How to Stop Microsoft Defender for Office 365 License-Use Reports
Question details
The user wants to stop receiving Microsoft Defender for Office 365 license-use reports after their trial has expired.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing Microsoft 365 tenant licenses and reviewing usage reports post-trial.
- Observed behavior
- The Microsoft 365 tenant report continues to show Defender for Office 365 usage even though the trial license has already expired.
Ensure you have global administrator or security administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant to access and modify licensing, security policies, and rules.
Review and Remove Trial Policies and Rules
Configurations and security policies created during the trial period often remain active and trigger usage reports even after the license expires.
When a Microsoft Defender for Office 365 trial expires, the associated security policies (such as Safe Links or Safe Attachments) do not automatically delete themselves. Because these policies are still evaluated by the tenant, they generate license-use data that appears in your reports.
Navigate to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using your administrator credentials.
Go to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal (Security & Compliance center) from the admin navigation menu.
Navigate to 'Email & collaboration' and select 'Policies & rules', then click on 'Threat policies'.
Review the policies set up during your trial (e.g., Anti-phishing, Safe Attachments, Safe Links). Disable or delete any rules that were specifically created for the expired Defender trial.
Contact Microsoft Support for Tenant Investigation
If the reports persist after clearing policies, Microsoft support can investigate backend tenant licensing.
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- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installer for your operating system.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft 365 still show Defender usage after my trial expired?
Even after a trial license expires, any security policies, safe links, or safe attachments rules you configured during the trial remain active in your tenant. The system continues to process these rules, which triggers the usage reports.
Will removing these old policies affect my current email delivery?
Removing Defender-specific policies will stop those advanced security checks, but standard Exchange Online Protection (EOP) will continue to route and provide basic protection for your emails.
How can I safely share my tenant report with Microsoft Support?
Tenant reports contain confidential information. Always use the secure upload feature within the official Microsoft 365 Admin Center support portal or send them via private message when directly communicating with an authorized support agent.
