M365 Changelog: New Microsoft Defender for Endpoint recommendations in Microsoft Secure Score

MC267954 – Microsoft is adding twenty four recommendations for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is an enterprise endpoint security platform designed to help enterprise networks prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats.

When this will happen

Microsoft will begin rolling this out in mid-July; the rollout will be complete by late July.

How this affects your organization

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint customers will see 24 new improvement actions in Secure Score.

• Fix Microsoft Defender for Endpoint sensor data collection for macOS
• Fix Microsoft Defender for Endpoint impaired communications for macOS
• Set minimum password length to 15 or more characters in macOS
• Set ‘Enforce password history’ to ’24 or more password(s)’ in macOS
• Set ‘Maximum password age’ to ’90 or fewer days, but not 0′ in macOS
• Set account lockout threshold to 5 or lower in macOS
• Turn on Firewall on macOs
• Enable Gatekeeper
• Enable System Integrity Protection (SIP)
• Enable FileVault Disk Encryption
• Set screen to lock when screensaver starts in macOS
• Ensure screensaver is set to start in 20 minutes or less in macOS
• Secure Home Folders
• Turn on Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time protection for macOS
• Turn on Microsoft Defender Antivirus PUA protection in block mode for macOS
• Enable Microsoft Defender Antivirus cloud-delivered protection for macOS
• Update Microsoft Defender Antivirus definitions for macOS
• Fix Microsoft Defender for Endpoint sensor data collection for Linux
• Fix Microsoft Defender for Endpoint impaired communications for Linux
• Unrestricted Access Accounts
• Turn on Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time protection for Linux
• Turn on Microsoft Defender Antivirus PUA protection in block mode for Linux
• Enable Microsoft Defender Antivirus cloud-delivered protection for Linux
• Update Microsoft Defender Antivirus definitions for Linux

What you need to do to prepare

Microsoft Secure Score is a measurement of an organization’s security posture. Access Microsoft Secure Score at https://security.microsoft.com/securescore. 

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is one of the products that has improvement actions in Secure Score. Microsoft will continue to add suggested security actions on an ongoing basis.