Endpoint security

Why it matters

Endpoints are your organisation’s primary exposure point to malware, ransomware and active threat actors. Traditional antivirus tools scan files and rely on signature databases – an approach that fails against novel threats, zero day exploits and fileless attacks. By the time signatures exist, attacks have already compromised systems. Your security team must manually investigate suspicious activity, correlate alerts across multiple tools, and respond to incidents without complete visibility into what happened. Meanwhile, ransomware spreads through your network whilst you’re still investigating the first compromised machine.

Endpoint security has fundamentally changed. Modern threat detection uses behaviour analysis, machine learning and threat intelligence to surface suspicious activity in real time – before malware executes. When threats are detected, automated response can isolate machines from the network, block malicious processes and collect forensic data automatically. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides exactly this capability: continuous monitoring across your endpoint fleet, behavioural threat detection that surfaces suspicious activity within minutes of occurrence, automated response that limits blast radius, and forensic investigation tools that provide complete visibility into what an attacker did and where they went. We operate Defender for Endpoint as a managed service – monitoring your fleet, investigating alerts, responding to threats and keeping you informed of security posture. You get enterprise grade threat detection without needing a dedicated SOC team.

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of malware detected by Defender for Endpoint is resolved on the initial detection attempt, within minutes of discovery, before attack payloads execute.

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Defender for Endpoint can automatically isolate infected machines, block malicious processes and collect forensic data without manual intervention, containing threats faster than human response alone can achieve.

Key features

Real time behavioural threat detection across your fleet

Defender for Endpoint monitors endpoint behaviour continuously, looking for suspicious activity patterns that indicate compromise, unusual process execution, credential misuse, command line manipulation, lateral movement attempts. Detection happens in real time, surfacing threats within minutes of malicious activity rather than waiting for signature updates. Machine learning algorithms adapt to your environment, reducing false alerts and surfacing genuine threats.

Automated threat containment and response

When threats are detected, Defender can automatically respond without waiting for human investigation. Automated actions can include isolating infected machines from the network, terminating malicious processes, blocking file execution and collecting forensic evidence. This containment happens instantly, limiting blast radius and preventing lateral movement. Human investigators then examine the isolated machine with complete forensic data.

Complete attack chain visibility and forensics

Defender for Endpoint provides forensic investigation tools that show exactly what an attacker did, which files they accessed, what applications they ran, where they moved within your network, what data they exfiltrated. Timeline views show the sequence of attack steps. This visibility enables you to answer critical incident response questions: how did the attack start, what damage was done, and what other systems might be compromised.

Managed service operation and threat intelligence

We operate Defender for Endpoint on your behalf – monitoring alerts, investigating suspicious activity, responding to threats and keeping you informed of security events. We integrate threat intelligence feeds that provide context for detected threats – attack campaigns, malware families, actor tactics. Your security team gets high signal alerts rather than overwhelming noise, and our team provides incident response support when investigation escalates.

How it works

Step 1

Onboard endpoints to Defender for Endpoint

We work with your teams to enrol endpoints into Defender for Endpoint, either through Intune if your endpoints are already managed, or through direct onboarding if they’re not. Onboarding installs Defender sensor software on endpoints and initialises communication with Defender infrastructure in the cloud. This typically happens across a few days to a week depending on your endpoint count and network topology.

Step 2

Establish baselines and tune detection rules

Once endpoints are onboarded and reporting to Defender, we configure detection policies aligned to your threat environment and risk tolerance. We review baseline activity in your environment, normal processes, network connections, file operations, to tune detection rules and reduce false alerts. We configure automated response policies specifying which actions Defender should take automatically (isolation, process termination) versus which require human approval.

Step 3

Monitor threats and investigate alerts continuously

Our managed service team monitors Defender for Endpoint alerts 24/7, investigating suspicious activity and determining whether alerts represent genuine threats or false positives. When genuine threats are detected, we escalate investigation, collect forensic data and provide you with detailed alert information. We prioritise alerts based on threat severity and business context.

Step 4

Respond to detected threats and contain impact

When confirmed threats are detected, we execute response according to your policies. For automated threats, Defender isolates machines and terminates malicious processes automatically. For threats requiring human judgement, we respond directly or recommend actions for your approval. Response aims to contain threats rapidly, prevent lateral movement and preserve forensic evidence for investigation.

Step 5

Report and continuously improve detections

We provide regular threat reports showing detected threats, attacker tactics and security patterns in your environment. We review detection performance and adjust rules and policies based on lessons learned. We incorporate emerging threat intelligence and ensure your detection posture adapts to evolving threats. Security posture improves continuously through managed operation.

Partners

Endpoint Security is delivered using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (part of Microsoft Security stack), combined with Microsoft Intune for policy deployment and Entra ID for identity-based security. We integrate Defender with your existing SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems and incident response workflows.

Cisco is a global leader in networking, cybersecurity, enterprise AI platforms and collaboration technologies that securely connect organisations worldwide. SCC holds the highest Cisco accreditations available, including UK Preferred Partner status across Cloud AI, Collaboration, Networking,…

Amazon Web Services provides cloud infrastructure at global scale across compute, storage, databases and specialised services. SCC is an AWS Advanced Partner delivering migrations from on-premises to AWS, managed cloud operations and infrastructure optimisation. We’ve completed 400+ AWS migrations…

Hewlett Packard Enterprise delivers edge-to-cloud solutions spanning enterprise-grade compute, hybrid cloud through GreenLake, AI-ready infrastructure with NVIDIA integration and intelligent networking combining Aruba and Juniper. HPE’s architecture enables organisations to modernise IT…

Ready to transform endpoint threat detection?

Modern threat detection is too fast for manual investigation, it requires automated detection and response at machine speed. Let’s assess your current endpoint security posture and design a Defender for Endpoint deployment.

Speak to a specialist

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FAQs

If Defender for Endpoint automatically isolates machines, won’t users lose access to their devices?

Isolation is a controlled state, not a hard shutdown. Infected machines are disconnected from your network but users retain local access to applications and data. This prevents lateral movement and malware spreading whilst investigation happens. Once investigation confirms the threat is contained or remediated, machines rejoin the network. For critical machines, isolation decisions can require human approval before happening automatically.

How is Defender different from traditional antivirus – why is it better?

Traditional antivirus relies on file signatures and pattern matching, approaches that fail against novel threats and zero day exploits. Defender uses behavioural analysis and machine learning to detect suspicious activity patterns rather than waiting for signatures. Detection happens in minutes, not after signature updates. Automated response contains threats instantly without waiting for human investigation. This approach is fundamentally faster and more effective at stopping modern threats.

What if we’re running non-Microsoft endpoints, macOS, Linux, can we still use Defender?

Defender for Endpoint works primarily on Windows endpoints, though Microsoft is expanding support to macOS and Linux. We can integrate non-Microsoft endpoints into your security operations using third-party EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) tools that work alongside Defender, providing consistent threat detection across heterogeneous environments. Your security team gets consolidated alerting and investigation tools across all endpoint types.

Does Defender for Endpoint integration require we adopt Intune. can we use it with other management tools?

Defender for Endpoint works standalone and can integrate with other endpoint management platforms. However, integration with Intune provides tighter policy deployment (security policies push automatically to Defender-monitored endpoints) and better overall security automation. We recommend Intune integration where possible, but can operate Defender without it if your organisation has chosen other management tools.