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Big protection for small businesses — the latest in Microsoft security innovation
By
Jon Maunder
Published Mar 23 2023 08:45 AM 2,745 Views
Jon Maunder
Microsoft
‎Mar 23 2023 08:45 AM

Big protection for small businesses — the latest in Microsoft security innovation

‎Mar 23 2023 08:45 AM

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and prevalent. Small and medium-sized businesses are particularly vulnerable due to budget constraints and limited specialized security skills. In fact, 43% of all cyberattacks target small businesses, and the consequences can be dire: 60% of businesses close permanently within six months of an attack.1

 

That's why it's more important than ever for small businesses to modernize their security solutions and move away from traditional antivirus software. Microsoft continues to develop a comprehensive set of security solutions that are easy to use, cost-effective, and specifically designed for small businesses including Microsoft 365 Business Premium, and Microsoft Defender for Business. In this blog post, we'll explore the latest updates to these solutions that will provide big protection to small businesses.

 

  • Preview simplified security for iOS and Android devices with Defender for Business standalone.
  • Preview monthly security summary reports.
  • Device exposure score in Microsoft 365 Lighthouse.

Our continued goal is to help keep your devices and servers secure so you can focus on what matters most - running your company.

 

Simplified security for iOS and Android without device management or add-ons – in preview.

 

We made it easier for you to protect their mobile devices from cyber threats such as malware and ransomware on both iOS and Android, without the need for device management or costly add-ons, with mobile threat defense in Defender for Business standalone.

 

Mobile threat defense offers three capabilities:

  1. Stay up-to-date and help prevent threats with operating system-level threat and vulnerability management.
  2. Block and help protect against phishing and unsafe website links that may come via email, text message, or apps with Web Protection.
  3. Detect malicious Android apps that could disrupt the device or steal data with App Security.

Protecting mobile devices is important as businesses increasingly rely on them for their operations. Now with Microsoft Defender for Business, data can be kept secure on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, no matter where employees are. For more information, see: Mobile threat defense capabilities in Microsoft Defender for Business.

 

Onboard mobile devices and quickly identify and fix vulnerabilities.Onboard mobile devices and quickly identify and fix vulnerabilities.

How to onboard mobile devices to Defender for Business standalone.

For Android:

  1. On the device, go to the Google Play store.
  2. Search for the Microsoft Defender app.
  3. On the app page, scroll down and select Join the beta > Join.
  4. Wait for the process to complete. It might take a few hours for the process of joining the beta program to complete. You'll see text that says, “Joining the beta…”
  5. After you've enrolled into the beta, verify that the beta version of the app looks like 1.0.xxxx.0201, and then install the app.
  6. Open the app, sign in, and complete the onboarding process.

For iOS:

  1. On the device, go to the Apple App Store.
  2. Download and install Microsoft Authenticator app.
  3. Sign in and register your device in Authenticator.
  4. Search for the Microsoft Defender app.
  5. Install and sign into the app.
  6. Agree to the terms of use to continue.
  7. Allow the Microsoft Defender app to set up a VPN connection and add VPN configurations.
  8. Choose whether to allow notifications (such as alerts).

When the apps have been installed and you’ve signed in using your Defender for Business, or Microsoft 365 credentials, you can check your devices have onboarded successfully to Defender for Business. Visit the Microsoft 365 Defender portal (https://security.microsoft.com). In the navigation pane, go to Assets > Devices. Check for your mobile devices. For detailed steps review onboarding documentation. 

 

Next up, test devices by running a phishing test on a device.

After you've onboarded a device, you can run a quick phishing test to make sure the device is connected and that alerts are generated as expected.

  1. On a device, go to https://smartscreentestratings2.net. Defender for Business should block that URL on the user's device.
  2. As a member of your organization's security team, go to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal (https://security.microsoft.com) and sign in.
  3. In the navigation pane, go to Incidents. You should see an informational alert that indicates a device tried to access a phishing site.

Adding Mobile security without device management in Defender for Business standalone gives you comprehensive device security for Windows, MacOS, and now iOS and Android devices which goes far beyond the capabilities of traditional antivirus solutions that typically only protect a fraction of your business needs.

 

Monthly security summary - in preview

 

With the increase in volume and sophistication of cyberattacks on small businesses, investing in cybersecurity is now more critical than ever. By doing so, you can safeguard your business against the impact of attacks on your services. However, it can be difficult to communicate the value of these tools to business stakeholders.

 

We’re excited to bring a new monthly security summary report to Microsoft Defender for Business. This report helps partners and customers understand and communicate security status and improvement recommendations across identities, devices, information, and apps. The new report shows threats prevented by Defender for Business, current status from Microsoft Secure Score, and recommendations, all designed to help increase security in key areas. 

Better understand status of security and identify areas for improvement across devices.Better understand status of security and identify areas for improvement across devices.

To view this report, you’ll need to turn on the preview experience setting by signing into your Defender for Business or Microsoft 365 Business Premium tenant. Then select Settings in the navigation pane, followed by Endpoints, Advanced features, and Preview features. Then, set the toggle to On and save your preferences. To access this report, in the navigation pane, choose Reports > Endpoints > Monthly security summary.

 

These reports enable you to make informed decisions and continuously improve security status. By leveraging these reports, you can showcase the benefits of security and instill confidence in your stakeholders. See Reports in Microsoft Defender for Business for more detail.

 

Device exposure score is available in Microsoft 365 Lighthouse

 

We understand the importance of equipping our partners with the right tools to efficiently protect their customers. That's why we're thrilled to announce new improvements to Microsoft 365 Lighthouse, our unified portal that makes it easy for Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners to view security incidents across multiple tenants.

 

By integrating with threat and vulnerability management in Defender for Business and Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft 365 Lighthouse offers a multi-customer view of exposure score and recommendations. This means security admins can proactively identify and build a secure foundation for devices by remedying software vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that may be actively exploited in customer environments.

 

More effectively manage device exposure across multiple customers with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse.More effectively manage device exposure across multiple customers with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse.

These new capabilities allow you to monitor and manage your customers' security with ease, ensuring that their systems are always up-to-date and protected against the latest threats. With Microsoft 365 Lighthouse, you can provide top-notch security solutions and stay ahead of potential risks. See Microsoft 365 Lighthouse and Microsoft Defender for Business for more information.

 

Threat and vulnerability management device exposure score is now rolling out globally. If you are a Microsoft CSP enrolled IT managed service provider, you can get started by signing up to Microsoft 365 Lighthouse today.

 

Feedback and community engagement

 

We want you to use Defender for Business and tell us about your experience. Your input is important to us, we’re listening, and we want your feedback. Here are some ways you can engage with us:

  1. In-product help and support
  2. SMB Tech Community – engage the product team for questions and feedback.
  3. Yammer for Microsoft 365 Partners

Learn more

 

We are committed to making security more accessible to small and medium-sized businesses, and the managed service providers that support you. The continued innovation in cybersecurity is designed with you in mind. These updates will help you to protect mobile devices from cyber-attacks, gain insights into your investments, and enable IT partners to manage security for customers more efficiently.

 

We welcome IT Partners to join our upcoming training webinars: https://aka.ms/smbm365masters-saleswebinars. 

 

Learn more using these other resources:

 

For customers

For IT partners

FAQ

References

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‎Mar 23 2023 08:58 AM
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