Microsoft Defender expands support to Linux desktops

Microsoft has launched a public preview of Defender for Linux desktops, extending its enterprise security tools to developer workstations. The service supports several Linux distributions and requires a qualifying Microsoft subscription.

Slashdot has reported:

Microsoft Defender is now available in public preview for Linux desktop computers, extending the company’s enterprise security platform from servers to developer workstations. Supported distributions include Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), with organizations able to use the same deployment methods as for servers.

The desktop offering includes antivirus protection, endpoint detection and response, vulnerability management, threat hunting and device isolation. Microsoft is also streamlining desktop onboarding to provide a unified security operations experience, stronger security and faster response times, according to the report.

“Starting today, Linux desktops are now officially supported by Microsoft Defender,” Neowin reported. The report said organizations already using Defender to secure Linux servers should find the desktop experience familiar. Defender can identify whether a device is in a data centre, in the cloud or owned by a developer, and reflect that information in inventory and security workflows.

The supported Linux server distributions also work with Defender on desktops: RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), Fedora and Oracle Linux. Desktop environments include GNOME and KDE, among others.

Use of the service requires Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, or a Microsoft 365 E5 or E7 subscription. Organizations can enrol workstations through the deployment methods they use for servers, subject to Microsoft’s prerequisites.