Settings for Microsoft Defender Antivirus policy for tenant attached devices in Microsoft Intune

View the Microsoft Defender Antivirus settings you can manage with the Microsoft Defender Antivirus Policy (ConfigMgr) profile from Intune. The profile is available when you configure Intune Endpoint security Antivirus policy, and the policy deploys to devices you manage with Configuration Manager when you've configured the tenant attach scenario. (Path in the Microsoft Intune admin center: Endpoint security > Antivirus > + Create Policy > Platform = Windows (ConfigMgr) > Profile = Microsoft Defender Antivirus.)

Cloud protection

  • Turn on cloud-delivered protection
    CSP: AllowCloudProtection

    By default, Defender on Windows 10/11 desktop devices sends information to Microsoft about any problems it finds. Microsoft analyzes that information to learn more about problems affecting you and other customers, to offer improved solutions.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default.
    • No Turns off the Microsoft Active Protection Service.
    • Yes Turns on the Microsoft Active Protection Service.
  • Cloud-delivered protection level
    CSP: CloudBlockLevel

    Configure how aggressive Defender Antivirus is in blocking and scanning suspicious files.

    • Not Configured (default) - Default Defender blocking level.
    • High - Aggressively block unknowns while optimizing client performance, which includes a greater chance of false positives.
    • High Plus - Aggressively block unknowns and apply extra protection measures that might impact client performance.
    • Zero Tolerance - Block all unknown executable files.
  • Defender Cloud Extended Timeout in Seconds
    CSP: CloudExtendedTimeout

    Defender Antivirus automatically blocks suspicious files for 10 seconds so it can scan the files in the cloud to make sure they're safe. With this setting, you can add up to 50 more seconds to this timeout.

Microsoft Defender Antivirus Exclusions

For each setting in this group, you can expand the setting, select Add, and then specify a value for the exclusion.

  • Defender Processes To Exclude
    CSP: ExcludedProcesses

    Specify a list of files opened by processes to ignore during a scan. The process itself isn't excluded from the scan.

  • File extensions to exclude from scans and real-time protection
    CSP: ExcludedExtensions

    Specify a list of file type extensions to ignore during a scan.

  • Defender Files And Folders To Exclude
    CSP: ExcludedPaths

    Specify a list of files and directory paths to ignore during a scan.

Real-time protection

  • Turn on real-time protection
    CSP: AllowRealtimeMonitoring

    Require Defender on Windows 10/11 desktop devices to use the real-time Monitoring functionality.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default
    • No Turns off the real-time monitoring service.
    • Yes Turns on and runs the real-time monitoring service.
  • Enable on access protection
    CSP: AllowOnAccessProtection

    Configure virus protection that's continuously active, as opposed to on demand.

    • Not Configured (default) - This policy doesn't alter the state of this setting on a device. The existing state on the device remains unchanged.
    • No Turns off the real-time monitoring service.
    • Yes
  • Monitoring for incoming and outgoing files
    CSP: Defender/RealTimeScanDirection

    Configure this setting to determine which NTFS file and program activity is monitored.

    • Monitor all files (bi-directional) (default)
    • Monitor incoming files
    • Monitor outgoing files
  • Turn on behavior monitoring
    CSP: AllowBehaviorMonitoring

    By default, Defender on Windows 10/11 desktop devices uses the Behavior Monitoring functionality.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default.
    • No Turns off behavior monitoring.
    • Yes Turns on real-time behavior monitoring.
  • Allow Intrusion Prevention System

    Configure Defender to allow or disallow Intrusion Prevention functionality.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default.
    • No - Intrusion Prevention System is not allowed.
    • Yes - Intrusion Prevention System is allowed.
  • Scan all downloaded files and attachments
    CSP: EnableNetworkProtection

    Configure Defender to scan all downloaded files and attachments.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default.
    • No
    • Yes
  • Scan scripts that are used in Microsoft browsers
    CSP: AllowScriptScanning

    Configure Defender to scan scripts.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default.
    • No
    • Yes
  • Scan network files
    CSP: AllowScanningNetworkFiles

    Configure Defender to scan network files.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default.
    • No Turns off scanning of network files.
    • Yes Scans network files.
  • Scan emails
    CSP: AllowEmailScanning

    Configure Defender to scan incoming email.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default.
    • No Turns off email scanning.
    • Yes Turns on email scanning.

Remediation

  • Number of days (0-90) to keep quarantined malware
    CSP: DaysToRetainCleanedMalware

    Specify a number of days from zero to 90 that the system stores quarantined items before they're automatically removed. A value of zero keeps items in quarantine and does not automatically remove them.

  • Submit Samples Consent

    • Not Configured (default)
    • Always prompt
    • Send safe samples automatically
    • Never send
    • Send all samples automatically
  • Action to take on potentially unwanted apps
    CSP: PUAProtection

    Specify the level of detection for potentially unwanted applications (PUAs). Defender alerts users when potentially unwanted software is being downloaded or attempts to install on a device.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default, which is PUA Protection OFF.
    • Disabled - Windows Defender will not protect against potentially unwanted applications.
    • Enabled - Detected items are blocked. They will show in history along with other threats.
    • Audit mode - Defender detects potentially unwanted applications, but takes no action. You can review information about the applications Defender would have taken action against by searching for events that are created by Defender in the Event Viewer.
  • Create a system restore point before computers are cleaned

    • Not Configured (default)
    • No
    • Yes
  • Actions for detected threats
    CSP: ThreatSeverityDefaultAction

    Specify the action that Defender takes for detected malware based on the malware's threat level.

    Defender classifies malware that it detects as one of the following severity levels:

    • Low threat
    • Moderate threat
    • High threat
    • Severe threat

    For each level, specify the action to take. The default for each severity level is Not configured.

    • Not Configured (default)
    • Clean - The service tries to recover files and try to disinfect.
    • Quarantine - Moves files to quarantine.
    • Remove - Removes files from the device.
    • Allow - Allows the file and doesn't take other actions.
    • User defined - The device user makes the decision on which action to take.
    • Block - Blocks file execution.

Scan

  • Scan archive files
    CSP: AllowArchiveScanning

    Configure Defender to scan archive files, like ZIP or CAB files.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting returns to the client default, which is to scan archived files, however the user may disable the scan. Learn more
    • No Turns off scanning on archived files.
    • Yes Scans the archive files.
  • Enable low CPU priority for scheduled scans
    CSP: EnableLowCPUPriority

    Configure CPU priority for scheduled scans.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting returns to the system default, in which no changes to CPU priority are made.
    • No
    • Yes
  • Disable Catch-up Full Scan
    CSP: DisableCatchupFullScan

    Configure catch-up scans for scheduled full scans. A catch-up scan is a scan that starts because a regularly scheduled scan was missed. Usually these scheduled scans are missed because the computer was turned off at the scheduled time.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is returned to client default, which is to enable catch-up scans for full scans, however the user can turn them off.
    • No
    • Yes
  • Disable Catchup Quick Scan
    CSP: DisableCatchupQuickScan

    Configure catch-up scans for scheduled quick scans. A catch-up scan is a scan that starts because a regularly scheduled scan was missed. Usually these scheduled scans are missed because the computer was turned off at the scheduled time.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is returned to client default, which is to enable catch-up quick scans, however the user can turn them off.
    • No
    • Yes
  • CPU usage limit (0-100 percent) per scan
    CSP: AvgCPULoadFactor

    Specify as a percent from zero to 100, the average CPU load factor for the Defender scan.

  • Enable mapped network drives be scanned during a full scan
    CSP: AllowFullScanOnMappedNetworkDrives

    Configure Defender to scan mapped network drives.

    • Not Configured (default) - The setting is restored to the system default, which disables scanning on mapped network drives.
    • Not allowed Disables scanning on mapped network drives.
    • Allowed Scans mapped network drives.
  • Run daily quick scan at
    CSP: ScheduleQuickScanTime

    Select the time of day that Defender quick scans run. By default, this option is Not Configured

  • Scan Type
    CSP: ScanParameter

    Select the type of scan that Defender runs.

    • Not Configured (default)
    • Quick scan
    • Full scan
  • Day of week to run a scheduled scan

    • Not Configured (default)
  • Time of day to run a scheduled scan

    • Not Configured (default)
  • Check For Signature Updates Before Running Scan (Device)

    • Not Configured (default)
    • No
    • Yes
  • Randomize scheduled scan and security intelligence update start times
    -Not Configured (default) -Yes -No

  • Scan removable drives during full scan

    • Not Configured (default)
    • No Turns off scanning on removable drives.
    • Yes Scans removable drives.

Updates

  • Enter how often (0-24 hours) to check for security intelligence updates
    CSP: SignatureUpdateInterval

    Specify the interval from zero to 24 (in hours) that is used to check for signatures. A value of zero results in no check for new signatures. A value of 2 will check every two hours, and so on.

    • Signature Update Fallback Order (Device)

    • Signature Update File Shares Sources (Device)

  • Security Intelligence Location (Device)

User experience

  • Block user access to Microsoft Defender app

    • Not Configured (default)
    • Not allowed Prevents users from accessing UI.
    • Allowed Lets users access UI.
  • Allow users to view the full History results

    • Not Configured (default)
    • Yes
    • No