Microsoft thinks it has a great new way to keep your start-up protected

Representational image depecting cybersecurity protection

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Small businesses looking to boost their security tools can now sign up for the new Microsoft Defender for Business platform.

The company says that its new endpoint protection offering is specially built for businesses with up to 300 employees, providing enterprise-grade protection.

Now officially in preview, interested businesses can sign up now to be one of the first to get Microsoft Defender for Business, ensuring they stay protected from all the latest threats.

Microsoft Defender for Business

First announced at Microsoft Ignite 2021 back in November 2021, Defender for Business will launch with an initial set of scenarios, Microsoft's Jon Maunder announced in a blog post announcing the news.

"As an endpoint security solution, Defender for Business is more than just traditional anti-virus," he noted. "It delivers next-generation protection, endpoint detection and response, threat and vulnerability management, and more. It offers simplified configuration and management with intelligent, automated investigation and remediation. Defender for Business helps you to protect against cybersecurity threats including malware and ransomware across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices."

Successful preview applicants will get 90 days to try out Microsoft Defender for Business, which is available if you are a direct customer of Microsoft, or an IT partner acting on behalf of customers and you want to deploy to your customers and test in your own environment.

Businesses will need to be activated within an existing Microsoft 365 Business Premium tenant, or as standalone with the appropriate testing prerequisites in place for mobile scenarios. After the trial is over, you will need to purchase a license at time of general availability and beyond, either through standalone license or included within Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

Once the tool is available, customers will be able to buy it as a standalone offering costing $3 per user per month. It will also be included as part of Microsoft 365 Business Premium accounts and can be integrated with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse.

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Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.