Microsoft to Bring Defender Antivirus Software to iOS and Android This Year

Microsoft Defender is on its way to iOS and Android devices.

According to a new report from CNBC, the protection software should be on mobile platforms by the end of the year. The software will focus on preventing malware and phishing attacks.

CNBC highlights several quotes from Microsoft said in an interview last Thursday. Rob Lefferts, a Microsoft corporate vice president, said that iOS and Android are “pretty safe, but pretty safe is not the same as safe.” He also added that “Malware does happen on those platforms.”

“Microsoft already offers the Intune software that IT administrators can use to manage employees’ PCs, smartphones and tablets,” reads the report. “The Defender software coming to Android and iOS is about security, rather than management. It’s designed to prevent people from visiting online destinations that Microsoft deems unsafe, Lefferts said.”



It’s not yet clear when Defender will be ready for iOS and Android. Microsoft added Defender support for Linux today, and last year, it released extensions for Chrome and Firefox, as well as support for Mac, so its reach has been increasing steadily.

Microsoft also announced that, as of today, its Microsoft Threat Protection is available to customers with Microsoft 365. The service combines Defender, Office 365 ATP, Azure ATP and Microsoft Cloud App Security to search for threats across users, emails, applications, and endpoints. It then uses AI to automatically block attacks.