Threat Protection · 3-5 weeks
Microsoft Defender XDR buildout
Most organizations own Microsoft Defender through E3 or E5 but run it half-configured: endpoints not onboarded, alerts nobody triages, and each Defender product working in isolation. A Defender XDR buildout gets the full stack deployed and tuned: Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, Identity, and Cloud Apps, correlated into a single incident queue with automated investigation and response.
What's included
- Licensing and prerequisite review across Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, Identity, and Cloud Apps
- Defender for Endpoint onboarding for Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile; ASR rules, tamper protection, EDR in block mode
- Defender for Office 365: Safe Links, Safe Attachments, anti-phishing and impersonation protection, threat policies
- Defender for Identity sensors on domain controllers and Entra Connect / AD FS
- Defender for Cloud Apps: app discovery, OAuth app governance, session and access policies
- Automated investigation and response (AIR) levels set per device group
- Alert tuning, custom detections, and a MITRE ATT&CK coverage review
- Role-based access, notifications, and an operations runbook
How we work
Scope
A fixed statement of work: what we will do, what you receive, and the timeline. Agreed before any work starts.
Execute
We do the work in your tenant with least-privilege access, with updates at defined checkpoints, not radio silence.
Hand off
Documentation, runbooks, and a walkthrough so your team can operate what we built.
Microsoft Defender XDR Buildout: common questions
Is this the same as Microsoft Sentinel?
No, but they pair well. Defender XDR is the detection and response layer for endpoints, email, identity, and SaaS. Sentinel is the SIEM that ingests Defender plus everything else. Many clients do Defender first, then Sentinel.
Do we need E5?
The full XDR experience, including Defender for Identity and Cloud Apps, needs E5 or the equivalent add-ons. On E3 we deploy what you are licensed for and flag the gaps.
Can you migrate us off our current EDR?
Yes. We run Defender for Endpoint alongside the incumbent in passive mode, validate coverage, then cut over and decommission the old agent.
Related services
Talk to a senior architect about microsoft defender xdr buildout
A short call to understand your environment, then a fixed-scope proposal. Based in Denver, Colorado; we work with clients across the US remotely.