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Microsoft Security

Microsoft Defender for Business

Help keep your devices and servers secure from online threats such as ransomware and malware. Defender for Business is an easy-to-use cybersecurity solution to help protect against, detect, and respond to cyberattacks.

A coffee shop employee.

Traditional antivirus solutions aren’t enough

Modern threats require modern protection, and traditional antivirus solutions can’t keep up. Defender for Business helps you to identify, protect against, detect, and respond to sophisticated cyberattacks, helping you to stay secure.

Cost-effective protection

Get comprehensive cybersecurity value at a price that works for your business.

Easy to use

Activate security policies out of the box with simple set-up wizards.

Enterprise-grade device security

Get a complete set of prevention, protection, and response capabilities to thwart sophisticated cyberattacks.

Traditional antivirus solutions vs. Microsoft Defender for Business

Infographic image comparing Microsoft Defender for Business versus other vendors.

Defender for Business capabilities

Defender for Business is optimized to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses of up to 300 users.
Image of dashboard configuration for Microsoft Defender for Business on a laptop screen

Identify

Discover weaknesses that pose the most urgent and highest risk to your business with threat and vulnerability management. Prioritize and remediate software vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, then proactively build a secure foundation for your environment.

Image of dashboard of threads and Vulnerabilities for Microsoft Defender for Business on a laptop screen

Protect

Minimize the places you’re vulnerable across devices and applications with attack surface reduction leaving bad actors fewer ways to perform attacks. Help prevent and protect against threats at your front door with antimalware and antivirus protection on your devices and in the cloud.

Image of dashboard device configuration for Microsoft Defender for Business on a laptop screen

Detect and respond

Detect and respond to incidents with endpoint detection and response to identify sophisticated threats and remove them from your environment.

Image of dashboard for suspicious terminal commands for Microsoft Defender for Business on a laptop screen

Recover

Scale your security operations and recover from cyberattacks with automated investigation and remediation, which examines alerts and resolves attacks.

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Microsoft Defender for Business plans and pricing

Standalone – available for all customers

Microsoft Defender for Business

Originally starting from $3.00 now starting from $3.00

$3.00 $3.00

user/month

(Includes up to five devices per user; annual subscription—auto renews6)

An easy-to-use standalone product that includes:
  • Up to 300 users

  • Up to five devices per user

  • Enterprise-grade protection across your laptops, desktops, and mobile devices

  • Threat and vulnerability management

  • Next-generation antivirus protection

  • Endpoint detection and response

  • Automated investigation and response

Add-on

Microsoft Defender for Business servers

Originally starting from $3.00 now starting from $3.00

$3.00 $3.00

license/month

(Annual subscription—auto renews6)

Add endpoint protection for your Windows and Linux servers with the Defender for Business servers add-on:

  • Single admin experience for clients and servers

  • Server security applied out of the box

  • Detect and patch server vulnerabilities quickly

  •  

    Requires Defender for Business or Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

Another way to buy

Defender for Business is also available as part of Microsoft 365 Business Premium, a unified solution that helps protect your business by bringing together best-in-class productivity apps, powerful cloud services, and comprehensive security.

Microsoft Defender for Business

What is Microsoft Defender for Business?

Defender for Business is a device security solution designed especially for the small- and medium-sized businesses (up to 300 employees). Your company's devices are better protected from ransomware, malware, phishing, and other threats.

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Industry Recognition

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is the foundation of Defender for Business, which features many of the same capabilities.

Industry antivirus tests

Our antimalware capabilities consistently achieve high scores in independent tests.

Gartner logo

Gartner

Microsoft was named a Leader in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Endpoint Protection Platforms.1

MITRE ATT&CK

MITRE

Microsoft leads in real-world detection in the MITRE® Engenuity ATT&CK® Evaluation.

IDC

IDC

Microsoft named a Leader in IDC MarketScape for Modern Endpoint Security for Enterprise and Small and Midsize Businesses.2

Forrester

Forrester

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Endpoint Detection And Response Providers, Q2 2022.34

Customer success stories

Martin & Zerfoss

Martin & Zerfoss and Kite Technology share the small-business advantages of Microsoft Defender for Business

Related Microsoft Defender products

Defend against cyberthreats with best-in-class security from Microsoft.

A person using a mobile phone.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Explore endpoint security for businesses with more than 300 users.

Desktop and mobile displays of the homepage in Microsoft Defender showing that each device is protected.

Microsoft Defender for individuals

Get online security protection for individuals and families with one easy-to-use app.5

Resources

Blog

Defender for Business blog

Catch up on all the news and details about the product.

Documentation

Technical documentation

Find everything you need to implement and run Defender for Business.

Blog

Stay up to date

Get the latest news on solutions for small and medium businesses at Microsoft.

Frequently asked questions

  • Try Defender for Business free for 30 days and use the Defender for Business trial playbook, a step-by-step guide to help you make the most of your trial.

  • Defender for Business is a device security solution that helps businesses with up to 300 employees protect against cybersecurity threats including malware and ransomware in an easy-to-use, cost-effective package.

  • IT service providers can use Microsoft 365 Lighthouse to view security incidents and alerts from Defender for Business across multiple customers in a single location. Management of Defender for Business via Microsoft 365 Lighthouse will come at a later date.

  • Securing devices is critical to safeguarding your organization from malicious actors attempting to attack or disrupt your business. Device security helps you protect, detect, and respond to these threats for desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.

  • Microsoft Defender Antivirus provides next-generation protection built into Windows devices and helps protect you from viruses, malware, and potentially unwanted applications. Defender for Business includes Defender Antivirus, and extends these capabilities with threat and vulnerability management, attack surface reduction, endpoint detection and response, and automated investigation and response.

Defender for Business

Make your future more secure. Explore your security options today. 

  • [1] Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms, Peter Firstbrook, Chris Silva, 31 December 2022.
  • [2] IDC, The IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Modern Endpoint Security for Small and Midsize Businesses 2021 Vendor Assessment, Doc #48304721. November 2021.
  • [3] Forrester and Forrester Wave are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc.
  • [4] The Forrester Wave™: Endpoint Detection and Response Providers, Q2 2022, Allie Mellen, April 2022.
  • [5] App is available on Windows, macOS, Android™, and iOS in select Microsoft 365 Family or Personal billing regions.
  • [6] Cancellation policies for paid subscriptions may vary based on factors such as your customer status, your product, and your domain selections on Microsoft. You may cancel your subscription at any time in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Certain subscriptions may incur a cancellation fee. Learn how to cancel your Microsoft 365 subscirption or Microsoft Defender for Business subscription. When a subscription is canceled, all associated data will be deleted. Learn more about data retention, deletion, and destruction in Microsoft 365.

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