Microsoft is fully committed to make Windows 10 a great operating system, and one topic the company is really focusing on is in bringing more robust security features to the operating system. As new network breaches, theft of personal information, and other threat like new sophisticated type of malware keep growing is up to Windows 10 to provide the tools to seamlessly protect us moving forward.
In a new article, Microsoft shared details on improvements that Windows 10 is bringing for better security and information protection. Though, the long article aims to enterprises, the improvements will also be seen by home users.
According to the company in Windows 10, it’s actively addressing modern security threats by making changes to bring better information protection, identity protection and access control, and threat resistance.
Windows 10 will provide improvements to the Microsoft Account and Microsoft’s enterprise management to start moving away from passwords to a more robust method.
Identity Protection and Access Control
In the next version of the operating system, Microsoft will introduce a modern approach to authenticate users, that being on a home computer or using a domain account at work. Of course we’re talking about a multi-factor authentication strategy, but all the new changes will not require smartcards or any other type of new hardware. The secret ingredient are the PCs themselves, which together with Windows 10, they will provide the two factors for users to authenticate. The second factor will include a PIN, fingerprint, or other type of biometric reading, as we now see in many devices like in Apple and Lenovo products.
Basically moving forward, devices (e.g., PCs, Tablets, and smartphones) will have to be registered as part of the authentication process. Then you’ll simply be able to sign in other devices, networks, and websites without having to provide two-factor authentication as long as the enrolled device is on range. Your phone will behave as a remote smartcard and it will provide two-factor authentication for both remote access and local sign-in.
For those users in Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, or using Microsoft Accounts will be able to part away from passwords.
Information protection
It’s been years since Microsoft introduced BitLocker (the disk encryption feature) in Windows designed to ensure privacy on sensitive information, but it’s still hard to implement. Windows 10 is set to address the issue with proactive data loss protection (DLP) that seamlessly identifies and separates corporate data from personal data using something called containers.
With this new technology, Windows 10 will automatically encrypt everything that belongs to corporate, including apps, data, email, and websites. And yes, Windows Phone will also be supported.
Now if you create new data, DLP will provide an option to define if the new content is corporate or personal. Also there will be new policies that will allow companies to prevent users from copying corporate content to personal documents or external locations, that being a USB drive or social networks.
Fighting new threats
Although, Windows 10 will continue offering built-in antivirus and anti-malware solutions, Microsoft will also expand its app sandboxing technology introduced in Windows 8, so that desktop applications and Universal apps can be defined a trusted apps, and only these trusted apps will be permitted on Windows 10 and smartphones. Under the new control OEMs and corporate will be able to set policies of what apps are trusted on devices. Windows Store apps will continue to be as the one stop-shop for trusted apps, but being able to sign traditional desktop application as trusted apps is a welcome addition to the operating system.
These new improvements help users to keep their information and data a bit safer. And these aren’t the only changes Redmond will include in Windows 10, as the company releases more previews of the operating system, more features will be introduced and details will be shared.
Source Microsoft
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].