Microsoft Releases Antivirus For Android: Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection)

Microsoft has released its antivirus software for Android. Microsoft’s Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection) is now available for download as a beta version. However, users need a paid Defender ATP license.

Phishing and malware protection on the smartphone

According to official information, the first version of the new Defender ATP for Android offers both protection against phishing attacks and defense mechanisms against malware. The latter goes a step further than what Google integrates into Android. Microsoft’s solution, for example, can scan all downloaded content immediately and thus detect potential malware. If no threat has been detected, the user is informed of this with a subtle hint.

While surfing, the Defender ATP for Android protects, among other things, with the SmartScreen technology. This automatically blocks insecure network connections, which could be established by malware in the background and without the user’s knowledge. Web protection also includes an anti-phishing tool. This sometimes detects and blocks unsafe websites that are sent via email, SMS, WhatsApp, or other apps.

System integration and upcoming updates

Microsoft offers the integration option of Defender ATP for Android in Endpoint Manager, especially for system administrators. This makes it possible, for example, to automatically prevent malware-infected smartphones from establishing a specific connection. In addition, experts can track all security-related activities and potential threats that the antivirus software recognizes on Android devices in the Microsoft Defender Security Center.

Read More: Microsoft Shuts Its Game Streaming Platform Mixer

Microsoft plans to add new features to its new antivirus software for Android in the coming months. The company will also release Defender ATP for iOS later this year, although this version is likely to be significantly more restricted than its Android counterpart due to Apple’s extensive restrictions.

Defender ATP for Linux

Microsoft rounds off the multi-platform expansion of the security solution today with the release of the Defender ATP for Linux. This version is available for the following six Linux server distributions:

• RHEL 7.2+
• CentOS Linux 7.2+
• Ubuntu 16 LTS, or higher LTS
• SLES 12+
• Debian 9+
• Oracle Linux 7.2

Microsoft’s antivirus software is now available for all business-relevant desktop operating systems (Windows, Windows Server, macOS and Linux).