📢 Microsoft Defender ATP for Android now available in Public Preview

Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for Android now available in Public Preview. It will offer protection against phishing and unsafe network connections from apps, websites, and malicious apps.

If you have Android devices running Android 6+ and the Intune Company Portal app downloaded from Google Play, you can now sign up for a free trial of Microsoft Defender ATP.

The Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for Android offers protection against phishing and unsafe network connections from apps, websites, and malicious apps. In addition, it also adds the ability to restrict access to corporate data from devices that are deemed "risky". Further, it will enable enterprises to secure users and data on their Android devices.

All events and alerts will be available through a single pane of glass in the Microsoft Defender Security Center, giving security teams a centralized view of threats on Android devices along with other platforms. These capabilities empower enterprises to enable strong security while ensuring their employees remain productive working on their Android devices. Let’s dive into each of these capabilities in more detail.

In order to start using the "Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection" app on Android, customers will need to turn on preview features in Microsoft Defender Security Center and download the Intune Company Portal app from the Google Play store.

The key features of Microsoft Defender ATP are listed as below:

• Access to unsafe websites from SMS/text, WhatsApp, email, browsers, and other apps will be blocked instantly.
• The Microsoft Defender SmartScreen technology is used to block unsafe network connections that apps automatically might make on behalf of the users without letting them know about it. The user will be immediately informed that this activity has been blocked.
• Security teams can create custom indicators, giving them more fine-grained control over allowing and blocking URLs and domains the users connect from their Android devices.
• Enterprises deploying Android can leverage built-in protections in the Android platform to limit the installation of apps to trusted sources.
• Microsoft Defender ATP for Android uses cloud protection powered by deep learning and heuristics.
• Scans are instantly performed to detect malware and potentially unwanted applications. If a safe app is downloaded, the end-user will see a lightweight notification letting them know the app is clean.
• Additional layers of protection against malicious access to sensitive corporate information are offered by integrating with Microsoft Endpoint Manager. When a malicious app is installed, the compromised device will be blocked accessing the corporate network. Once the malicious app is uninstalled, access to corporate assets will be restored automatically for that mobile device.