Whats New In Microsoft Defender Endpoint
In brief
The documentation now lists support for WSL containers (WSLc), extending Defender for Endpoint protection to WSLc workloads and providing visibility into their activity.
What Defender admins need to know
Administrators can include WSLc workloads in Defender for Endpoint protection and monitoring.
Summaries are generated from the documentation change itself.
Documentation change
The comparison below shows only the changed extract. Use the full-page view for complete context.
| Type | Feature | Preview/GA | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint plug-in support for WSL containers (WSLc) | GA | Extend Microsoft Defender for Endpoint protection to workloads running in WSL containers (WSLc). Gain visibility into WSL container activity through device inventory, alerts, incidents, device timeline, and Advanced Hunting, helping security teams investigate and respond to threats across both Windows and Linux workloads. MDE plugin version 2.26.921.1. |
| Feature | Microsoft Defender support for Linux Desktops | Preview | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint now extends support to Linux desktops (Public Preview). All Linux distributions currently supported on servers are also supported on Linux desktops. Deployment methods and security capabilities remain consistent across both Linux servers and desktops. For details on licensing and supported distributions, see prerequisites for Microsoft Defender on Linux |
| Release - macOS | Build 101.26072.0017 | GA | Release version 20.126072.17.0 released: See enhancements and features for this release. |
| Feature | New Microsoft Secure Score recommendations for AI-Readiness | GA | Microsoft Defender now brings together six security recommendations for AI-Readiness to help organizations strengthen endpoint trust against AI-accelerated cyberattacks. Together, these recommendations provide a layered security baseline that helps reduce externally visible entry points, establish hardware-backed trust in device startup, isolate critical Windows security functions, protect kernel code integrity, and limit the reuse of local administrator credentials for lateral movement.In the Microsoft Defender portal, go to Exposure Management > Recommendations > Devices > Misconfigurations, and filter by the AI-Readiness tag to view the complete recommendation set, affected devices, exposed critical devices, points achieved, and potential impact on the Devices Secure Score. Use this view to prioritize remediation, assign ownership, track exceptions, and monitor adoption throughout the device estate.Four new recommendations are available for AI-Readiness:- Establish a hardware root of trust with TPM 2.0: Helps protect cryptographic keys, device identity, and boot measurements with hardware-backed security.- Isolate critical security functions with VBS: Helps protect critical security functions in an isolated environment that is separate from the operating system kernel.- Enforce kernel code integrity with HVCI: Helps validate kernel-mode code, block untrusted code, and prevent executable kernel memory from being writable.- Limit lateral movement with Windows LAPS: Helps prevent local administrator credentials from being reused by managing a unique password for each device.The AI-Readiness collection also includes two existing recommendations:- Reduce unnecessary internet exposure on internet-facing devices: Helps identify and remediate devices that are unnecessarily accessible from the public internet.- Protect the startup process with Secure Boot: Helps ensure that devices start by using trusted firmware and software. |
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ Learn more about [Preview features](/en-us/defender-xdr/preview).
| Type | Feature | Preview/GA | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| Feature | [Microsoft Defender for Endpoint plug-in support for WSL containers (WSLc)](/en-us/defender-endpoint/mde-plugin-wsl) | GA | Extend Microsoft Defender for Endpoint protection to workloads running in WSL containers (WSLc). Gain visibility into WSL container activity through device inventory, alerts, incidents, device timeline, and Advanced Hunting, helping security teams investigate and respond to threats across both Windows and Linux workloads. MDE plugin version 2.26.921.1. |
| Feature | Microsoft Defender support for Linux Desktops | Preview | **Microsoft Defender for Endpoint now extends support to Linux desktops (Public Preview).** All Linux distributions currently supported on servers are also supported on Linux desktops. Deployment methods and security capabilities remain consistent across both Linux servers and desktops. For details on licensing and supported distributions, see [prerequisites for Microsoft Defender on Linux](mde-linux-prerequisites#license-requirements) |
| Release - macOS | Build 101.26072.0017 | GA | Release version 20.126072.17.0 released: See [enhancements and features for this release](microsoft-defender-endpoint-releases#macos--september-2026--101260720017). |
| Feature | New Microsoft Secure Score recommendations for AI-Readiness | GA | Microsoft Defender now brings together six security recommendations for AI-Readiness to help organizations strengthen endpoint trust against AI-accelerated cyberattacks. Together, these recommendations provide a layered security baseline that helps reduce externally visible entry points, establish hardware-backed trust in device startup, isolate critical Windows security functions, protect kernel code integrity, and limit the reuse of local administrator credentials for lateral movement.In the Microsoft Defender portal, go to **Exposure Management** > **Recommendations** > **Devices** > **Misconfigurations**, and filter by the **AI-Readiness** tag to view the complete recommendation set, affected devices, exposed critical devices, points achieved, and potential impact on the Devices Secure Score. Use this view to prioritize remediation, assign ownership, track exceptions, and monitor adoption throughout the device estate.Four new recommendations are available for AI-Readiness:- **Establish a hardware root of trust with TPM 2.0**: Helps protect cryptographic keys, device identity, and boot measurements with hardware-backed security.- **Isolate critical security functions with VBS**: Helps protect critical security functions in an isolated environment that is separate from the operating system kernel.- **Enforce kernel code integrity with HVCI**: Helps validate kernel-mode code, block untrusted code, and prevent executable kernel memory from being writable.- **Limit lateral movement with Windows LAPS**: Helps prevent local administrator credentials from being reused by managing a unique password for each device.The AI-Readiness collection also includes two existing recommendations:- **Reduce unnecessary internet exposure on internet-facing devices**: Helps identify and remediate devices that are unnecessarily accessible from the public internet.- **Protect the startup process with Secure Boot**: Helps ensure that devices start by using trusted firmware and software. |
