Can SEP AutoProtect co-exist with Windows Defender?

Products

• Endpoint Protection
• Endpoint Security Complete

Issue/Introduction

You would like to know if the SEP Auto Protect and Windows Defender Real-time protection run together in 14.3 RU7

Environment

Release: 14.3 RU7 and later

Resolution

When Windows Defender and Symantec Endpoint Protection are both enabled and running on the same computer, the Auto-Protect scan runs after Windows Defender. Auto-Protect can detect any threats that Windows Defender misses.
If Windows Defender is disabled on the client computers, you should disable this option. Otherwise, Auto-Protect continues to run in a delayed state for real-time file system scans, but not for AMSI scans or command-line scans. 

Location and how to enable it:

• SEP 14.3 RU7 - Virus and Spyware policy

• SES:Complete - Antimalware Policy 

Coexist with Windows Defender is available in SEP 14.3 RU7 and later (Source)

Additional Information

NOTE: In some cases to get coexistence to function, it may be required to place Windows Defender into passive mode following steps found in this Microsoft document: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/microsoft-defender-antivirus-compatibility?view=o365-worldwide 

NOTE: Auto-Protect cannot run in coexistence mode on an endpoint that is protected by a File Based Write Filter (FBWF). These endpoints ignore this option.