Hi everyone,
In January, we sent out a message to all tenants with Defender for Identity enabled with an update on our support status for Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controllers and AD FS servers. I thought that it would be worth providing the information here too. I'll pin this message for a period of time for maximum visibility. Please let us know if you have any questions.
The message that was sent out was:
Message Summary
We are making changes to the minimum operating system requirements for the Defender for Identity sensor and announcing end of support for Microsoft Defender for Identity sensor on Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controllers and Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) servers.
Note: Defender for Identity functions as a result of installing a sensor package on domain controllers (DCs) and Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) servers. This sensor captures the appropriate information that's required to detect identity-based threats and transfers this data to the cloud service for processing and analysis.
If your organization doesn't use Microsoft Defender for Identity, you may disregard the below message.
Key points
Timing: Starting June 15th 2022, Microsoft will no longer support the Defender for Identity sensor on devices running Windows Server 2008 R2.
Action: Microsoft recommends that you identify any remaining Domain Controllers (DCs) or (AD FS) servers that are still running Windows Server 2008 R2 as an operating system and make plans to update them to a supported operating system.
How will this affect your organization:
For two months, the sensor will continue to function with all the functionality available up to June 15th, 2022. After this two-month period, starting August 15th, 2022, the sensor will no longer function on Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms. There will be no Defender for Identity support available for any sensors running on a Windows server 2008 R2 operating system.
What do you need to do to prepare:
Identify servers that are still running Windows Server 2008 R2, and update them to a supported operating system.
