The subscription name matters.
Microsoft Defender for Business is available separately and included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Other Defender products have their own scope and licensing. Having another Microsoft subscription does not by itself establish that this product has been deployed. Read Microsoft’s Defender for Business overview.
Check the licensed product and enrolled devices. Who configures protection, reviews alerts and follows up when a Mac stops reporting?
If the client names a Microsoft product in a contract, clarify whether they require that exact product or a defined security outcome. Do not assume that cybee, or any alternative, satisfies a named contractual requirement. Establish the expected result before considering an additional tool.
Microsoft does protect Macs.
Microsoft lists Mac support for Defender for Business. Its Mac documentation describes prevention, investigation, response and security posture capabilities across the relevant Defender products. Read the supported requirements. Read the macOS product documentation.
Edition and platform still matter. A general Microsoft capability list is not a promise that every item works identically on every device or licence. Verify the Mac release, the selected plan, required permissions and the configuration your team actually uses.
For a mix of operating systems, managing protection in one place may matter most. A Mac team may prefer working through its assistant. This comparison does not measure detection performance.
Separate the licence, the work and the evidence.
Swipe across to see both products
| The job | cybee | Defender for Business |
|---|---|---|
| Endpoint protection | Detect suspicious activity and known threats on supported Macs. | Endpoint security with supported Mac deployment. |
| Configuration | CIS scoring is free. Applying and maintaining supported hardening is paid. | Check the configuration capabilities applicable to the plan and Mac deployment. |
| Day to day | Questions and approved actions through your assistant. | Microsoft’s security administration workflow. |
| Evidence | Dated Trust Passport with explicit assessed scope and an integrity check. | Review the reporting available in your subscription against the client’s request. |
| Accounts | Connected Google Workspace visibility and paid sealed account evidence. | Distinguish the endpoint product from other Microsoft account and service capabilities. |
| Commercial unit | Paid plan per protected Mac. | A separately licensed product or part of a broader Microsoft subscription. |
If your Microsoft subscription already supplies the needed security functions, identify the remaining task before buying more software. Inspect the available reports: what do they contain, which period do they describe and how will the client use them?
A licence is not an observation.
The client may need to know whether protection was operating on the machines used for their work. They may also ask about application updates, encryption or configuration. A purchase record establishes that a product was bought. It does not establish the observed state of every relevant device.
Licensed
Confirm which product the subscription includes.
Operating
Check the enrolled devices and the controls observed.
Evidenced
Match dates, scope and exceptions to the client’s question.
cybee’s Trust Passport connects technical observations to dates and assessed scope. The recipient checks whether it changed after sealing against cybee’s sealed copy. It is not independent assurance or certification. An offline or unassessed Mac remains a gap, and an account outside the connected Workspace organisation remains outside that account record.
Inspect the record already available.
Microsoft provides reporting. Start by seeing whether the existing report answers the client’s question. Evaluate a different record only against a specific remaining need.
Review security in your assistant.
Ask your assistant which Macs need attention. Review the finding and proposed change, approve sensitive actions and check the result. Protection watches activity; hardening improves settings; the record shows what was observed.
Google Workspace visibility connects account activity with the Mac picture. Sign ins, app access and admin changes can be considered alongside device alerts. This does not imply Microsoft 365 account monitoring by cybee, which remains in build. Nor does it extend to personal Gmail, Apple IDs or unrelated cloud accounts.
Security alerts can be shared through Slack, Teams or SMS. Review the alert through the assistant and record the decision. Training is included in the paid plan, with assignment and completion tracking. It helps people handle the work safely, while its completion evidence remains separate from the current Passport.
Decide what would actually change.
cybee protection, posture scoring and Workspace visibility are free. Continuous hardening, sealed evidence, offboarding evidence and training belong to the paid plan: 9 per Mac monthly or 90 annually, in CHF, EUR or USD, excluding tax. Read the full pricing conditions.
If Defender is already included in a subscription you need for other work, use that fact in your decision. Comparing the whole suite price against one security product would misrepresent the purchase. A useful budget comparison starts with the actual additional cost and the operating task that remains.
Keep working protection in place while evaluating the gap. Before combining endpoint agents, confirm the versions, permissions and deployment approach with the product owners. Decide how each record enters the client review and who maintains that process.
cybee’s device protection covers supported Macs. Windows and Linux remain in build. Include your other devices and existing Microsoft workflows in the decision.
Common questions.
Is Defender for Business the same as Microsoft 365?
No. It is an endpoint security product available separately and included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Check the precise subscription and enrolled devices.
Does cybee monitor our Microsoft 365 accounts?
No. Google Workspace is the current connected account scope. Microsoft 365 monitoring remains in build.
Should we remove Defender before trying cybee?
Do not remove working protection to evaluate evidence. Confirm any combined deployment with the product owners and define the additional job first.
Read the sources.
Official product and documentation pages used for this comparison. Editions and availability can change; review the relevant package before choosing.