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Cyber Security Specialist at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
May 3, 2021
Automated Investigation and Response reduces workload of our SOC analysts, but lacks integration customization
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the features which differentiates it from other EDR providers is the Automated Investigation and Response, which reduces the workload of SOC analysts or engineers. They don't have to manually investigate each and every alert on the endpoint, since it does so automatically. And you can automate the investigation part."
  • "There are several features that have helped to improve our security posture at the prevention level, such as the attack surface reduction controls and the exploit prevention control."
  • "Other vendors provide a lot of customization when it comes to integration, which every big organization requires. No big organization depends on one particular tool. Defender lacks that at this point."
  • "One of the differences between other solutions I have used and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is that the latter is not yet enterprise-ready to the same extent that the other vendors are."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for endpoint detection and response.

The agent is installed on the endpoint, on the laptop or desktop, but it's a SaaS solution.

How has it helped my organization?

One feature that has proven beneficial is the Threat and Vulnerability Management module of Defender for Endpoint, which provides information on the vulnerability of all the endpoints. We don't have to run active scans via network scanners. It is built-in. That has proven to be helpful, although we're still in the early phases. We have identified vulnerabilities that were in our organization for too long and nobody knew about those machines and the vulnerabilities on them. From a vulnerability remediation point of view, it has been quite helpful to us.

What is most valuable?

One of the features which differentiates it from other EDR providers is the Automated Investigation and Response, which reduces the workload of SOC analysts or engineers. They don't have to manually investigate each and every alert on the endpoint, since it does so automatically. And you can automate the investigation part.

In addition, there are several features that have helped to improve our security posture at the prevention level, such as the attack surface reduction controls and the exploit prevention control. The attack surface reduction comes with the solution, out-of-the-box. There is Application Control as well, which is kind of difficult to implement, but once you are through the pain of designing and implementing it, it is one of the very good features to have. These tools are some of the things that are missing from other vendors' products, as I have worked with McAfee, Symantec and Carbon Black.

What needs improvement?

One area for improvement is that, because it comes out-of-the-box, it does not interact well with many applications we have developed in-house. There is no way to exclude them because it interacts with everything on the endpoint. One of the issues is lagging: the in-house-developed applications suffer from this and they become slow. For a big enterprise, it is important that they include a feature so that we can exclude these applications.

Another area where it could be improved is that, while it collects a lot of data, it misses some data, which is important, such as the hardware version of the endpoint and the AV signature version. I think this improvement is in the Microsoft pipeline already but it is not in the solution yet.

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Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for around one and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It has been quite stable up until now. It does not break. Microsoft is developing on it quite frequently and more and more features are coming in, but overall it is quite stable. It does not break that often.

As we have moved away from Microsoft Defender Antivirus and to the EDR solution, we have seen very few issues so far that users have faced with this. There have been very occasional performance issues for some users, but they have been very rare.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is one thing which, I think, Microsoft is working on, because it is not yet very scalable. What it provides out-of-the-box is all it has. Any big organization needs customization, but the customization of it and running customized things on top of it are areas where it is lagging. That something Microsoft needs to work on. Examples include running custom playbooks or customizing the events which it is collecting.

We are protecting 100,000 endpoints with this solution. We may increase usage, but there is no plan for that as of yet.

How are customer service and support?

Microsoft technical support is good.

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

Before Microsoft Defender for Endpoint we had Carbon Black. But when I came onboard, Defender for Endpoint had already been chosen.

How was the initial setup?

The setup process is not very complex, but it is also not very straightforward. It depends what solutions you have. If you have everything set up, which is usually the case for big organizations, then it is pretty smooth. But if there are some things that are not set up properly in the organization, like certain parts of the infra or the cloud onboarding, then it becomes cumbersome, not the installation part, but in setting up the backend which it needs.

Our implementation strategy was that we started with a few pilot machines, to onboard Defender for Endpoint. We noticed that we had around 70 to 80 percent failures. It was a learning phase and we identified the root cause of those failures. There are some settings in Defender AV that need tweaking when you want to onboard Defender for Endpoint. We struggled to tweak those settings, but once that was done, it went pretty smoothly for the next couple of pilots. Then we encountered another roadblock which was related to an OS version dependency.

Overall, it took us about one month to onboard the solution, but we are weak in infra.

What about the implementation team?

We had our consultant from Microsoft for the implementation. The engagement went on for three to four months. But one thing we noticed from this project was that it did not need a consultant. It was not that difficult to do. Maybe we did not get an expert consultant because, for solving issues, he also took time.

In addition to doing onboarding, we wanted our third-party integrations, but that was something they could not do because they were Microsoft. We had to do that ourselves. Over that three or four months, we realized that we didn't need them.

Microsoft consultancy is good and bad. If you get good consultants, they are really good. But sometimes you get consultants who are not expert enough in their domains and you don't get enough from them.

What was our ROI?

We have not seen ROI yet, but we are hopeful that in the future it will provide that.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

One of the differences between other solutions I have used and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is that the latter is not yet enterprise-ready to the same extent that the other vendors are. Other vendors provide a lot of customization when it comes to integration, which every big organization requires. No big organization depends on one particular tool. Defender lacks that at this point.

What other advice do I have?

Defender for Endpoint is marketed as an endpoint detection and response tool, but for others who are looking at onboarding it, they should take it as a holistic tool that provides AV, EDR, and vulnerability management all in one. However, it does not provide very good integration with third parties.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1846029 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Dec 31, 2023
Analyzes behaviors and provides great visibility
Pros and Cons
  • "It has Kusto Query Language (KQL), so we can use our own queries to find anything."
  • "We need better support to learn about the product. Documentation is available, but we need some kind of training program so that we can get a better understanding of the product."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it only for EDR, but we have a plan to extend it to Microsoft email as well as to the cloud.

How has it helped my organization?

Within one month of using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, we could achieve great insights.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a perfect solution. We have used several EDR products, and Microsoft Defender is the best one that I have worked with. It provides great visibility. It is very transparent. We can get so many details about a particular endpoint. It is a great product. I would rate it a five out of five in terms of visibility.

It helps us to identify process-based threats in our environment, not only the signature-based ones. We are able to identify some of the threats that were not detected previously.

We get severity levels from the solution itself. Based on them, we have developed our action plan to act upon any category of incident. It helps to achieve a better SLA to attend to incidents.

I am quite interested in the vulnerability dashboard. It provides vulnerability data according to the CVE database, which helps us to prioritize vulnerabilities in our environment and address them.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint works with Windows and Linux, so we could cover them all. It is suitable for servers as well, not only for endpoints, so we could implement it on most devices in the organization. It has probably saved us 20% of the time. 

What is most valuable?

It has Kusto Query Language (KQL), so we can use our own queries to find anything.

We can get real-time updates. It is not just signature-based. It provides results based on behavior and successors. It analyzes the behavior and the process. With that, we can achieve greater results that other products do not offer.

What needs improvement?

We need better support to learn about the product. Documentation is available, but we need some kind of training program so that we can get a better understanding of the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

We switched to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint about one month ago.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate it an eight out of ten in terms of stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is highly scalable. We have around 5,000 users. I would rate it a ten out of ten in terms of scalability.

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

Previously, we were using a separate EDR product in our environment. We were using Sophos. Our organization moved into Microsoft 365, so we switched to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. 

We heard that it is one of the best products in the industry. We thought that we would get better results with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. That is why we moved to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and we were able to achieve better results with it.

How was the initial setup?

It is a cloud deployment. It took us a few months to make the switch.

It does not require any maintenance from our end.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,264 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Carlo Du Plessis - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Specialist at Engen
Real User
May 10, 2022
Provides good security features and can be viewed in the central console
Pros and Cons
  • "Provides good security features and you can view it in the central console."
  • "The solution provides good security features, and the key valuable feature for me is that you can view it in the central console."
  • "Lacks some additional integration."
  • "I'd like to see a quicker response time from the company's technical support."

What is our primary use case?

We use this product for our endpoint detection and all the remediation.

What is most valuable?

The solution provides good security features. The key valuable feature for me is that you can view it in the central console.

What needs improvement?

I'd like to see more integration in the next release and the solution should be file protected.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for five years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

I'd like to see a quicker response time from the company's technical support. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. It didn't take long and was part of the deployment of our endpoints, and part of the integration. We currently have around 3,000 users and no plans to expand. We have four people involved with maintenance. 

What other advice do I have?

I recommend this solution and rate it eight out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1600098 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technology Officer at a financial services firm with 1-10 employees
Real User
May 9, 2022
Easy to use, good support, but more visibility is needed
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint are the ease of use and it was available within the operating system."
  • "The most valuable features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint are the ease of use and it was available within the operating system."
  • "The biggest issue I had with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint was the antivirus and ransomware. I wanted central visibility over all the machines that we operate."
  • "The biggest issue I had with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint was the antivirus and ransomware."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for threat protection.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint are the ease of use and it was available within the operating system.

What needs improvement?

The biggest issue I had with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint was the antivirus and ransomware. I wanted central visibility over all the machines that we operate.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Microsoft Defender for Endpoint within the past 12 months.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 10 to 15 people using the solution in my organization.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support from Microsoft is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial installation could have been easier.

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

There is an annual license required.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Systems Administrator at The Port Authority of Jamaica
Real User
May 6, 2022
It's a cost-effective solution for Microsoft shops
Pros and Cons
  • "We are a Microsoft shop, and Defender is a Microsoft solution that provides some security at a reasonable cost."
  • "We are a Microsoft shop, and Defender is a Microsoft solution that provides some security at a reasonable cost."
  • "I want Microsoft Defender to have the ability to deal with some issues automatically, so I don't need to address that issue manually."
  • "I want Microsoft Defender to have the ability to deal with some issues automatically, so I don't need to address that issue manually."

What is our primary use case?

We use Defendor for endpoint monitoring. It alerts us when a machine has issues, and we take the necessary steps to resolve them.

What is most valuable?

We are a Microsoft shop, and Defender is a Microsoft solution that provides some security at a reasonable cost.

What needs improvement?

I want Microsoft Defender to have the ability to deal with some issues automatically, so I don't need to address that issue manually.

For how long have I used the solution?

We started testing our endpoints and preparing to deploy Microsoft Defender about two months ago. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would say yes, it is.

How are customer service and support?

Microsoft support is excellent.

How was the initial setup?

Deploying Microsoft Defender took some time because we had to push it through. You can install Symantec using the GUI, but we have to use the GPO to push the agent. It would be nice if Defender streamlined that.

Defender isn't 100 percent deployed yet, but it's working for some employees. When a machine comes on board, Defender will deploy an agent on that device when the script runs. A person logs on, the agent installs, and the device is onboarded.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft Defender for Endpoint eight out of 10. It's a cost-effective solution for Microsoft shops.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Hoong Jon Lee - PeerSpot reviewer
Group IT Security Program Manager at Jotun
Real User
May 2, 2022
Native integration with OS gives it more granular capabilities, but management console needs work
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is its ability to effectively detect threats. It has the EDR feature, endpoint detection and response, and that is very good."
  • "The most valuable feature is its ability to effectively detect threats."
  • "The management console is something that can be improved."
  • "The management console is something that can be improved."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is its ability to effectively detect threats. It has the EDR feature, endpoint detection and response, and that is very good.

What needs improvement?

The management console is something that can be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for about two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite simple because it is built into the operating system.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Microsoft Defender has more granular capabilities because of the native operating system that it is built into. It is better integrated into the operating system because both the product and the OS are from Microsoft. That is an advantage.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Supriya Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Manager at Ernst & Young
Real User
Apr 26, 2022
Reliable with good features but needs improvements on some of the technical aspects
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution can scale as needed."
  • "For companies that are Microsoft shops, I would recommend the product."
  • "In India at least, it seems to be a bit more expensive than other options."
  • "In India at least, it seems to be a bit more expensive than other options."

What is most valuable?

The stability has been good so far. 

If I compare its features to the other solutions in the market, it has some good features. It's comparable to others.

The solution can scale as needed. 

What needs improvement?

In India at least, it seems to be a bit more expensive than other options. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've just recently been introduced to the product. I haven't used it for very long. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been fine. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability has been great. If you need to expand, you can.

How are customer service and support?

I have never needed to contact technical support. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they are. 

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

The pricing is a bit high for the Indian market.

What other advice do I have?

We are a partner and we consult clients on security solutions. It's one of the solutions we take to our clients.

For companies that are Microsoft shops, I would recommend the product. It saves a lot of integration requirements as compared to other solutions. It's a good product that does what it says it will do. 

I would rate the product a seven out of ten. There are improvement opportunities in terms of the overall tech and commercial aspects of the product. It needs to be more competitive and technical. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Rajko Terzić - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Architect at Instirute of public health
Real User
Apr 26, 2022
Provides good, user-friendly protection
Pros and Cons
  • "Defender is stable, I haven't had any problems with viruses when using it, and it's easy to update."
  • "Defender is stable, I haven't had any problems with viruses when using it, and it's easy to update."
  • "Defender's cloud integration could be improved."
  • "Defender's cloud integration could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use Defender for protection.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are that Defender is user-friendly and part of Microsoft Windows.

What needs improvement?

Defender's cloud integration could be improved.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Defender is stable, I haven't had any problems with viruses when using it, and it's easy to update.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Defender to anyone thinking of using it, and I rate it as eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.