This switch has happened relatively quietly through the Windows 10 20H1 development cycle. That makes sense considering Microsoft first embarked on this rebranding in March 2019 when Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) because Microsoft Defender ATP. Microsoft originally made the name change when Defender first became available on Apple’s Mac. It made little sense calling it Windows on Apple’s platform. There are also plans to expand Defender ATP to Android, making its rebranding make more sense. Windows Defender ATP was launched in 2016 and is aimed at enterprise customers on Windows 10. The service provides an early barrier against cyberattacks, detecting and dealing with incoming threats on enterprise networks.
Updated Branding
Of course, ATP is just one part of the Windows Defender service, but it signaled a change from Microsoft. As the new branding is becoming well known outside of Windows, it seems Microsoft has decided to repackage the whole Defender ecosystem under the moniker. Certainly, the company has been working towards this outcome. As Windows Latest reports, Windows Defender Offline Scan and other tools have already been switched to the new branding. As mentioned, the change is likely to go live as part of Windows 10 May 2020 Update. The latest Windows refresh should land next month. Once the change is made, I presume Microsoft will retroactively change branding of Defender across older builds.
