Security checks / Check reference / Devices & compliance
Intune Device Real Time Protection Disabled
High Severity Microsoft 365 security check in the Devices & compliance domain.
Managed device reports Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time protection is turned off. Intune's windowsProtectionState shows real-time protection disabled on this device. Siemserva runs this check automatically across your tenant and maps every finding to the compliance frameworks below.
Check summary
What this check verifies
Managed device reports Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time protection is turned off.
Why it matters
Intune's windowsProtectionState shows real-time protection disabled on this device. With real-time protection off, Defender Antivirus does not scan files as they are accessed, so malware can execute and persist without detection even though the agent is installed and the device appears protected in inventory.
How to fix it
Investigate why real-time protection is off: a conflicting third-party antivirus, a tampered configuration, or a policy gap. Apply an Intune endpoint security antivirus policy that enforces real-time protection (Endpoint security -> Antivirus), then force a device sync and confirm the state clears on the next check-in.
Siemserva flags every tenant where this check fails and, with Senserva Trustworthy AI remediation, can propose a validated fix you approve before it applies.
Ask your own AI about this check
Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.
Compliance framework mappings
Findings from this check serve as evidence for:
References
Related Devices & compliance checks
Common questions
What does the Intune Device Real Time Protection Disabled check verify?
Managed device reports Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time protection is turned off. It is a High Severity check in the Devices & compliance domain, one of the 650+ checks Siemserva runs across Microsoft 365, Intune, Defender, and Entra ID.
How do I fix a Intune Device Real Time Protection Disabled finding?
Investigate why real-time protection is off: a conflicting third-party antivirus, a tampered configuration, or a policy gap. Apply an Intune endpoint security antivirus policy that enforces real-time protection (Endpoint security -> Antivirus), then force a device sync and confirm the state clears on the next check-in. Siemserva ranks the finding by Severity and, with Senserva Trustworthy AI, can propose a validated, approve-before-apply configuration fix.
Which compliance frameworks does this check evidence?
Findings from this check map to SCuBA, MCSB, NIST, SOC2, CIS, HIPAA, and MCSB controls ES-3, PV-6. That mapping is what turns a scan finding into audit evidence.
Can I ask my own AI about this check?
Yes. This page includes a free copy-paste AI prompt carrying the check's facts: what it verifies, the risk, the remediation, and the framework mappings. Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot; cite-worthy detail without giving an AI access to your tenant.
All 672 checks with severities and mappings: the Microsoft 365 security checks catalog.