support eight out of 10. The response times for basic Microsoft support leave much to be desired. It can take up to two weeks to resolve issues if you don't have a support contract. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Neutral

    How was the initial setup?

    Deploying Defender XDR is relatively straightforward, but it depends on whether the customer has already integrated its on-premise infrastructure with the Microsoft cloud.

    Deployment requires one or two engineers on our side. We determine the scope of the work and the deployment before rolling out the clients to the endpoints. The biggest question is whether the customer already has the network infrastructure prepared for that service based on the Microsoft documentation. For example, we must determine if the endpoints connect directly to the Microsoft cloud or through a proxy server, firewalls, etc.

    Defender includes four or five products different products. The most useful is Defender for Endpoint, which typically takes up to two weeks to deploy, while Defender for Office and Defender for Identity take one week to deploy. Defender for Cloud Applications can be deployed in a few days. It also depends on how the customer will use it. If it's being used for compliance, the customer's requirements may be totally different. 

    The number of maintenance and administrative personnel depends on the organization's size and the number of solutions deployed. It's hard to calculate how people would be necessary for that particular part of the security ecosystem. However, Defender XDR takes up to three people to manage. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Defender XDR is expensive, but the cost is justified. Defender is included in an E3 or E5 license. If you don't have a premium Microsoft license and you purchase Defender separately, the whole model will be different. You can also pay extra for premium support. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Microsoft Defender XDR nine out of 10. I recommend starting it as soon as possible, but you must also plan for any future on-premise solutions that you might bring into the system. Consider any prerequisites you need if you decide to go with the product. The biggest issue is that your network infrastructure needs to be set up according to the Microsoft documentation.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
    PeerSpot user
    Desray Liu - PeerSpot reviewer
    Project Manager at Freedom Systems Inc.
    Real User
    Dec 5, 2023
    A time-saving and easy-to-integrate product that needs to offer a control center to users
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that Microsoft Defender XDR is easy to integrate with other Microsoft platforms or products."
    • "Generally, antivirus products provide a central control to manage every device in terms of who is installing it or who is trying to disable it, but Microsoft doesn't have such a control center for the antivirus product it provides."

    What is our primary use case?

    My company operates as a service provider, so we use Microsoft Defender XDR in our office to provide our customers with security services.

    How has it helped my organization?

    I won't say that the product helped improve how my organization operates, but there is a need to build trust between the user and the product. Microsoft Defender XDR has been used in my organization since we purchased Windows 10 or 11, after which a user does not need to install any products from Microsoft separately. Some of my company's customers insist they want to install antivirus software separately in their environment due to trust issues.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that Microsoft Defender XDR is easy to integrate with other Microsoft platforms or products. Some other vendors of security products provide great features or capabilities of detection, but the best feature of Microsoft is its integration capability.

    What needs improvement?

    One important point about the solution that is an area of concern where improvements are required is related to the control center it provides. Generally, antivirus products provide a central control to manage every device in terms of who is installing it or who is trying to disable it, but Microsoft doesn't have such a control center for the antivirus product it provides.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Microsoft Defender XDR for three years. My company has a partnership with Microsoft. My company is also a reseller of Microsoft products.

    How are customer service and support?

    As a part of Microsoft's attempt to reduce costs, there has been a direct cut down of the local technical support team. Sometimes, you have to use the technical support offered by Microsoft from other countries, but at times, we speak different languages, just like how people speak in Chinese or Mandarin, but there are still some differences between them. The front-line support from Microsoft has only limited technical abilities or access to their internal system. Sometimes, my company cannot even escalate an issue to Microsoft's senior team members.

    The support team of Microsoft is nice as they attempt to solve the problems together with you, but I believe that due to some cost-related issues, they don't have enough permissions. Sometimes, users might feel blocked when trying to connect with the support team.

    I rate the technical support a seven out of ten.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Neutral

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    My company started with Microsoft Defender XDR when we partnered with Microsoft. Some of our company's customers prefer CrowdStrike, Fortinet, and FortiSIEM.

    How was the initial setup?

    You don't need to indulge in troubleshooting, making the initial setup phase an easy process because you could just use a GPO on your server to deploy everything. When there comes a problem to onboard some specific devices, and you need to indulge in troubleshooting, sometimes Microsoft Defender XDR's team says it is a problem with the devices a user is trying to onboard, and it's really hard for our company as service providers since we cannot always ask customers to reinstall their server.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Microsoft purposely makes its license combinations complex and includes combinations like Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5, Office 365 E3, Office 365 E5, and Office 365 E1, so you get confused. Microsoft tries to sell you a bundle of a lot of things together. The licensing model of the product should be made more understandable.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    There are other good products in the market, and it is difficult to state which one is better since all of them have micro differences in terms of pricing. There may be components like the user interface or maybe some other elements to judge other products, but when it comes to Microsoft, the most important factor stems from the fact that most people use Windows, so it's all integrated.

    What other advice do I have?

    The product provides unified identity and access management as long as I use all of the products offered by Microsoft.

    It is important for me that identity and access management are included within Microsoft Defender XDR because everything is controlled by your identity in the digital world, making it look like a user's government ID in the digital world. My company has tried a lot to talk to and educate our customers since some try not to use a complex password or MFA, which is the most important thing to protect your identity.

    Some integration functions in Azure portal allow users to integrate their third-party applications. With the solution, it is not easy to track third-party applications. For transactions recognized by your credentials, it is not easy to track as they would stop, after which we are informed there is a problem. In my organization, we only know how some third-party applications ask to check the credentials, but we don't know what Microsoft Defender XDR does with it, so the product's security doesn't extend beyond just Microsoft technologies.

    The product does stop lateral movement and advanced attacks like ransomware or business email compromise. The product blocks a lot of ransomware, which is good. It is considered to be a strict product, so if some of our customers use some local mail service, they have been blocked because Microsoft considers it to be not secure. Microsoft puts a lot of effort into security.

    Microsoft Defender XDR's ability to stop attacks covers the product's ability to adapt to evolving threats. It is better to use it as a cloud-based solution that keeps adapting to changes and providing new features.

    The product must adapt and evolve to manage threats since there is a new zero-day vulnerability every day, and there is no way to get protection from it. You cannot rely on the users or the admin to upgrade the features daily, so it's better to adopt it automatically with a cloud-based solution like Microsoft Defender XDR.

    There were some problems when my organization tried to discontinue other products during the implementation phase of Microsoft Defender XDR since Microsoft tried to integrate all the products in our organization's environment together. If you have used Microsoft Defender XDR, you have to use an antivirus from Microsoft along with Microsoft Identity Platform Endpoint to get the best results. Sometimes, some customers may try to install some third-party antivirus in their environment other than the one provided by Microsoft, which gets blocked. Sometimes, antivirus software from a vendor goes into passive mode. When an antivirus software is in passive mode, some of its advanced features are not usable, causing some problems the user needs to deal with when using it.

    The product's ability to save costs depends on how a user looks at a problem while using the solution. I worked as a part of the security team, and we always used to talk to our company's customers. The solution is sometimes like insurance, especially if you want to avoid some bigger problems and you need to spend some money to protect your environment. In some other IT teams or from some other client's point of view, Microsoft Defender XDR costs a lot of money, and they don't see anything. In the security world, no news is good news. You don't want to have to see everything happen and get plenty of alerts trying to prove the product's worth. The product has to control the attack surface so that you won't be attacked that much, or if there are any attacks, it can reduce the impact.

    The product definitely saves time for my organization and our company's client teams, especially considering that it is not possible to manually go through the logs every day. The product did help pop up the abnormal activities so that my organization could just review the important things or abnormal activities.

    It is hard to say how much time the product saves since it depends on factors like whether you are using some other products or using Microsoft Defender XDR alone. I guess that the product can save over 60 percent of my organization's time. When you use Microsoft Defender XDR in your IT infrastructure, and it works for you, then you just put it in there, and you will come to know when there are some abnormal activities or when you are attacked. With Microsoft Defender XDR, you can get some signs if you are being attacked.

    Microsoft Defender XDR is a nice solution and can be combined with other solutions from Microsoft, but they offer limited flexibility. I want the product to be a high surveillance solution for me and not just an information-oriented tool, but nowadays, Microsoft doesn't provide any options to help choose the users' preferences.

    I rate the overall product a seven out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
    PeerSpot user
    Infrastructure architect at Energizer Holdings, Inc.
    Real User
    Nov 29, 2023
    Comprehensive security across endpoints and seamless integration within the Microsoft security ecosystem, offering a unified and proactive defense against evolving cyber threats
    Pros and Cons
    • "A crucial aspect for our team is the inclusion of identity and access management tools from the vendor."
    • "The capability to not only thwart attacks but also to adapt to evolving threats is crucial."

    What is our primary use case?

    It addresses various use cases, including monitoring and securing file storage like OneDrive and SharePoint. It has recently incorporated Teams integration to safeguard against malware. Additionally, it serves as a replacement for on-premises Advanced Threat Protection, offering enhanced capabilities. It has proven valuable in highlighting critical scenarios related to credential use and legacy Active Directory, providing substantial assistance in these areas.

    How has it helped my organization?

    When transitioning to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint from our previous use of ATP, we observed significant improvements. Legacy ATP involved numerous signals and a substantial learning curve, but Microsoft Defender for Endpoint establishes a more effective baseline. In comparison to Cylance, which generated a considerable amount of background noise, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint enables us to concentrate on the more critical alerts that demand our attention. Our team is actively phasing out disparate security tools in favor of a streamlined approach. The efficiency gained from having a single pane of glass is a powerful asset for our team.

    What is most valuable?

    One of the most valuable aspects is the comprehensive insights it provides into on-premises identities, particularly within Legacy Active Directory. This allows for the examination of use cases related to identities, ensuring there is no misuse of accounts or computers. A crucial aspect for our team is the inclusion of identity and access management tools from the vendor. Despite being a sizable global company, our team is relatively small, considering our global reach. Therefore, minimizing overhead is a top priority for us, and integrating these tools from the vendor becomes crucial in achieving that goal.

    What needs improvement?

    My suggestion would be for Microsoft to continue aligning all components within this ecosystem. This consolidation is beneficial as we strive for a more unified and comprehensive view, essentially a single pane of glass, which is highly valued. In the future, I hope for increased third-party integration. While Microsoft plays a role, it's equally important for third-party providers to step up. In our organization, the information security team has endorsed a specific set of products. Integrating the telemetry from these approved products into our systems would be immensely beneficial, providing a more comprehensive view and enhancing our overall security posture. Extending security coverage is of paramount importance. Integrating telemetry could bridge these gaps, fostering greater cooperation among individual teams within the organization. Having teams collectively examine the same information might contribute to advancing collaboration and overall security efforts. The capability to not only thwart attacks but also to adapt to evolving threats is crucial.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using it for the last three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is exceptionally stable, without encountering any notable issues or complaints. Microsoft seems proactive in communication through the message center, keeping users informed about any ongoing issues, and we appreciate the clarity provided through multiple channels.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It has the capability to scale seamlessly, especially with Microsoft's expertise in the cloud. We have over six thousand end users globally distributed across various facilities, with some on-premises deployments due to specific requirements. However, our overarching strategy is cloud-first, and the majority of our infrastructure operates in Azure. In terms of endpoints, the number is substantial, likely exceeding seven thousand when considering both servers and clients.

    How are customer service and support?

    We haven't had the need to contact them so far. In general, our experience with Microsoft support has been variable—it can be both beneficial and challenging. While they offer a wealth of resources, there are instances where the response may not align with our expectations. I would rate it eight out of ten.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I made the switch from Bitdefender to Defender primarily due to cost considerations. In my professional assessment, Bitdefender appears adequate from a client perspective, but when it comes to enterprise deployment, I don't view it as fully enterprise-ready. We encountered numerous challenges, particularly with installing Bitdefender's agent on Server 2022, which proved to be a significant hurdle for my team, consuming valuable time and resources. The advantage of Defender lies in its ability to seamlessly bring together threat telemetry from servers across various cloud providers, including Azure, and extend this protection to our Windows endpoints, offering a robust and integrated security solution.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was straightforward.

    What about the implementation team?

    Our implementation strategy was relatively gradual and soft. We enabled the features, allowed it to ingest the data, and then began assessing the generated alerts. Taking a somewhat silent approach, we deferred more to the expertise of our information security team, considering their role as the cornerstone in this aspect. As we moved forward, we aimed to identify areas for improvement and address the specific queries and needs that our team raised during the process. Our ongoing maintenance primarily involves fine-tuning our alerts to align with our specific use cases.

    What was our ROI?

    In terms of return on investment, the potential for cost reduction is a key consideration and Defender does provide it. The time saved is substantial, especially if we can navigate through our internal processes efficiently. Specifically for my infrastructure team, using Defender for Endpoint has significantly reduced the time spent delving into emerging issues. As a rough estimate, I would say it saves us approximately six hours a week that would otherwise be spent navigating through the complexities of individual components within Microsoft 365.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I find the pricing to be quite competitive, especially considering its inclusion in our E5 subscription, which provides a comprehensive set of functionalities. Initially, when I evaluated the pricing for add-ons with our E3 subscription, it seemed reasonable. However, we opted for the E5 subscription, absorbing the additional features seamlessly.

    What other advice do I have?

    I'd recommend exploring Microsoft's Learn documentation, a resource that is sometimes overlooked but provides valuable insights into the capabilities of Defender. It's a good starting point to understand its features. For large enterprises with tools like Visual Studio subscriptions (formerly MSDN), Microsoft offers the option to set up an E5 tenant for testing. This can be deployed freely for up to twenty-five licenses, excluding the Windows license. I suggest diving into hands-on experimentation in a lab environment, combining practical experience with informational reading for a comprehensive understanding. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Microsoft Azure
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    IT Consultant
    Consultant
    Oct 24, 2023
    It helps us deal with unknown threats by creating custom policies
    Pros and Cons
    • "I like 365 Defender's advanced threat hunting. The dashboard is user-friendly with templates for site policies, etc. The most important use case is evaluating the risk links and applications."
    • "The cost can be high if you want to build custom license packages. Another area for improvement is the policies. In Azure, we need to implement policies in JSON format, but in 365 Defender 365, it would be helpful to use a different format so we can customize the platform."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use 365 Defender to manage organization-level devices and vendor security compliance. We are a retail-focused organization that offers cloud services through Azure, GCP, and AWS, but we manage all the security through 365 Defender. Some of our users are based in other countries, and everything is centralized. We operate in multiple regions. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    We can easily track any other malicious activities or additional applications that will prevent it. We can get it here. It will be a helpful tool once we create policies for DLP and third-party programs. 

    365 Defender stops the lateral movement of advanced attacks. It prevents something that happens on the device level from affecting us on the organization level. The solution enables us to track all the details, like the IPs and the device types. 

    365 Defender helps us deal with unknown threats by creating custom policies, which enable us to block access by specific unknown sources and unsafe links. 365 Defender has multi-tenant capabilities, and we have multiple tenants, but I'm only involved in the retail part, so I don't have authority over other tenants. 

    We were able to discontinue some of our other security products when we implemented 365 Defender, but there are some exceptions. We can use non-Microsoft solutions when the customer requires it. Mostly, we use cloud solutions. We've saved some costs on the security side at the organizational level by reducing equipment costs. Using 365 Defender's automation capabilities, we can cut our vulnerability management time by about 40-50 percent. 

    What is most valuable?

    I like 365 Defender's advanced threat hunting. The dashboard is user-friendly with templates for site policies, etc. The most important use case is evaluating the risk links and applications. 

    What needs improvement?

    The cost can be high if you want to build custom license packages. Another area for improvement is the policies. In Azure, we need to implement policies in JSON format, but in 365 Defender 365, it would be helpful to use a different format so we can customize the platform.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used 365 Defender for more than two years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    365 Defender can have some performance issues during enrollment. It can take a while at times, but sometimes it's duplicated immediately. That's an issue with some other cloud-based programs like Intune and Azure products. 

    How are customer service and support?

    I rate Microsoft 365 Defender support nine out of 10. Their support representatives provide solutions based on priorities. They prefer to follow the proper SLA part. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    How was the initial setup?

    The deployment is quick, straightforward, and involves only two people. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Sometimes 365 Defender is expensive, but it can be moderate, depending on the organization's size and the license type. We're satisfied with the cost because it gives us a product that protects our entire environment with DLP. To compromise some cost, of course, we are to complete the most secure environment. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate 365 Defender nine out of 10. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Microsoft Azure
    Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Benjamin Van Der Westhuyzen - PeerSpot reviewer
    Contractor at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
    Reseller
    Sep 21, 2023
    Provides us with better insight into what's going on across our platform
    Pros and Cons
    • "It's a great threat intelligence source for us, providing alerts for things it detects on the network and on the machines. We've used it often when there is a potential incident to see what was done on a computer. That works quite nicely because you can see everything that the user has done..."
    • "In the beginning, it's difficult to navigate the system because it is quite large. Just trying to find your way and understand how the system works can be hard. After spending quite a lot of time searching it's a lot easier, but I wish it were a bit more user-friendly when you're trying to find things."

    What is our primary use case?

    We're using it for our email filtering to check incoming emails and URLs. We're also using it for vulnerability management to see the status of our assets that are registered on the system. We also check it to see what kinds of threats and campaigns are currently being launched via emails.

    How has it helped my organization?

    It provides us with better insight into what's going on across our platform. It has also given us a very easy way to respond when threats or alerts come through. And when looking for someone in particular, it helps with that. It hugely improved our insight into what's going on inside the company's premises and environments.

    365 Defender also helps find high-value alerts, but we haven't used it for complete automation. It has some automation features where it can try to block or quarantine things, but beyond the default automation configuration, we haven't explored deeper into using automation. The default settings work well.

    And while we've always used one or two dashboards, this system has made it easier to have a quick overview on a single platform.

    In addition, the threat intelligence helps prepare you for potential threats, to a certain limit, because it gives you insights into where your shortcomings are, your vulnerabilities. It also gives you some security recommendations to make improvements.

    And the solution has decreased our time to respond because on high alerts you can get a quick response. The system will notify you very quickly if it detects something at a certain thread level or a custom threat level that you set.

    What is most valuable?

    Microsoft 365 Defender has a very great interface to help protect registered devices when it comes to web protection, which is very handy.

    We also use the alert systems often. It's a great threat intelligence source for us, providing alerts for things it detects on the network and on the machines. We've used it often when there is a potential incident to see what was done on a computer. That works quite nicely because you can see everything that the user has done, including websites accessed, et cetera. And if something was on the machine, we can see what it was trying to do.

    I use the alert system on a daily basis. It gives you a very good analysis of where something was found, which employee or which device. And it often gives you a good history on that. The alerts help me to monitor and check what is going on. That's a very valuable system to have.

    We've also tried the attack simulation, which sends out phishing emails internally as a test to see how the users respond. We get feedback and use the training simulation as a result. We've only done that once, and it's something we want to work on a little more.

    In addition, we're using the assets on the system as well as the inventory functionality. It checks all the machines to see what software is installed on them.

    We've used a lot of the features on the cloud, although not everything to its full potential, but we've used 70 to 80 percent of all the features on the cloud.

    What needs improvement?

    In the beginning, it's difficult to navigate the system because it is quite large. Just trying to find your way and understand how the system works can be hard. After spending quite a lot of time searching it's a lot easier, but I wish it were a bit more user-friendly when you're trying to find things.

    The information it provides is great, but for a newcomer, it is quite tedious and takes a long time to load. Here in South Africa, when you click, oftentimes you have to wait quite some time before you get to the next page. It's not necessarily internet-related. I think it's just that the service is a bit slow.

    Also, while the solution does help to prioritize threats, unfortunately, it doesn't do so for the entire environment. The reason is that it only supports full integration from Windows 10 and up. It provides you certain information from your server environment, but when you start going with legacy services, it is a bit lacking.

    Another issue that is sometimes a headache is that they constantly make changes. Things will be merged, they will get different names, or be moved around. Things will be added and other things go somewhere else. They do a lot of development to make the product better, but it's very frustrating having to search for stuff after they've moved it, because you don't always know that they have moved things. They might have little banners, but if you're just working and don't read them, you don't know where things have gone. 

    I would also really like to see better integration with the server platforms for managing your server environment. That's something it currently doesn't do. For all the server environments, you either need to make use of group policies or SCCM to manage that independently. It can provide you information on the system, but it doesn't have control over your server line.

    Also, I make use of 365 Defender on a business level and on a personal level. On the personal level, there is a lot less functionality. Something that would be very nice is that, for the level you are on, you would only see the product you are subscribed to. For instance, if you log on via the business, you have all your action areas, anything you can do and see, on the left. Because you're using it at a corporate level, you can see and do everything. On the personal level, or in a small business where you're only using some of the features, you still have all the same options, but when you click on them, it tells you that you need to upgrade or subscribe. They should only show you what you have access to, and not all the tabs and then say, "You need to subscribe to get access to this." It just clutters the whole area.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Microsoft 365 Defender for about two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Overall, it has 95 percent stability. We don't have any issues with it. It works well. Microsoft does provide frequent information when there are issues or delays. But the stability is very good.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We're still learning a lot about its capabilities. It's more capable than what we use it for. That is due to a restriction on our resources and availability to get to know the system even better.

    How are customer service and support?

    We have contacted Microsoft tech support multiple times. They are quick to respond to the original request. Sometimes I have been quite surprised because they have replied within 15 minutes. Some of the questions we had were resolved quickly, on the order of 60 minutes. I had one that took almost two years to get resolved. But in general, they are quick to respond. Their support is very good and quick.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    Before 365 Defender, we made use of Avast as our antivirus, which had its own web console. For malware protection, we used an on-prem Cisco IronPort system that was scanning all our emails. And most of our SIEM logging information was done manually. We had much less insight into what was going on in the company.

    What about the implementation team?

    Because it was a new solution for us, we had a company that works with Microsoft assist us, to make sure that all the configurations were standard. But since then, we've maintained most of it ourselves. On our side there were no more than five people involved.

    What was our ROI?

    It's a very expensive product, but for any threat it has definitely stopped or protected us from, in that sense, it has saved money and time, by preventing things that could have happened. But is it affordable? No, it's expensive.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    If you look at everything that the solution entails, and the big cost to companies, especially medium-sized companies, one would like to have a bit of a price decrease due to economic circumstances. The functionality is fantastic, but for medium and small-sized companies it's overpriced. It would be better if it were a little bit cheaper.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We did look at other solutions. In the end, we decided on 365 Defender because it was all integrated. It worked to our advantage because all the products that we needed were already on the machines. All the products that you get from the Defender area are part of the built-in Windows 10 features. It gave us a better way of controlling and managing things. Overall, it made more sense to have one central place to manage and control and be alerted.

    What other advice do I have?

    My advice is don't be frightened when you start getting into the solution. If you are not used to the environment, it is a mouthful, and it can really scare your socks off. There's just so much to it that you won't really know where to start.

    The best thing I can recommend to anybody who is starting is to get somebody who knows the system to give you a walkthrough. Also, look at the tutorials to see what the functionalities are. It will be beneficial for any person to get a good overview of what's going on in 365 Defender, the capabilities and how it looks. But getting in contact with somebody who has some experience already in using it will help you to ask where to find things. "Where do I go from here? Show me how you're set up, so I can at least see some of the functionalities."

    My very first impression of 365 Defender was that I was looking for something, but I didn't even know where to start. It was too overwhelming. As I spoke to other people who knew about the system, they gave me an overview and that made it easier for me to understand and to know where to go.

    365 Defender is our main deployment, but we've got the endpoints also connected on Intune. They work together to deliver coordinated detection and response in our environment. Our complete suite is pretty much all Microsoft. Our environment is a 50/50 hybrid. We use Intune for certain policy changes and some of the deployments. But because our environment has a lot of legacy systems, we make use of the normal, on-prem deployment services as well.

    Sentinel is linked to our on-premises Active Directory. It helps identify things that are happening on-prem. For example, when a user's account instance gets locked out, it will show you, on Defender, from which local machine it was locked out. Or if certain things are accessed, it will show that information on the on-prem Active Directory. It works well. For investigating and responding to threats, it definitely helps by dumping the information in a centralized location with the alerts to identify a bit more flow pattern. If something happens that's not on the cloud area, but it's on-prem, it helps track and identify movement. The information from Sentinel is an added bonus.

    Overall, Defender 365 has saved us time, compared to the old ways of doing things, but at the same time, I wish the site was faster. Sometimes it can be very slow.

    Best-of-breed solutions versus a single vendor's suite comes down to personal experience. With best-of-breed, at least you know that they have been tested in the industry and have a lot of history behind them. Also, the redundancy would be a lot better. Going with a single vendor sometimes makes it a little bit difficult, especially if they are only focusing on one area. It's a difficult question. It might come down to the way someone was "brought up" in the security industry or the way that they trust these companies.

    I give Microsoft 365 Defender a nine out of 10. Once you get to know the system, it's really awesome. It provides a lot of insights.

    Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer2187066 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Tech Support Engineer at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
    Real User
    May 20, 2023
    Unified platform, responsive technical support, reasonably priced, and secure
    Pros and Cons
    • "Another noteworthy feature that I find appealing in Microsoft Defender is the credit-backed simulation. This feature enables organizations to train their users on effectively responding to phishing emails through a simulated training environment."
    • "In the future, it would be beneficial for Microsoft to consider making the product more user-friendly or simplified for those who are interested in using it. Currently, it requires a high level of technical expertise, making it challenging for beginners or less experienced individuals."

    What is our primary use case?

    Microsoft 365 Defender works together with Exchange Online is my area of specialty.

    Microsoft 365 Defender incorporates a capability to identify potentially malicious emails or emails originating from suspicious senders.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Previously, we encountered a significant number of spam emails and suspicious emails, and users were inadvertently interacting with them. However, we have made progress in addressing this issue. We have conducted attack awareness training to educate users on identifying suspicious emails, and Microsoft Defender has played an important role in preventing such emails from reaching our inboxes. As a result, we have noticed a reduction in the volume of spam emails and an increase in the delivery of trustworthy emails. Considering these improvements, I can confidently state that we are in a better position now in terms of email security compared to the past before the implementation of Microsoft 365 Defender.

    Within Microsoft 365 Defender, specifically using Advanced Threat Protection, you have the ability to define rules and actions for high-value alerts. 

    By using Advanced Threat Protection, you have the capability to conduct thorough investigations and delve deeper into the search for specific threats that you suspect may be present within your organization. 

    Within the Microsoft 365 Defender suite, you have access to numerous features that enable you to effectively track and investigate potential threats within your organization.

    Automation significantly impacts our security operations in a highly beneficial way. It revolutionizes our approach by providing a centralized IT vendor admin center where we can execute all our search queries and obtain the desired information from a single interface. This unified platform streamlines the entire process by consolidating various components and their respective search processes into one, eliminating the need to navigate through multiple individual interfaces. With Microsoft 365 Defender, we have the convenience of accessing and investigating different areas of interest from a single standpoint. This not only saves us substantial time but also reduces effort and enhances overall efficiency in our security operations.

    The consolidation of security operations has had a significant impact on our effectiveness and efficiency. It has resulted in improved response times, enabling us to swiftly pinpoint the potential sources of threats. We have observed a reduction in incident response time, allowing us to address security incidents more promptly. Additionally, the consolidation has enhanced the efficiency of our deployment processes, streamlining our overall security operations. These notable impacts have greatly contributed to our organization's ability to proactively identify and mitigate threats, ultimately bolstering our security posture.

    Threat intelligence is an essential component in proactively preparing for potential threats and implementing proactive measures. While I have not personally engaged with this particular feature, it is widely acknowledged that staying informed about current threat intelligence is essential.

    Although preventive measures are in place to minimize maintenance issues, there can be instances where threats successfully circumvent those safeguards. However, the capability to detect and identify threats before they cause harm to the system remains a valuable advantage. Anticipating the effects of this specific feature in Microsoft Defender is something I am eager to experience, as it appears to be a fascinating addition to the security measures.

    What is most valuable?

    Another noteworthy feature that I find appealing in Microsoft Defender is the credit-backed simulation. This feature enables organizations to train their users on effectively responding to phishing emails through a simulated training environment. 

    Indeed, the credit-backed simulation feature in Microsoft Defender operates by sending simulated phishing emails to users within the organization based on the configured settings. When a user interacts with the email by clicking on a link or taking any action, they receive a notification informing them that it was a simulated phishing attempt. This simulation serves as a valuable training tool, helping users learn how to detect and respond to phishing emails effectively. By experiencing these simulations, users can enhance their awareness and develop the skills necessary to prevent falling victim to real phishing scenarios in the future. This feature is highly valuable in improving the overall security awareness and resilience of the organization's users.

    In terms of visibility, Microsoft 365 Defender offers a comprehensive and detailed overview of threats and potential traces identified within your organization. 

    Within Microsoft 365 Defender, you have the ability to configure specific criteria and assign high-risk values to certain indicators. This allows you to align with compliance regulations and establish your organization's threat determination framework. By leveraging Microsoft 365 Defender, you can implement and enforce these criteria to analyze and assess potential threats in your environment. 

    I believe that Microsoft has the potential to greatly enhance the efficiency of the application by incorporating advanced capabilities into this feature. By providing users with the ability to customize and tailor threat detection according to their specific needs, Microsoft could significantly improve the overall effectiveness of the application. The addition of advanced capabilities would be a valuable enhancement, complementing the existing features and further strengthening the overall functionality of Microsoft 365 Defender. This would undoubtedly be a welcome and highly beneficial addition to the platform.

    Microsoft 365 Defender demonstrates a commendable level of comprehensiveness in its threat protection capabilities. However, it is important to acknowledge that false positives and false negatives can be potential challenges in any security solution.

    I primarily focus on using two key features within Microsoft Defender: the attack training simulation and the threat policies integrated with Azure Guard Protection.

    The dashboard is one of the features of this application.

    Implementing this solution has proven to be time-saving as it enables us to effectively track down suspicious and malicious attachments that may accompany emails. Even if users tend to click on attachments without much thought, we have successfully prevented and significantly reduced security breaches that were prevalent in our past security architecture. The ability to identify and mitigate potential threats has greatly improved our overall security posture, providing us with enhanced protection against breaches and unauthorized access to our systems. By leveraging this solution, we have experienced tangible benefits in terms of minimizing security incidents and safeguarding our organization's sensitive data and resources.

    There was a specific incident where an email was received containing an executable file, and unfortunately, like many other users, this particular user was unaware of the potential risks and clicked on it without hesitation. Consequently, the consequences of this action became evident. 

    Microsoft 365 Defender has provided us with the capability to pinpoint the specific machine where the application is currently present, as well as track the actions and steps that the application has already taken on that machine. This is just one example of the numerous areas where Microsoft 365 Defender has proven invaluable in our security operations. 

    While providing an exact numerical comparison may be challenging, I can confidently say that the improvement in our response capabilities with Microsoft 365 Defender compared to our previous security architecture is indeed significant.

    What needs improvement?

    It is fair to acknowledge that Microsoft 365 Defender, like any software product, is not without its imperfections. There are instances where it may incorrectly flag legitimate emails from trusted senders as spam or exhibit inadequate performance in accurately classifying certain emails.

    Aside from that, it's a pretty good solution, and that is for the emails.

    However, the main point I want to convey is that for someone who is new to it, using Microsoft 365 Defender will demand a significant amount of effort and a willingness to learn about the product in order to maximize its benefits. It deals with technical aspects and encompasses a broad range of features beyond just the mentioned warranty, such as online exchanges. To effectively utilize Microsoft 365 Defender, it is important to have a thorough understanding of its functionalities.

    It may be too complex for beginners to grasp.

    In the future, it would be beneficial for Microsoft to consider making the product more user-friendly or simplified for those who are interested in using it. Currently, it requires a high level of technical expertise, making it challenging for beginners or less experienced individuals. 

    Breaking it down into smaller components or enhancing its comprehensibility for end users would serve as a valuable advantage. In fact, it would not only impress others but also motivate them to understand the significance of utilizing I Defender in their specific situations.

    At the moment, I have limited knowledge about TripAdvisor and its offerings, so I'm unable to provide comprehensive information. However, based on my current understanding, I believe it would greatly benefit from being more user-friendly and simplifying its features. This would enable users to easily navigate the platform and maximize their experience with it.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with Microsoft 365 Defender for a year.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    To the best of my knowledge, I have never encountered a situation where Microsoft 365 Defender experienced significant crashes or unresponsiveness, aside from occasional instances of false positives and false negatives. I have found the platform to be reliable and self-service oriented, with prompt responses from the provider whenever assistance was needed.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We currently have around a hundred users with Office 365 licenses; however, not everyone has the same plan that includes Microsoft 365 Defender. I was hoping to access the admin dashboard to have a closer look at the settings and configurations, but it seems that access is limited to approximately fifty users.

    This is managed by Microsoft you don't have to do anything.  All you have to do is understand how to use it to make it work for you.

    Similar to other cloud applications, I believe Microsoft 365 Defender demonstrates excellent scalability by seamlessly accommodating an increasing number of users. It effortlessly scales across these users, eliminating the need for extensive efforts to extend security measures to them. The scalability of Microsoft 365 Defender is highly commendable.

    How are customer service and support?

    In situations where an email that appears to have properties indicative of spam gets delivered instead of being flagged, it is advisable to contact the technical support team directly. 

    Engaging with customer support allows you to understand why such potentially harmful content was allowed into your organization. While Microsoft 365 Defender is an advanced solution, there is always room for improvement, and feedback can help drive future enhancements to make it more effective.

    By reaching out to customer support, you can address specific concerns and gain insights into how to optimize the system's performance for better security outcomes in the future.

    I would rate the technical support an eight out of ten.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I use Exchange Online Protection in conjunction with exchange mailboxes.

    They collaborate closely. Collaborating with one is nearly identical to collaborating with the other due to the overlapping features between Microsoft 365 Defender and Exchange Online. Essentially, I consider them to be synonymous since their primary objective is ensuring security.

    They lack native integration and instead exhibit interdependence. I believe their collaboration is essential in order to fully utilize their capabilities and optimize the user experience. It is crucial for them to function together in order to achieve maximum benefits and enhance overall performance.

    The main differentiating factor is the expanded scope of Microsoft 365 Defender, which is evident as the primary distinction. Our utilization includes Microsoft 365 for cloud applications and Microsoft 365 for Office Microsoft 365 applications. However, when it comes to Exchange Online Protection, its functionality is exclusively focused on email boxes.

    Microsoft 365 Defender provides a broader and more extensive coverage compared to Exchange Online Protection, offering a wider reach in terms of wireless accessibility.

    In the past, we used Mimecast for email filtering, and before that, we employed Trendmicro as our spam filtering and email filtering solutions.

    How was the initial setup?

    I was not involved in the deployment process.

    What was our ROI?

    Previously, organizations had to invest in separate third-party filtering solutions to effectively address potential threats and breaches. However, the situation has now improved significantly as Microsoft 365 Defender consolidates all these necessary security measures into the comprehensive Microsoft 365 license. This consolidation brings numerous benefits, making it a win-win scenario for organizations. They no longer need to make additional purchases or manage multiple security solutions, as everything is conveniently available with the Microsoft 365 license.

    With an eligible and dependable license like Microsoft 365, there is no need to concern yourself with the purchase of an additional third-party solution, which often comes at a higher cost. 

    All these functionalities have been consolidated into a single license, eliminating the need to incur additional costs for third-party solutions such as Google Security for email features and similar functionalities.

    The time it takes for us to respond has been significantly reduced. Additionally, the time it takes to detect potential threats has also seen significant improvements.

    In situations where Microsoft 365 Defender did not successfully mitigate a potential threat or error, it highlights the need to initiate a new process to address the specific scenario. However, with the current setup, we are now able to detect and prevent such incidents in a timely manner. This proactive approach has saved us from potential future issues and the associated costs that may have arisen. Without Microsoft 365 Defender, it would have been challenging to identify and contain these threats, which could have caused widespread problems throughout the environment. The implementation of Microsoft 365 has effectively stopped such incidents from occurring, mitigating the need for extensive investments to resolve the issues. This positive outcome demonstrates a favorable return on investment, provided we fully understand and leverage the capabilities of the product to its maximum potential.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I believe the pricing is fair and acceptable. I consider it to be reasonable and satisfactory.

    If you prioritize security, considering the cost should not be a determining factor. If you truly understand the level of protection offered, you wouldn't be concerned about the price. Instead, you would focus on the value provided. From our perspective, the pricing is reasonable considering the significant benefits and value we currently receive.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We recently transitioned away from those solutions and successfully migrated everyone to Microsoft 365 Defender. Since then, we have been exclusively using Microsoft 365 Defender without any changes up to the present time.

    We have no motivation or desire to switch to or explore other products, as we are already satisfied with the quality and value we receive from our current investment.

    What other advice do I have?

    Optimally managing a combination of various security solutions can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Instead, having a single dashboard where you can consolidate and run all your queries proves to be more efficient. While the intention might be to extract the maximum benefits from multiple solutions, dividing your attention among them hinders the ability to fully leverage each one. Therefore, it is advisable to identify a comprehensive solution that meets your requirements and focus on understanding how to maximize its potential and utilization.

    Furthermore, using multiple solutions in an environment can lead to compatibility issues and conflicts. When you have multiple applications performing similar functions, it can complicate matters and potentially cause problems in the future. To avoid such complications and maintain a streamlined setup, it is advisable to stick with a single solution and focus on understanding and optimizing its usage. By doing so, you can ensure better control and avoid potential disruptions that may arise from using multiple conflicting applications.

    To truly grasp the value of a service like Defender, it may be challenging for someone who hasn't experienced the need for its intervention firsthand. It is essential to engage individuals who have encountered scenarios where Defender played an important role in saving the day. When evaluating the effectiveness of the solution, it is important to involve those with hands-on experience, who have witnessed the capabilities of the product and understand how to maximize its utilization. The hands-on experience becomes paramount when screening and assessing the proficiency of individuals in dealing with this specific solution.

    I would give Microsoft 365 Defender a rating of nine out of ten. The only reason I'm not giving it a perfect score of ten is that it can be quite technical for someone who is just starting out. Additionally, there may be occasional false positives and negatives, which is not unique to Defender but is a common occurrence in various software and security applications. However, apart from these minor aspects, I consider Microsoft 365 Defender to be an excellent solution overall.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Defender XDR Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: June 2026
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Defender XDR Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.