Windows Defender is Microsoft’s own antivirus solution, and it comes bundled with Windows, so it’s confusing to think that a business would need to pay for it, right? Well, there are actually two separate products called Defender, with a big difference between them.

Sometimes, the most challenging part of picking solutions for your business is deciphering their often-obscure naming conventions. We’ll admit, Microsoft’s naming conventions for some of their products are a little confusing, so let’s try to make sense of one of their products, Microsoft Defender.

Of course, confusion is the last thing you want for your network security, which is what we’re getting into with today’s article. Consider the difference between Windows Defender and Microsoft Defender for Business as a perfect representation of this.

Explaining Windows Defender

Windows Defender is an antivirus software that comes with your Windows 11 operating system. It’s also preinstalled on Windows 10 PCs. It’s so under the radar that most users likely don’t even know it’s there. Microsoft has started to refer to this tool as Microsoft Defender, just so you are aware.

Of course, you get what you pay for with network security tools, but even the quality of free cybersecurity software has varying levels of “bad” to consider. We’re happy to report that Windows/Microsoft Defender is at least usable from the average user’s perspective. It’s better than not having any protection at all and definitely better than some other free tools that bombard you with advertisements and subscriptions.

Windows Defender is perfectly good enough for the average user who doesn’t use their computer for business purposes. It’s fine for a college student’s laptop to do their homework on, and it’s fine for most people who use their computer for simple tasks like watching videos and sending emails. 

But it’s not ideal otherwise. Windows Defender doesn’t do much to stop phishing attacks or ransomware; it also doesn’t cover other web browsers, like Firefox or Chrome, sticking you with Edge if you want to take advantage of the most protection possible. That said, Windows Defender has a firewall that can block malicious URLs and run malware scans. It’s a fine solution for free but not the best you can do. Why not?

The reason is simple: it’s not designed for businesses.

Microsoft Defender for Business

Microsoft Defender is meant for use by consumers, whereas Microsoft Defender for Business is designed for businesses. It can support organizations of up to 300 users, after which Microsoft has higher-end enterprise solutions like Defender for Endpoint, Defender XDR, and Microsoft 365 for Enterprise.

As you might expect, Defender for Business has more power to it than your average consumer version. It works on various platforms, including Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS/iPadOS. You can also protect Windows or Linux servers.

Microsoft Defender for Business has central controls for admins to adjust security as needed. With these controls, an admin can ensure that all systems are properly protected, run scans, or change settings for the entire network.

Unsurprisingly, this solution is more all-encompassing than the consumer version, so if you’re dead-set on Defender, we recommend going for the business-grade version. It works to protect your organization from cybersecurity attacks, including malware and viruses that home users need to worry about, while also covering the more advanced threats that target businesses. It also covers remote employees, which is a huge benefit in today’s ever-flexible work environment.

Microsoft Defender for Business offers the comprehensive protection you expect from a business-grade solution, whereas the consumer-grade product does not.

Don’t Use Consumer-Grade Products for Your Business

The big takeaway we have for you here is that businesses should not use consumer-grade products. They do not offer the same level of service, scope, and security necessary for business-level operations. This statement applies to all business-grade products, whether you’re looking at a security solution or a productivity suite.

415 IT can help you make the right decisions regarding the security of your network. Learn more by calling us today at (415) 295-4898.