Microsoft to add Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection support for Windows 7 this summer

Microsoft is adding Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 to the list of protected end-points covered by Windows Defender ATP, starting this summer.

Microsoft is adding support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) this summer.

To date, Windows Defender ATP -- Microsoft's post-breach security service -- has been available only for Windows 10 -- and via a few partners, in the preview as protected endpoints for other non-Windows operating systems.

Starting this summer, Windows 10 customers will be able to add Windows Defender ATP Detection & Response (EDR) functionality to Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8.1. Users will be able to see all detections and events across their Windows flavors in Windows Defender Security Center, the cloud-based console for Windows Defender ATP.

Microsoft officials, announcing the company's plans on February 12, said the move to include other older versions of Windows is to help "customers achieve the best security possible on their way to Windows 10."

A public preview of EDR support for Windows 7 and 8.1 will be available this Spring, officials said.

Microsoft also announced today that SentinelOne will be joining the handful of other partners with whom Microsoft has been working to bring end-point support for Windows Defender ATP to other non-Windows platforms, including macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Microsoft announced partnerships with Bitdefender, Lookout, and Ziften for Defender ATP cross-platform support last fall.

Windows Defender ATP is built into Windows 10 Enterprise. Defender ATP is different from Windows Defender, Microsoft's free antivirus service that's bundled into various Windows versions. Defender ATP (codenamed "Seville" is a post-breach service, meant to help detect threats that have made it past other defenses, give users means to investigate breaches and offer suggested responses.

Starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft officials began describing Windows Defender ATP as a suite of tools, which includes Defender Application Guard, Defender Device Guard, and Defender Antivirus.

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