Microsoft Defender, a years-old cybersecurity tool for businesses, is now available to the general public. It offers advanced phishing and malware protection on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. And more importantly, it lets an adult view their family members’ security status through a simple dashboard.

As explained by Microsoft, the new Defender tool isn’t a replacement for existing antivirus software (such as the Windows Security app). It’s a supplemental tool that lets you rein in security across several devices, allowing you to detect vulnerabilities or malicious activity through a simple interface.

The new Microsoft Defender app can also scan links for phishing, which may be useful if you have family members who aren’t so great at web security. The problem, of course, is that this app requires  a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Ah, there it is; you need a Microsoft 365 membership to use Microsoft Defender. But at $99 a year, Microsoft 365 is actually an incredible deal for families. It can support up to six users, providing access to Office apps, 1TB of cloud storage (per user), ad-free email and calendar in Outlook, and of course, the new Microsoft Defender app.

Source: Microsoft