2015 MacBook Air

Question

2015 MacBook Air

lodie robinson-cyrille 0

I have a Microsoft 365 subscription and can't afford to buy additional antivirus protection. Whether my Microsoft 365 will supply my needs for security?

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

If you have Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, Microsoft Defender is included with your subscription at no additional cost. It provides malware protection for Macs, and Microsoft currently lists macOS 10.14 or later as supported for Defender.

So, the bigger concern is the age of the Mac. A 2015 MacBook Air can officially run only up to macOS Monterey if I remember correctly. Microsoft 365 apps on Monterey also stopped receiving updates, including security updates; Office 16.88 was the last supported build for Monterey.

So to install Microsoft 365, you have to use an older version: https://officecdn.microsoft.com/pr/C1297A47-86C4-4C1F-97FA-950631F94777/MacAutoupdate/Microsoft_365_and_Office_16.88.24081116_Installer.pkg?apid=ets

You can install Microsoft Defender, but antivirus cannot make an unsupported operating system fully secure. I would use Defender and keep macOS as updated as Apple allows, while considering replacing the Mac when possible in near future.

Microsoft Defender for Mac: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/defender/installing-microsoft-defender (click on the macOS tab)

Answer 2

Yes—Microsoft 365 can cover basic security needs on a 2015 MacBook Air if the subscription is Microsoft 365 Personal or Family.

What is included:

Microsoft Defender app is included at no extra cost with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family.
It provides malware protection, web protection, real-time security notifications, and security tips.
It works on Mac as well as Windows, Android, and iPhone.

What this means for the MacBook Air:

Additional antivirus software is not required just to have antivirus protection from Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Defender can be installed on Mac by searching for Microsoft Defender in the app store or by using the Microsoft Defender download flow for Microsoft 365 subscribers.

Also included with Microsoft 365:

Advanced security in Outlook.com for Microsoft 365 Personal/Family subscribers, including attachment scanning and suspicious link protection.
These Outlook.com protections apply only to Outlook.com mailboxes such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, and @msn.com.

Important distinction:

The Microsoft Defender app included with Microsoft 365 is different from Microsoft Defender Antivirus built into Windows. On Mac, the relevant product is the Microsoft Defender app included with Microsoft 365 Personal/Family.

If the subscription is Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, installing Microsoft Defender on the MacBook Air is the direct Microsoft option for antivirus and general security coverage.