Lynis vs Microsoft Defender for Business
Lynis
cisofy.comMicrosoft Defender for Business
microsoft.comSide by side
| Figure | Lynis | Microsoft Defender for Business |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $3/mo | $0.25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 4 |
| Spec score · Security Configuration Management Software | 8.2 (#7) | 8.5 (#6) |
| Headquarters | Vlijmen, The Netherlands | Redmond, Washington, United States |
| Purpose | Lynis performs security health scans to support system hardening and compliance testing on Linux, macOS, and Unix based systems. | Microsoft Defender for Business is an endpoint security solution for small and medium-sized businesses with up to 300 users that helps protect devices from ransomware, malware, phishing, and other threats. |
Plans
Lynis
- LynisFree
- Lynis Enterprise - SaaS premium$36 a year
- Lynis Enterprise - Self-hostedPriced on request
Microsoft Defender for Business
- Microsoft Defender for Business$3 a month
- Microsoft Entra Internet Access$5 a month
- Microsoft Entra Suite$12 a month
- Microsoft Defender for Business$3 a year
In their own words
Lynis
Lynis performs security health scans to support system hardening and compliance testing on Linux, macOS, and Unix-based systems. Its stated uses also include security auditing, penetration testing, and vulnerability detection, for audiences such as developers, system administrators, IT auditors, and penetration testers. The tool checks components and tools found on each system through modular, opportunistic scans and is described as having almost no dependencies. It includes 300+ built-in tests and allows custom tests. Results appear on screen; technical details go to a log file, while warnings and suggestions are kept in a separate report. Lynis can help test security practices associated with CIS benchmarks, NIST, NSA, OpenSCAP data, and vendor guides. Listed systems include AIX, FreeBSD, HP-UX, Linux, macOS, NetBSD, NixOS, OpenBSD, and Solaris, along with Raspberry Pi, IoT, and QNAP devices. The free GPLv3 version costs nothing and comes without warranties or support. Lynis Enterprise SaaS is listed at $36 a year per system, billed annually; self-hosted Enterprise pricing is by quote.
Microsoft Defender for Business
Microsoft Defender for Business has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.