A new era of democratized cybersecurity
On October 1, 2025, Microsoft made a strategic shift that signals more than just a name change – it’s a fundamental redefinition of how businesses of all sizes can enterprise-class security and compliance tools.
The Microsoft 365 E5 Security and Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance mini-suites has been renamed to Microsoft Defender Suite and Microsoft Purview Suite respectively.
The renamed suites maintain their enterprise-grade capabilities while offering a clearer identity that aligns with Microsoft’s broader security and compliance product portfolio.
Microsoft Defender Suite – Your digital guardian
The Microsoft Defender Suite provides comprehensive security protection across multiple layers.
Core capabilities:
- Entra ID P2: The intelligent security gatekeeper; monitoring risky sign-ins, detecting unusual behavior patterns, and providing sophisticated identity governance with risk-based conditional access.
- Defender for Identity (MDI): Your on-premises Active Directory becomes a powerful sensor source, enabling the detection of advanced threats and insider risks before they can cause damage.
- Defender for Office 365 (MDO) Plan 2: Advanced email protection that goes beyond spam filtering to include automated threat investigation and even phishing simulation training for your team.
- Defender for Endpoint (MDE) Plan 2: Enterprise-grade endpoint detection and response (EDR) with advanced threat hunting capabilities and access to Microsoft’s threat experts.
- Defender for Cloud Apps: A comprehensive, AI-powered SaaS security solution that enables IT teams to identify and manage shadow IT and ensure that only approved applications are used.
Microsoft Purview Suite – Your compliance command center
The Microsoft Purview Suite transforms how organizations handle data governance and regulatory compliance.
Core capabilities:
- Information Protection & DLP: Automatically discovers, classifies, and labels sensitive data across your entire digital estate, preventing unauthorized sharing before it happens.
- Insider Risk Management: Uses behavioral analytics to detect risky activities, like an employee downloading large volumes of files before leaving the company.
- Adaptive Protection: Intelligently adjusts security policies based on real-time risk levels.
- Copilot Data Safeguards: Specifically designed to protect against accidental oversharing or non-compliant usage of Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- Compliance Manager: Pre-built templates for major regulations including the EU AI Act and ISO standards.
- Advanced eDiscovery & Audit: Streamlines investigations with sophisticated analytics and workflow automation.
Why this matters
According to recent industry reports, nearly half of cyberattacks now target small businesses, yet historically, advanced security solutions have been priced and designed exclusively for large enterprises.
This rebranding coincides with Microsoft’s groundbreaking decision to make these suites available as add-ons for Microsoft 365 Business Premium customers, making enterprise-grade security and compliance features accessible to small and mid-sized businesses at more affordable pricing.
Read more here:
These solutions effectively “democratize” enterprise security and compliance, letting a 50-person or 200-person company attain nearly the same level of protection as a 5000-person enterprise organization.
For businesses with up to 300 users, this means:
- Affordable access: At approximately $10-15 per user per month, SMBs can now implement the same security infrastructure as large-scale enterprise companies.
- Simplified management: No need for a dedicated security team – these tools are designed to work seamlessly within the Microsoft 365 environment you already know.
- Cost savings: Organizations can unlock up to 68% savings compared to buying the products separately.
- Comprehensive coverage: Each user license covers up to five devices across Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
Real-world impact: Security that works
Imagine a 100-person manufacturing company that previously struggled with phishing attacks. With the Defender Suite, they can now run simulated phishing campaigns to train employees, automatically investigate and neutralize threats, and maintain visibility across all their cloud applications – capabilities that were once the exclusive domain of enterprises with massive IT budgets.
Or consider a healthcare startup that needs to comply with GDPR or HIPAA regulations while protecting patient data. The Purview Suite provides them with automated data classification, insider risk detection, and comprehensive audit trails – all without hiring a compliance team.
Looking ahead: A unified security ecosystem
These suites allow organizations to effectively handle external cyber threats and internal data risks through a single, integrated solution. The renaming reflects Microsoft’s vision of security and compliance as interconnected challenges requiring unified solutions, not separate silos.
For enterprises already using E5 licenses, this rebranding clarifies the value proposition and streamlines licensing discussions. For SMBs, it opens doors to protection levels that were previously unattainable.
The bottom line
This October announcement is more than a rebranding – it’s a declaration that enterprise-grade security should be accessible to every organization, regardless of size. Microsoft’s new add-on suites respond directly to the pressures facing modern businesses, extending advanced threat protection and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to the SMB market.
Whether you’re a small business looking to level up your security posture, or an enterprise seeking to streamline your security stack, the new Microsoft Defender and Purview Suites represent a significant step forward in making comprehensive digital protection both accessible and manageable.
The message is clear: In 2025 and beyond, world-class security and compliance capabilities are no longer a luxury reserved for the largest organizations – they’re essential tools available to every business ready to take their protection seriously.
Ready to explore how the Microsoft Defender and Purview Suites can transform your organization’s security posture? Contact your Microsoft partner or visit the Microsoft Security portal to learn more about these game-changing solutions.
References:
- Microsoft Partner Center – October 2025 announcements:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/announcements/2025-october - Small business, big protection: Microsoft Defender & Purview rewrite the security rulebook
https://techcentral.co.za/microsoft-defender-purview-security-westcon-comstor/272783/ - Introducing new security and compliance add-ons for Microsoft 365 Business Premium
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-security-blog/introducing-new-security-and-compliance-add-ons-for-microsoft-365-business-premi/4449297