| title | Defender Antivirus policies protect macOS devices from malware |
|---|---|
| ms.author | brenduns |
| author | brenduns |
| ms.topic | include |
| ms.date | 10/06/2025 |
| ms.custom | Intune-Secure-Recommendation |
If Microsoft Defender Antivirus policies aren't properly configured and assigned to macOS devices in Intune, attackers can exploit unprotected endpoints to execute malware, disable antivirus protections, and persist in the environment. Without enforced policies, devices run outdated definitions, lack real-time protection, or have misconfigured scan schedules, increasing the risk of undetected threats and privilege escalation. This enables lateral movement across the network, credential harvesting, and data exfiltration. The absence of antivirus enforcement undermines device compliance, increases exposure of endpoints to zero-day threats, and can result in regulatory noncompliance. Attackers use these gaps to maintain persistence and evade detection, especially in environments without centralized policy enforcement.
Enforcing Defender Antivirus policies ensures that macOS devices are consistently protected against malware, supports real-time threat detection, and aligns with Zero Trust by maintaining a secure and compliant endpoint posture.
Remediation action
Use Intune to configure and assign Microsoft Defender Antivirus policies for macOS devices to enforce real-time protection, maintain up-to-date definitions, and reduce exposure to malware: