Why This Underused Capability Deserves More Attention
When organisations approach us about migrating from their current EDR solutions to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE), a common refrain is, “We just want a like-for-like replacement.” Yet, after a focused workshop showcasing the extensive capabilities of MDE especially those tied to the Advania UK Defender Security Baseline most clients discover they are getting much more, particularly those on Microsoft 365 E5 licences.
One remarkable, yet often overlooked, feature for E5 customers is Cyber Deception. Surprisingly, fewer than 10% of our clients even mention it. Why is this? The answer likely lies somewhere between limited marketing by Microsoft and the security community not emphasising its benefits enough.
What Is Cyber Deception?
Cyber Deception is a sophisticated security measure that creates an artificial attack surface within your network. By deploying decoys (such as fake user accounts or hosts) and lures (like digital breadcrumbs fictitious credentials or bogus file locations), you can mislead would-be attackers. When an attacker interacts with these decoys or lures, Defender for Endpoint generates high-confidence alerts, giving your security team an early warning and a chance to respond before any real damage is done.
Why Does Cyber Deception Matter?
This approach is particularly effective at catching human-operated attacks in their reconnaissance and lateral movement phases exactly when attackers are probing your environment for weaknesses or stealing credentials. By observing how adversaries interact with these traps, organisations gain invaluable insights into attacker behaviour and can quickly shore up any vulnerabilities uncovered in the process.
Learning from the Attackers
Cyber Deception essentially offers a built-in honeypot and honeytoken system not just to detect threats, but to learn from them. Every interaction provides actionable intelligence about how attackers think, move, and adapt. This learning empowers you to lock down your infrastructure more effectively and stay ahead of evolving threats.
Getting Started with Cyber Deception
If you’re ready to unlock the full potential of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, let Advania guide your journey into Cyber Deception. We offer tailored workshops, configuration support, and expert interpretation of findings helping your team not just detect attacks, but understand and outsmart them.
Ready to elevate your security posture? Reach out to Advania for a conversation about Cyber Deception within MDE today.
The Modern Endpoints Brief 