Microsoft is releasing its popular anti-virus software, Windows Defender for Mac users. Windows Defender is the company’s proprietary anti-virus tool built into Windows 10. Microsoft plans to bring the tool to more platforms in the future.
At present, Windows Defender offers a default virus protection for Windows users. In the process of creating a dedicated advanced threat protection (ATP) for Mac, Microsoft renamed Windows Defender. Since Windows Defender is no longer dedicated to Windows alone, it is now renamed as Microsoft Defender ATP.
In the official blog post, Eric Avena, senior content developer at Microsoft said, “We’ve been working closely with industry partners to enable Windows Defender ATP customers to protect their non-Windows devices while keeping a centralised experience. Now we are going a step further by adding our own solution to the options, starting with a limited preview today.”
Microsoft Defender ATP is designed to protect computers from malware. The software not only offers a default full threat protection but also an option to manually run scans when needed. Microsoft has included the tool as part of Microsoft 365. Microsoft Defender for Mac is almost identical to the Windows version.
Malwares are rare on macOS but it’s not completely malware proof. A major ransomware was found on Mac in 2016. Some or the other malware continue to get detected on macOS. Apple has an integrated malware protection into the OS but hackers come up with smarter way to bypass Apple’s default system.
The initial preview of Defender on Mac focuses on signature-based malware detection. The Mac client will enhance over time and get automatic reporting features, Microsoft is integrating it into other cloud services as well.
The good part is that Microsoft is looking beyond Windows and expanding its apps and services to other platforms. Bringing Defender to Mac will ensure greater security in today’s ever-connected digital world
