Windows 10 Anniversary Update brings security improvements

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Microsoft has scheduled the release of Windows 10 Anniversary Update for August 2.

Aside from new and/or improved tools to aid with productivity, gaming, device set-up, and a better, more efficient and helpful Edge browser, this Anniversary Update also brings improved security features.

Individual user security

For home users, the Windows Hello password-free authentication feature that allows logging in with face and/or fingerprint will now be usable with Windows apps and Microsoft Edge, as well as companion devices.

 

Windows Defender, Microsoft’s free anti-malware service, will also provide new scan scheduling and notification options.

To all this you can add the bloatware-removal tool that will allow users to rid their machines of buggy applications pre-installed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in one fell swoop.

Enterprise user security

As regards the enterprise version of the OS, all users will now get Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (WDATP), a service that aims to help enterprises to detect, investigate, and respond to advanced attacks on their networks.

 

The service has been in the testing phase for a while, and is now ready to be deployed for all enterprise users.

It is a combination of client technology within the OS itself and a cloud service.

 

 

“Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection is powered by a combination of Windows behavioral sensors, cloud based security analytics, threat intelligence, and by tapping into Microsoft’s intelligent security graph. This immense security graph provides big-data security analytics that look across aggregate behaviors to identify anomalies – informed by anonymous information from over 1 billion Windows devices, 2.5 trillion indexed URLs on the Web, 600 million reputation look-ups online, and over 1 million suspicious files detonated every day,” Microsoft explained.

 

“This data is then augmented by expertise from world-class security experts and advanced threat protection Hunters from across the globe, who are uniquely equipped to detect attacks.”

 

Another addition is Windows Information Protection (WIP), which will help with device protection (when lost or stolen), data separation, data leak protection and data sharing protection.

 

“Windows [will now include] the functionality necessary to identify personal and business information, determine which apps have access to it, and provide the basic controls necessary to determine what users are able to do with business data (e.g.: Copy and Paste restrictions),” it has been explained.

 

“Windows Information Protection is designed specifically to work with the Office 365 ProPlus and Azure Rights Management, which can help protect business data when it leaves the device or when its shared with others (e.g.: Print restrictions; Email forwarding).”

 

Deploying the solutions is a breeze, apparently. “Just turn on a few policies in your MDM (e.g.: Microsoft Intune) or System Center Configuration Manager and WIP is ready to go,” they say.

How to get Windows 10 Anniversary Update?

Users who have already updated to Windows 10 can simply download it and install it. Users who have still not upgraded to Windows 10 have until July 29 to do it for free – after that date, they will have to pay for it. Once they do it, they will be able to install and deploy the Anniversary Update.

 

Microsoft says Windows 10 is currently installed on over 350 million devices.

 

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