Starting 1st October 2025, Microsoft is introducing new names for its Microsoft 365 E5 mini-suites, reflecting a sharper focus on security and compliance.
Microsoft 365 E5 Security will be renamed the Microsoft Defender Suite
This suite brings together powerful tools to safeguard identities, endpoints, email, and cloud apps:
- Entra ID P2: Enables conditional access based on risk, monitors suspicious sign-ins, and manages privileged identities.
- Defender for Identity: Uses signals from your on-premises Active Directory to detect and investigate identity-based threats and insider risks.
- Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 (MDO P2): Offers robust email and collaboration protection, including automated threat response and phishing simulations.
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 (MDE P2): Delivers endpoint detection and response (EDR), threat hunting, and expert-led investigations.
- Defender for Cloud Apps: Monitors SaaS usage, flags risky behaviour, and blocks unsafe applications to prevent cloud-based attacks.
Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance will become the Microsoft Purview Suite
Designed to help organisations meet regulatory demands and protect sensitive information:
- Information Protection & DLP: Automatically identifies and labels sensitive data, preventing unauthorised sharing across platforms.
- Insider Risk Management & Adaptive Protection: Understands user behaviour and dynamically adjusts policies based on risk.
- Copilot Data Safeguards: Prevents accidental data exposure or non-compliant use of Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- Compliance Manager: Offers prebuilt templates to support regulations like the EU AI Act and ISO standards.
- Audit & eDiscovery Tools: Enhances investigation workflows with retention policies, insights, and analytics.
Need help navigating these updates or optimising your Microsoft 365 setup? Reach out to us at The Sam Club — we’re here to guide you through every step.