Microsoft Defender XDR overview (MDE, MDO, MDA, and MDI)

The Microsoft Defender XDR is the key component in the unified XDR solution. In the early stages of Microsoft's security solutions, every solution in Microsoft’s 365 side had its own dedicated admin portal. In the last few years, all Microsoft 365 security solutions have been integrated underneath one unified portal (defender.microsoft.com, formerly security.microsoft.com) called Microsoft Defender XDR. The portal combines the management of the security solutions (protection, detection, investigation, and response) into one single pane of glass in terms of endpoints, email and documents, apps, and identities (see Figure 3.2).

Figure 3.2 - Overview of Microsoft Defender XDR

Microsoft Defender XDR solutions

The Microsoft Defender XDR umbrella has multiple solutions covering different attack surface areas. In the following table (see Table 3.1), you can find short descriptions of security...