MT.1163 - Signature Update Interval should be 1-4 hours.
Overview
Checks that the signature update interval is configured between 1-4 hours in the assigned Microsoft Defender Antivirus policies.
Infrequent signature updates reduce detection of the latest threats, leaving endpoints vulnerable to newly discovered malware and exploits.
Remediation action:
- Open Microsoft Endpoint Manager > Endpoint Security > Antivirus
- Edit the relevant Microsoft Defender Antivirus policy
- Set Signature Update Interval to 1-4 hours
If your antivirus settings are split across several policies, this setting only needs to be set in one of them, as long as that policy is assigned to every device that needs it. No other assigned policy should set a different value: Intune does not merge this setting, so a device that receives both values may end up with either one, or none.
Related links
- Policy merge and conflicts for Antivirus policy settings
- Configure Microsoft Defender Antivirus
- Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Test Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Test ID | MT.1163 |
| Severity | Low |
| Suite | Maester |
| Product | Defender |
| Related products | Intune |
| Feature | Endpoint antivirus |
| Area | Devices and endpoints |
| Resource type | Policy |
| User impact | Low |
| Implementation cost | Low |
| MITRE ATT&CK | T1204.002 Malicious File |
| Supports controls | nist-800-53-r5:SI-3 |
| PowerShell test | Test-MtMdeSignatureUpdateInterval |
| Services | Graph |
Source
- Test:
tests/maester/defender/Test.MT.1163.ps1 - Documentation:
tests/maester/defender/Test.MT.1163.md