Introduction & Licenses
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Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is an enterprise security platform designed to help organizations prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats across various devices, including laptops, desktops, mobile devices, and network equipment.
As of January 14, 2022, Defender for Endpoint P1 is automatically included in Microsoft 365 E3 and A3 licenses.
Defender for Endpoint P2 is included with Microsoft 365 E5 licenses.
There are two primary licensing plans available:
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 (P1): This plan focuses on prevention and includes features such as:
Next-generation antimalware
Attack surface reduction capabilities
Device-based conditional access
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 (P2): This comprehensive plan offers all P1 capabilities plus:
Endpoint detection and response
Automated investigation and remediation
Threat and vulnerability management
Licenses for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint are assigned per user, not per device or tenant. Each user requires a separate license to access the features of Defender for Endpoint P1 or P2.
For organizations with mixed-license environments, it's possible to manage subscription settings to specify which plan's features are applied to devices. This configuration is done through the Microsoft Defender portal by navigating to Settings > Endpoints > Licenses and selecting Manage subscription settings.
To monitor license usage, administrators can sign in to the Microsoft Defender portal and review the number of licenses utilized within their organization.
For detailed information on features, system requirements, and deployment guidance, refer to Microsoft's official documentation.
