As cyberthreats accelerate in both sophistication and volume, many security teams are struggling to keep pace with internal talent gaps and overloaded SOCs. To help organizations modernize their defenses and strengthen cyber resilience, Microsoft has introduced the Microsoft Defender Experts Suite: a unified, expert-led managed security offering that brings together proactive threat hunting, incident response, and advisory services into one integrated solution.
What Is the Microsoft Defender Experts Suite?
The Microsoft Defender Experts Suite is a comprehensive security package designed to augment internal security operations by combining technology with human expertise:
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- Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR)
Delivered through Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR, this service provides 24/7 monitoring, triage, investigation, and response across endpoints, identities, email, cloud apps, and workloads. It also includes proactive threat hunting to identify threats early and reduce dwell time. - Proactive and Reactive Incident Response
Organizations gain access to both preparedness services—such as assessments, simulations, and planning—and rapid-response support during active security incidents. - Enhanced Engineering and Security Advisory Services
Direct access to Microsoft security engineers and advisors helps optimize security architecture, improve configurations, and raise overall SOC maturity.
- Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR)
By unifying these services, the suite reduces operational complexity, breaks down security silos, and accelerates response times through integrated workflows and shared intelligence.
Why This Matters Today
Many organizations face ongoing challenges in hiring, training, and retaining skilled cybersecurity professionals. The Microsoft Defender Experts Suite addresses this gap by extending in-house teams with experienced security analysts and advisors, without the overhead of building a large internal SOC.
This approach reflects a broader shift toward managed, expert-led security models, where automation is reinforced by human insight to improve detection accuracy, reduce alert fatigue, and enable faster, more effective responses.
Licensing, Prerequisites, and Pricing Considerations
Understanding licensing requirements is essential before adopting the Microsoft Defender Experts Suite.
Available Plans
The suite is offered in two plans:
Plan 1
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- Managed XDR
- Incident Response services
Plan 2
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- Managed XDR
- Incident Response services
- Enhanced designated engineering
- Unified enterprise security services
Prerequisite Licensing
To purchase the Defender Experts Suite, organizations must already be licensed with one of the following Microsoft security or productivity bundles:
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- Microsoft 365 E5
- Microsoft Defender and Purview Suite
- Microsoft Defender Suite
- Microsoft Defender Suite for Frontline Workers
For customers seeking promotional pricing, additional requirements apply, including specific base licenses and a minimum seat count.
Pricing Overview
Microsoft has not published standard list prices for the Defender Experts Suite. Pricing is provided through direct engagement with Microsoft or authorized partners and can vary based on plan selection, licensing footprint, and contract terms.
A **significant promotional discount—available through the end of 2026—**may apply for eligible customers that meet minimum seat and licensing requirements. Because of this variability, early engagement and careful licensing review are strongly recommended.
Who Should Consider the Defender Experts Suite?
This solution is particularly well-suited for:
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- Medium to large organizations with complex or hybrid security environments
- Enterprises lacking sufficient internal SOC capacity
- Teams seeking to accelerate security maturity without expanding headcount
- Organizations already invested in Microsoft’s security ecosystem
The Microsoft Defender Experts Suite represents a strategic evolution in enterprise security, combining Microsoft’s security platform with expert-led managed services. When aligned with the right licensing strategy, it can significantly reduce operational burden, improve threat response, and strengthen overall cyber resilience.
For organizations evaluating managed security services, the Defender Experts Suite offers a compelling option, provided licensing prerequisites and commercial considerations are clearly understood upfront.
