Microsoft recently announced that Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) will be available for Windows 7 and 8.1 starting this summer.
The company will now offer Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) to all systems it still supports with updates.
Windows Defender ATP EDR will give administrators a richer view of the threats that are reaching their endpoints, providing more accurate information to help protect their systems.
Microsoft also recommends that companies combine EDR with Windows Defender, although it can “run side-by-side with third-party antivirus solutions.”
“With Windows Defender ATP for Windows 10, Windows Server 2012R2, and 2016, it will be available for Windows 7 and 8.1, giving security teams a single solution for detecting and responding to advanced attacks,” said Rob Lefferts, Partner Manager, Windows & Devices, Security & Enterprise.
Microsoft’s acceleration of its efforts to upgrade clients to Windows 7 is not surprising and is likely to accelerate in the coming months.
Windows 7 reaches the end of support with updates from the company in January 2020, so consumers and organizations using the operating system have less than 2 years to complete the upgrade to either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10.
However, statistics show that Windows 7 still runs on 40% of online systems worldwide.
It remains to be seen whether Microsoft’s attractive offer will be adopted by consumers and businesses.
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