Learning path
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Onboarding Devices
Skill Level
Fundamentals
Duration 10 minutes
Updated Oct 25, 2026
About this learning path
New laptops reach people long before they reach the security dashboard, and every unseen device is a blind spot. This byte shows how to onboard devices to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: choose a deployment method and connectivity type, then prove each device is reporting, so a business can roll out in rings and see all 200 newly shipped laptops.
Your instructors
Prerequisites
- Windows device management. Comfort pushing settings and packages to Windows devices with Intune, Configuration Manager, or Group Policy. This is the skill the onboarding methods and the ASR rule deployment both depend on.
- Entra roles and device groups. Knowing who is allowed to change what (for example, the Intune Endpoint Security Manager role for onboarding policies).
- Navigating the Microsoft Defender portal. Knowing where Settings, Endpoints, the device inventory, and Reports live.
What you'll learn
- Find the onboarding page in the Microsoft Defender portal and choose the deployment method that fits your estate, such as Intune, Configuration Manager, Group Policy, a local script, or the Defender deployment tool.
- Decide when to use streamlined or standard connectivity, and what each means for your firewall allow list.
- Prove a device is onboarded by checking the device inventory and running a detection test, then widen the rollout in rings.