Enhanced Protection with Microsoft Defender and Purview Suites for Business Plans

Modern businesses face a dual challenge: protecting their digital environment while governing the vast amount of data flowing through it.

Microsoft Defender and Purview Suites together provide a comprehensive solution, layering security and compliance in a way that scales for SMBs, specifically for M365 Business Premium customers. The add-ons bring advanced security and compliance capabilities that were once reserved for the E5 enterprise tier, making them accessible and scalable for smaller organisations.

Why Start with Business Premium?

For most SMBs, Microsoft 365 Business Premium remains the ideal foundation. It includes essential productivity and security tools such as Teams, SharePoint, and Exchange, as well as built-in protections such as Defender for Business, Conditional Access, and Entra ID P1 (formerly Azure AD P1).

This base tier already provides strong protection across devices running Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux, but as organisations handle more sensitive data, work with external partners, or adopt AI tools, exposure risks increase, requiring more advanced security capabilities to safeguard their environment effectively.

The Microsoft Defender Suite Add-On

The Defender Suite extends to Business Premium with advanced, integrated security layers, providing E5-level capabilities without the full E5 price tag.

Here’s what it adds and why it matters:

1. Advanced Identity Protection

With Entra ID P2, administrators can now implement risk-based sign-in policies to detect suspicious activity such as impossible travel or logins from anonymous networks. These signals can trigger automatic responses, like blocking access, requiring MFA, or forcing a password reset.

This goes a long way toward protecting one of the most common weak points in SMB environments: user identity.

2. Defender for Endpoint Plan 2

The full enterprise-grade EDR and XDR capabilities are included, offering advanced threat hunting, automated remediation, and attack surface reduction. This integration ensures that endpoints communicate seamlessly with Defender in the cloud, allowing Microsoft’s AI-driven systems to detect and respond to threats almost instantly.

3. Defender for Office 365 Plan 2

Email remains the top attack vector for SMBs, and this upgrade introduces Safe Links, Safe Attachments, and Attack Simulation Training. IT teams can now run phishing simulations natively in Microsoft 365, track results, and train users, all without third-party tools.

4. Defender for Cloud Apps (Full Version)

This is one of the most powerful additions. The full version moves beyond app discovery to real-time visibility and control over SaaS usage.

Administrators can gain a unified view of how AI tools are being used across the organisation:

• Identify shadow IT or unauthorised apps (like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, or other AI tools)
• Review compliance ratings for each app
• Analyse risk scores
• “Sanction” or “unsanctioned” apps to control access
• Generate reports showing how data moves across cloud services

This level of insight is invaluable as AI tools proliferate across workplaces giving businesses control over how employees use generative AI platforms and to ensure sensitive data isn’t being shared unintentionally.

Real-World Value

For many SMBs, these capabilities deliver enterprise-level protection for a fraction of the cost. By bundling Defender Suite with Business Premium, partners can:

• Strengthen customer security posture
• Offer managed security services and policy configuration
• Add measurable value through proactive protection and compliance insights

The Takeaway

Microsoft’s Defender Suite add-on extends Business Premium to offer intelligent, automated, and highly integrated protection. It’s designed for SMBs who want enterprise-grade tools without the complexity or cost of E5, and for partners, it opens new avenues for configuration, management, and ongoing service revenue.

Microsoft Purview: Compliance at the Data Level

While Defender secures the environment, the “container” where your data lives, Microsoft Purview governs what’s inside it. Every email, document, chat message, and AI interaction can be monitored, classified, and controlled to protect sensitive information.

Compliance isn’t just about meeting regulations; it’s about building a trusted, well-governed data environment that protects your business and your customers.

Here’s a closer look at Microsoft Purview:

Compliance = Data Governance

When you hear “Purview,” think compliance and control at the data level. Security protects your systems; Purview protects your information.

Policy-Driven Automation

With features like auto-labelling, Purview can automatically classify and protect files based on content, marking documents as “confidential” or “restricted” without user intervention. It also enables Data Loss Prevention (DLP) across SharePoint, Exchange, Teams, and more, ensuring sensitive data doesn’t leave the organisation unchecked.

Insider Risk Management

For SMBs, insider risk is real. Purview helps detect unusual activity, such as large data downloads or mass email deletions, and assigns risk scores before information leaves the business. Thresholds for alerts, reviews, or automatic blocking can all be set through policy.

Data Lifecycle Management

Purview helps businesses align with regulatory and industry requirements by defining how long data should be retained and when it should be securely deleted. This not only supports compliance but also reduces risk exposure in the event of a breach.

Communications Compliance

In an increasingly digital workplace, Purview enables organisations to monitor and enforce communication standards across Teams and email, supporting OH&S and HR obligations while maintaining a safe, respectful workplace.

Data Security Posture Management for AI (DSPM)

Purview provides visibility into how data interacts with AI tools, enabling organisations to manage and secure responsible AI use across daily workflows.

Visibility and Reporting

From Compliance Score and eDiscovery to advanced auditing, Purview gives SMBs a clear view of their data governance posture and the actions needed to improve. Its compliance has been made measurable.

The Takeaway

Compliance is rapidly becoming a core pillar of every SMB’s security posture, driven by regulation, insurance requirements, and customer expectations. Microsoft Purview offers a scalable, policy-based approach that helps partners deliver lasting value while building consultative relationships with their customers.

Final Note

Modern SMBs cannot rely solely on perimeter security. Microsoft Defender and Purview provide a layered approach that protects the environment, governs data, mitigates insider risk, and enables responsible AI usage. By implementing these tools in tandem, businesses gain a scalable, policy-driven framework for security and compliance, reducing risk, safeguarding information, and building trust with customers and partners.

Microsoft has bundled the Defender Suite and Purview Suite together at a significant discount, roughly AUD$23 RRP in additional cost per user, compared to over triple that when buying individual components or upgrading to full E5.

This combination provides a powerful middle ground: E5-level security and compliance without the E5 price.

🔗 For Defender and Purview in Action, watch the full webinar on demand