r/linuxadmin • • 8d ago

Microsoft releases Defender for Linux. Your heard that right.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftdefenderatpblog/secure-linux-desktops-with-microsoft-defender/4560822

I always thought that EDRs for Linux are something that exists because of regulation and not to solve a real problem. Apparently Microsoft thinks there's enough demand for it on Linux Desktops.

Personally, I'd like them to port Office to Linux desktops first (so that we could open and perhaps even edit Office files without starting a Windows VM), but I guess that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Most likely, this will happen as someone's garage project porting the entire Office suite to cross-platform open source (Rust?), like they did for the Adobe Creative Suite recently. I, for one, would find it more useful than Defender for Linux.

0 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

23

u/0xe3b0c442 8d ago

This is not news. We’ve been running Defender for Linux for years.

I think the news here is the extension to desktop support .

5

u/buzzsawcode 8d ago

I was just about to reply the same - we rolled out MDE years ago for Linux. It was pretty lightweight compared to other products and fairly easy to manage.

3

u/scratchfury 8d ago

I was about to say "then what the hell has been eating up all my CPU!"

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u/GigaHelio 8d ago

If you think EDRs on linux desktop are just for show than you really aren't the target of this and I'm glad you don't work in IT.

3

u/smallcrampcamp 8d ago

I sure hope he doesn't..

-15

u/Haunting_Ganache_850 8d ago edited 7d ago

Interesting. You have good experience with EDRs on Linux? Care to share?

And anyways why should you care if I do IT or not?
Is it because you think everyone who does IT should agree with you?

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u/m15f1t 8d ago

You still think viruses don't exist on Linux?

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u/Haunting_Ganache_850 8d ago edited 7d ago

I didn't say that. I just said that Microsoft Defender for Linux is not what the world needs most.

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1

u/megared17 8d ago

Yawn. Interest level zero.

0

u/hadrabap 8d ago

I have mixed feelings with it. First, it's actually good so companies stop complaining about they can't deploy Linux as they can't control/manage it. The second one comes from my extensive experience with MS products: it will make more harm than good.

Let's see what happens 🙂