The reason for the name switch is simple, the service is no longer a Windows services and moved to other platforms. Microsoft says it moved to Mac because it wants non-Windows customers to protect their devices. Windows Defender ATP was launched in 2016 and is aimed at enterprise customers on Windows 10. The service provides an early barrier against cyberattacks, detecting and dealing with incoming threats on enterprise networks. The “time travel” ability will let Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection to go back through a six month history of a machine so customers can see previous threats.
ATP on Mac
Mac users can access Microsoft Defender ATP as a regular app on the platform. That means it is not present in the App Store, so you will need to download it from Microsoft browser-based installer. Microsoft says users need to be running macOS Mojave, High Sierra, and Sierra to work with Defender ATP. There are two key parts for cross-platform support for Microsoft Defender ATP on Mac: If you are interested, you can apply for the preview of Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac here.
