CrowdStrike launches Falcon for Defender to bolster Microsoft security

CrowdStrike has launched Falcon for Defender, a security solution designed to work alongside Microsoft Defender to detect and halt adversary activity. This product promises to provide additional protection to organisations deploying Microsoft Defender via the E3 and E5 licenses.

Michael Sentonas, the President of CrowdStrike, explained that Falcon for Defender was developed following requests from security professionals who experienced difficulties in managing the complex policies, signature updates, and multiple consoles associated with Microsoft Defender. These demands have, at times, created protection gaps that malicious actors take advantage of. Falcon for Defender, however, will empower these organisations by offering threat visibility over issues that evade Microsoft's solutions and the necessary threat-hunting mechanisms required to avoid breaches.

The Falcon for Defender solution benefits from CrowdStrike's AI-powered detection capabilities, which are supported by industry-leading threat intelligence and data from a vast array of events processed on the Falcon platform each day. These capabilities help to accurately uncover malicious activity that other solutions might miss. When these AI-powered detections work in conjunction with CrowdStrike's threat hunters, who utilise both technology and human expertise, the system can identify and respond to anomalous behaviour overlooked by Microsoft technology.

This new software expands the security toolkit available to organisations using Microsoft Defender. By working in tandem with Microsoft's product, it allows for a surgical response to breaches. Threats identified by either Defender or CrowdStrike can be eradicated directly from the Falcon platform. The aim of Falcon for Defender is not just to identify threats but also to offer a solution to eliminate them.

Falcon for Defender, Sentonas remarked, fills "critical security gaps at a disruptive price point." He added that by offering visibility into missed threats and delivering best-in-class threat hunting, Falcon for Defender will raise the cybersecurity bar.

The primary aim of Falcon for Defender is to ensure that cybersecurity professionals have access to the technology they require, thus effectively stopping breaches. The system deploys rapidly while working silently alongside Microsoft and reportedly requires no reboots during the installation process, thereby minimising disruptions to operations.