Microsoft is bringing its Windows Defender anti-malware application to macOS—and more platforms in the future—as it expands the reach of its Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) platform. To reflect the new cross-platform nature, the suite is also being renamed to Microsoft Defender ATP, with the individual clients being labelled 'for Mac' or 'for Windows.'
macOS malware is still something of a rarity, but it's not completely unheard of. Ransomware for the platform was found in 2016, and in-the-wild outbreaks of other malicious software continue to be found. Apple has integrated some malware protection into macOS, but we've heard from developers on the platform that Mac users aren't always very good at keeping their systems on the latest point release. This situation is particularly acute in corporate environments; while Windows has a range of tools to ensure that systems are kept up-to-date and alert administrators if they fall behind, a similar ecosystem hasn't been developed for macOS.One would hope that Defender for Mac will also trap Windows malware to prevent Mac users from spreading malware to their Windows colleagues.
- The infamously legendary Mac Defender is one of the programs which proved that Mac OS isn't invulnerable to virus attacks at all. The very first contamination instances were noticed in 2011 and, interestingly enough, this malware is still around.
- PC or Mac, Windows 7 SP1+ or newer, Mac OS X 10.11 or newer Headphones and a microphone Power card plugged in for extended use MAC Installation Instructions Double click on the downloaded file, Virbela.dmg.
The initial preview of Defender for Mac will focus on signature-based malware detection. This is just the start, however. Defender ATP for Windows tracks various system behaviors and reports them to the ATP cloud service, which can be used to detect threats even without identifying any specific piece of malware. For example, if a system is iteratively opening and overwriting all its documents, there's a good chance that it's running some kind of ransomware process that's systematically encrypting the user's files. ATP can alert administrators that this is happening. The Mac client should over time grow to include similar reporting capabilities. Microsoft is also integrating it into other cloud services, such as Intune device management.
The user is then offered Mac Defender 'anti-virus' software to solve the issue. This 'anti-virus' software is malware (i.e. Malicious software). Its ultimate goal is to get the user's credit card information which may be used for fraudulent purposes. The most common names for this malware are MacDefender, MacProtector and MacSecurity.
AdvertisementThose cloud services are growing ever more capable, too. Microsoft's system-management software can already report on systems that are using insecure configurations or running out-of-date software, but Defender ATP's new Threat & Vulnerability Management will expand this. The various risk factors will be prioritized according to the current threat landscape—for example, updating systems running insecure software versions becomes more pressing if there's active exploitation in the wild—so that administrators can focus on the software updates and configuration changes that offer the most bang for their buck in terms of improving their exposure to risks.
Further, TVM will integrate with Intune and System Center Configuration Manager to push the recommended fixes to machines that need them. TVM can then track the progress of these remediation activities as they're rolled out.
Microsoft hasn't said explicitly which other platforms will be Defender's next targets. However, its video promotion for Defender for Mac sports a surprising number of penguins, making Linux a likely candidate.
-->Applies to:
Want to experience Microsoft Defender for Endpoint? Sign up for a free trial.
This topic describes how to install, configure, update, and use Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
Caution
Running other third-party endpoint protection products alongside Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac is likely to lead to performance problems and unpredictable side effects. If non-Microsoft endpoint protection is an absolute requirement in your environment, you can still safely take advantage of Defender for Endpoint on Mac EDR functionality after configuring the antivirus functionality to run in Passive mode.
What's new in the latest release
Tip
If you have any feedback that you would like to share, submit it by opening Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac on your device and navigating to Help > Send feedback. Loud or quiet mac os.
To get the latest features, including preview capabilities (such as endpoint detection and response for your Mac devices), configure your macOS device running Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to be an 'Insider' device.
How to install Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac
Prerequisites
- A Defender for Endpoint subscription and access to the Microsoft Defender Security Center portal
- Beginner-level experience in macOS and BASH scripting
- Administrative privileges on the device (in case of manual deployment)
Installation instructions
There are several methods and deployment tools that you can use to install and configure Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
Third-party management tools:
Command-line tool:
System requirements
The three most recent major releases of macOS are supported.
Important
On macOS 11 (Big Sur), Microsoft Defender for Endpoint requires additional configuration profiles. If you are an existing customer upgrading from earlier versions of macOS, make sure to deploy the additional configuration profiles listed on New configuration profiles for macOS Catalina and newer versions of macOS.
Important
Support for macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) has been discontinued as of February 15th, 2021.
Further, TVM will integrate with Intune and System Center Configuration Manager to push the recommended fixes to machines that need them. TVM can then track the progress of these remediation activities as they're rolled out.
Microsoft hasn't said explicitly which other platforms will be Defender's next targets. However, its video promotion for Defender for Mac sports a surprising number of penguins, making Linux a likely candidate.
-->Applies to:
Want to experience Microsoft Defender for Endpoint? Sign up for a free trial.
This topic describes how to install, configure, update, and use Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
Caution
Running other third-party endpoint protection products alongside Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac is likely to lead to performance problems and unpredictable side effects. If non-Microsoft endpoint protection is an absolute requirement in your environment, you can still safely take advantage of Defender for Endpoint on Mac EDR functionality after configuring the antivirus functionality to run in Passive mode.
What's new in the latest release
Tip
If you have any feedback that you would like to share, submit it by opening Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac on your device and navigating to Help > Send feedback. Loud or quiet mac os.
To get the latest features, including preview capabilities (such as endpoint detection and response for your Mac devices), configure your macOS device running Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to be an 'Insider' device.
How to install Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac
Prerequisites
- A Defender for Endpoint subscription and access to the Microsoft Defender Security Center portal
- Beginner-level experience in macOS and BASH scripting
- Administrative privileges on the device (in case of manual deployment)
Installation instructions
There are several methods and deployment tools that you can use to install and configure Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
Third-party management tools:
Command-line tool:
System requirements
The three most recent major releases of macOS are supported.
Important
On macOS 11 (Big Sur), Microsoft Defender for Endpoint requires additional configuration profiles. If you are an existing customer upgrading from earlier versions of macOS, make sure to deploy the additional configuration profiles listed on New configuration profiles for macOS Catalina and newer versions of macOS.
Important
Support for macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) has been discontinued as of February 15th, 2021.
- 11 (Big Sur), 10.15 (Catalina), 10.14 (Mojave)
- Disk space: 1GB
Beta versions of macOS are not supported.
macOS devices with M1 processors are not supported.
After you've enabled the service, you may need to configure your network or firewall to allow outbound connections between it and your endpoints.
Licensing requirements
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac requires one of the following Microsoft Volume Licensing offers:
- Microsoft 365 E5 (M365 E5)
- Microsoft 365 E5 Security
- Microsoft 365 A5 (M365 A5)
Note
Eligible licensed users may use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on up to five concurrent devices.Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is also available for purchase from a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP). When purchased via a CSP, it does not require Microsoft Volume Licensing offers listed.
Network connections
The following downloadable spreadsheet lists the services and their associated URLs that your network must be able to connect to. You should ensure that there are no firewall or network filtering rules that would deny access to these URLs, or you may need to create an allow rule specifically for them.
| Spreadsheet of domains list | Description |
|---|---|
| Spreadsheet of specific DNS records for service locations, geographic locations, and OS. Download the spreadsheet here: mdatp-urls.xlsx. |
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can discover a proxy server by using the following discovery methods:
- Proxy autoconfig (PAC)
- Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol (WPAD)
- Manual static proxy configuration
If a proxy or firewall is blocking anonymous traffic, make sure that anonymous traffic is permitted in the previously listed URLs.
Warning
Authenticated proxies are not supported. Ensure that only PAC, WPAD, or a static proxy is being used.
SSL inspection and intercepting proxies are also not supported for security reasons. Configure an exception for SSL inspection and your proxy server to directly pass through data from Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on macOS to the relevant URLs without interception. Adding your interception certificate to the global store will not allow for interception.
To test that a connection is not blocked, open https://x.cp.wd.microsoft.com/api/report and https://cdn.x.cp.wd.microsoft.com/ping in a browser.
If you prefer the command line, you can also check the connection by running the following command in Terminal:
Mac Os Download
The output from this command should be similar to the following:
OK https://x.cp.wd.microsoft.com/api/report
OK https://cdn.x.cp.wd.microsoft.com/ping
Caution
We recommend that you keep System Integrity Protection (SIP) enabled on client devices. SIP is a built-in macOS security feature that prevents low-level tampering with the OS, and is enabled by default.
Once Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is installed, connectivity can be validated by running the following command in Terminal:
How to update Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac
Microsoft regularly publishes software updates to improve performance, security, and to deliver new features. To update Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac, a program named Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) is used. To learn more, see Deploy updates for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
How to configure Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac
Guidance for how to configure the product in enterprise environments is available in Set preferences for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
Mac Os Catalina
macOS kernel and system extensions
In alignment with macOS evolution, we are preparing a Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac update that leverages system extensions instead of kernel extensions. For relevant details, see What's new in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
Resources
Anime heroes mac os. For more information about logging, uninstalling, or other topics, see Resources for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
Privacy for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Mac.
