Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) is getting a handy new feature for enterprise customers on iOS and Android. Known as “Mobile Network Protection,” the new tool will provide active threat detection for Wi-Fi connections on mobile platforms.
Mobile is an increasingly important part of enterprise, but as users connect to wireless connections, there are obvious risks. Certainly, a breach of a smartphone or tablet via an unsecured Wi-Fi connection could compromise a whole organization.
Wi-Fi networks are often a target for threat actors because they are often left unprotected. With Microsoft Defender Mobile Network Protection, customers will get that layer of security. Microsoft says the tool will help to shield corporate networks from attacks that originate from devices.
“To combat this, Microsoft offers a mobile network protection feature in Defender for Endpoint that helps organizations identify, assess, and remediate endpoint weaknesses with the help of robust threat intelligence,” writes the company.
“We are delighted to announce that users can now benefit from this new feature on both Android and iOS platforms with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.”
Features
Users can follow instructions for setting network protection through the Microsoft Endpoint Manager Admin center. It is worth noting most Android smartphones and iPhones already provide many of the safeguards Microsoft's tool offers. In many cases, the safeguards are also on by default on those devices.
Microsoft is aware of this but still sees Mobile Network Protection as a handy tool. The company says the features it provides include:
This Mobile Network Protection feature will provide:
- “Protection against rogue Wi-Fi-related threats and rogue hardware like pineapple devices
- Notifications when a Wi-Fi-related threat is detected
- An in-app guided experience to connect to secure networks
- Remediation options to change networks when a network is determined as “unsecure” or suspicious
- A medium priority alert when a suspicious network is detected, and an informational alert when an open network is detected.”
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