Defender for Endpoint gets new Secure Score recommendations to boost security

Organizations running Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) on its devices will soon get new Microsoft Secure Score recommendations, once the Redmond giant finishes rolling them out around now. The Microsoft 365 Admin Center said that the recommendations were arriving in Public Preview in late February and will complete by mid-March.

With the new Microsoft Secure Score recommendations for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE). organizations can strengthen their endpoint security and proactively reduce exposure to common attack techniques. By taking advantage of these recommendations, businesses can establish more robust security baselines and improve protections across devices.

Customers in the Public Preview will see recommendations relating to SMB server security hardening against authentication relay attacks and blocking file transfers over Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Secure Score will update based on your organization’s implementation of the recommended actions, which will be turned off by default and require admins to take action. Microsoft also mentioned that existing configurations will not be altered unless you choose to enable the recommended settings.

Admins are advised to review any new recommendations in Microsoft Secure Score as they become available and complete any recommended actions to boost the organization’s endpoint security posture. If relevant, admins can also communicate the changes to security and endpoint management teams while also updating internal documentation if you track Secure Score.

The expansion of Secure Score is important for organizations that hold data on their customers in a world seeing more cybersecurity attacks from state-backed hacking groups. If you want to learn more about this feature, check out Message ID MC1251207 on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Microsoft has so far not shared any details on when these recommendations will graduate from Public Preview.