Summary
Both tags and device groups are essential for organizing and managing devices within Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, tags offer flexible labeling for filtering and policy application, whereas device groups provide structured collections for enforcing security permissions and remediation strategies.
Body
In Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, tags and device groups are both utilized to organize and manage devices, but they serve different purposes and offer distinct functionalities.
Tags:
Purpose: Tags are identifiers assigned to devices to create logical groupings based on specific attributes or criteria. They facilitate contextual mapping of the network, enabling security teams to filter and manage devices effectively.
Application:
- Manual Assignment: Administrators can manually assign tags to devices through the Microsoft Defender portal.
- Dynamic Rules: Tags can be automatically assigned using dynamic rules based on device properties such as name, domain, or operating system. This automation ensures that devices meeting certain criteria are consistently tagged without manual intervention.
- Configuration Profiles: Tags can be set via configuration profiles deployed through management tools like Microsoft Intune, allowing for scalable and consistent tagging across devices.
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Usage: Once assigned, tags can be used to filter devices in the inventory view, streamline incident response, and apply specific security policies to targeted device groups.
Device Groups:
Purpose: Device groups are collections of devices defined by specific criteria, primarily used to manage permissions, assign remediation levels, and control access within Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
Configuration:
- Matching Rules: Device groups are created using matching rules based on attributes like device names, domains, operating systems, or assigned tags. Devices meeting these criteria are automatically included in the corresponding device group.
- Prioritization: When a device matches multiple group criteria, it is assigned to the highest-ranked group, ensuring a clear and organized grouping hierarchy.
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Usage:
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Device groups enable administrators to limit access to alerts and data, ensuring that specific Microsoft Entra user groups with assigned RBAC roles can only access relevant information.
- Automated Remediation Settings: Different remediation levels can be configured for each device group, allowing tailored responses to threats based on the group's importance or function.
- Investigation Filtering: During security investigations, device groups can be used to filter and focus on specific sets of devices, enhancing the efficiency of threat analysis.