502528 – Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Auto-Remediation of Malicious Similarity Clusters in AIR

Product:

Defender, Defender for Office 365, Microsoft 365 Defender

Platform:

Web, World tenant

Status:

In development

Change type:

Links:

Details:

We are expanding the auto-remediation capabilities in Automated Investigations and Response (AIR) to fully automate the remediation of malicious similarity clusters. Earlier this year, we introduced auto-remediation for malicious URL and file clusters. Building on that foundation, this enhancement enables AIR to automatically approve all pending remediation actions it generates—eliminating the need for manual intervention and streamlining the response process for SOC teams. This advancement significantly reduces response time and operational overhead, allowing security teams to focus on higher-priority threats.

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability

Created:
2025-09-04

updated:
2025-09-04

Docu to Check

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MS workload name

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Auto-Remediation Implementation
Without proper preparation, the auto-remediation feature may incorrectly classify benign items as malicious, leading to unintended data loss or disruption of legitimate business operations.
   - roles: Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst, IT Support Specialist
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-identity/microsoft-defender-for-office-365-auto-remediation-of-malicious/ba-p/3651230

User Experience Disruption
The implementation of auto-remediation without adequate testing may result in false positives, causing users to lose access to important files or emails, negatively impacting productivity and user trust.
   - roles: End User, Business Analyst
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-identity/microsoft-defender-for-office-365-auto-remediation-of-malicious/ba-p/3651230

Configutation Options**

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IT Security**

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explanation for non-techies**

Microsoft is enhancing its security tools by improving the way it handles potential threats in Office 365. Imagine your email system as a busy post office. Previously, if a suspicious package (like a malicious email or file) arrived, someone had to manually check and decide what to do with it. This could take time and required a lot of effort from the security team.

Now, with the new update, the system is like having a smart robot in the post office that can automatically identify and deal with these suspicious packages without waiting for human approval. This robot can recognize patterns or clusters of similar threats and handle them quickly, much like how a sorting machine can automatically categorize mail based on zip codes.

This change means that the security team can focus on more complex issues, as the system takes care of the routine, repetitive tasks. It's like freeing up the post office staff to handle more important deliveries while the machine takes care of the regular mail. This makes the whole process faster and more efficient, reducing the time it takes to respond to threats and allowing the team to concentrate on more critical security challenges.