Microsoft seems to think less of Macs’ built-in security than Apple does, because it’s porting Windows Defender ATP to macOS
Many people think Macs are completely secure and don’t need security software. The jury is out on that one but it looks like Microsoft can be counted among the the cynics.
Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP), Microsoft’s anti-malware suite for businesses, is coming to macOS. It’s also getting a name change – to Microsoft Defender ATP – to herald its newly platform-agnostic strategy.
“We’ve been working closely with industry partners to enable Windows Defender ATP customers to protect their non-Windows devices while keeping a centralised ‘single pane of glass’ experience,” said the company. “Now we are going a step further by adding our own solution to the options.”
(Mysteriously, Microsoft’s blogpost on the subject refers to “other platforms”, plural, but we don’t know if this means a Linux edition is on the cards, or if Redmond has mobile platforms in mind.)
At this point Defender for Mac is only available as a limited preview for those who are already signed up with the service – in other words, businesses using Windows 10 Enterprise on their PCs but who also have some Macs (which must be running macOS Sierra or later).
It’s unclear if Microsoft plans to bring ATP to consumer as well as enterprise Mac owners.
Microsoft ‘Announcing Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac‘ YouTube video.
Source: Macworld