Configuring Windows Defender Advanced Settings

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Configuring Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) beyond default settings for enhanced protection
• Implementing Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules to block common attack techniques
• Enabling controlled folder access for ransomware protection
• Configuring network protection and exploit protection features
• Deploying Defender settings via Intune, SCCM, or Group Policy at enterprise scale

Do not use this skill for third-party EDR deployment (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne) or for Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Azure workload protection).

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11 Enterprise with Microsoft Defender Antivirus enabled
• Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 license (for full MDE features)
• Microsoft Intune or SCCM for enterprise policy deployment
• Microsoft 365 Defender portal access (security.microsoft.com)
• Endpoints not running third-party AV in active mode (Defender enters passive mode)