Microsoft has started rolling Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 into the Business Basic and Business Standard subscription plans, with the change completing by 1 August 2026.

• What it is: Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 adds real-time scanning of links and attachments in email, and blocks known phishing and malware campaigns before they reach a mailbox.
• Who is affected: Any business on a Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Business Standard plan. This level of protection previously required a separate add-on subscription.
• What it means: Many businesses may already have this protection switched on without realising it, while others may need an administrator to enable specific features to get full value from it.
• What action is needed: Ask your IT provider to confirm Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 is active on your tenant and that key features, such as Safe Links and Safe Attachments, are turned on.

This is a welcome, no-cost upgrade to email security. We recommend confirming it is switched on rather than assuming it is.