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Windows 11 has an improved experience and protocols, including more secure and reliable connection methods and advanced network security, including encryption and firewall protection and built-in Virtual Private Network (VPN) protocols.
- Windows operating system security | Microsoft Learn
Windows 11 is the most secure Windows yet with extensive...
- Windows operating system security | Microsoft Learn
Sep 6, 2024 · By requiring Secure Boot and a TPM 2.0 chip, Windows 11 totally neutralizes a whole class of malware attacks, attacks that gain root-level control over the computer by subverting the Windows boot...
- Overview
- How to enable 256-bit BitLocker in Windows 11
- How to enable all features in Windows Security
- What is virus and threat protection in Windows Security?
- What is account protection in Windows Security?
- What is app & browser control in Windows Security?
- What is device protection in Windows Security?
- What is Windows Backup?
- What is the page file?
- What is a Windows security baseline?
How-to
There are several security features available in Windows 11 that aren’t enabled by default or need to be configured properly.
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•Enable 256-bit BitLocker
•Enable Windows Security
You might already have BitLocker enabled on your PC if you're a security-minded individual, however, most people don't know that BitLocker defaults to 128-bit encryption. You can check if your encryption is 128-bit or 256-bit by running the command manage-bde -status without the quotes in an administration-privileged command prompt.
If you already have enabled BitLocker on your PC, you will need to unencrypt your drives, enable 256-bit encryption in Windows group policy, and then re-enable BitLocker. If you haven't enabled BitLocker on your PC yet, follow the steps below to enable 256-bit encryption, and then make use of our guide on how to configure BitLocker encryption on Windows 11.
•Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog
•Type gpedit.msc and press Enter
•Go to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\BitLocker Drive Encryption. Look for the "Choose drive encryption method and cipher strength" option for the most recent operating version. For me it was Windows 10 (1511) and double click it.
Make sure you choose the correct options:
Most of the Windows Security features should be enabled by default when you first get your PC, however, in my experience, they seem to be disabled for various reasons. It is worth doing a double check and making sure they are all turned on and functioning.
Enable all features in Windows Security
To enable all features in Windows Security for Windows 11, use these steps:
•In the Windows Search Bar type in Windows Security and hit enter.
•Check to make sure all of the icons are green and enabled
3. If any of the features are greyed out, go ahead and click the toggle and follow any of the steps required to enable them. Some of the features may require a PC restart to be completely enabled.
Virus and Threat Protection in Windows Security offers several features, and you can learn more about it on the Windows help site. I recommend making sure the Ransomware protection is enabled.
•Virus and Threat Protection helps you scan for threats on your device.
•Run different types of scans.
•See the results of your previous virus and threat scans.
Account Protection in Windows Security has features to make sure your account and computer are more secure by protecting sign-ins and the computer if you leave it unlocked by accident.
•With Account Protection, sign into your Microsoft account for extra protections
•Use Windows Hello for more secure sign-in options such as facial recognition or fingerprint.
•Use Dynamic Lock to pair your PC to your phone, and any time your phone recognizes you have walked away, it will lock your PC.
Firewall & network protection is vital to protect your computer from being directly accessed by malicious external devices. Microsoft is always updating their Firewall settings to protect from new and emerging threats.
•Firewall & network protection in Windows Security lets you view the status of Microsoft Defender Firewall.
App & browser control in Windows Security makes sure you are safe while browsing the web or when installing applications that might be malicious. You can also manage the settings for Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, which helps protect your device from potentially dangerous apps, files, websites, and downloads.
•Reputation-based protection - Reputation-based protection leverages what Microsoft knows about various sites, services, and publishers, as well as threats we've seen in action to help protect you from malicious or potentially unwanted apps, files, or websites.
•Isolated browsing - Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge can help to protect you against untrusted and potentially dangerous sites by opening them in a virtualized container, isolated from your important files and folders.
•Exploit protection - Exploit protection automatically applies many exploit mitigation techniques to operating system processes and apps.
Device protection in Windows Security is one of the most important and last lines of defense for your Windows PC. It sequesters your most important and powerful functions that can be hijacked by low-level drivers.
•Core isolation protects important core processes of Windows from malicious software by isolating them in memory. It does this by running those core processes in a virtualized environment.
•Memory integrity can help prevent malicious code from accessing high-security processes in the event of an attack.
•Security processor - Your security processor provides additional encryption for your device.
Windows Backup is a built-in feature in Windows 11 that backs up a copy of your files, and if you enable it, your settings so that if your computer gets infected, lost, or broken you won't lose all of your data.
Windows Backup should be enabled by default, but it is worth making sure that your settings are being backed up and that you haven't hit the 5GB limit that comes with a free Microsoft account.
We also have a guide on how to make a full backup of your PC in Windows 11, but if you just want to use Windows Backup, here is how to do that.
•In the Windows Search Bar type in Windows Backup and hit enter.
•Check each of the drop-downs to make sure all of the icons are green and enabled
•If there are any items not backed up, enable them and then hit the backup button
The virtual memory paging file also called the page file stores important information from memory for the computer to improve performance. Some of the things stored there are your browser history, files, and pictures as well as system information.
The page file is a big target for hackers and there is no reason for your PC to store this information after being shut down, it can simply build a new page file the next time you turn on the PC. So, how do we make sure to clear the page file at every shutdown? Let's take a look.
Note: Making this change requires changing some registry entries, beware that tinkering with the registry can break Windows requiring a full re-install if you change the wrong registry entries. It is always best practice to back up the registry before making changes.
•In the Windows Search Bar, type in Regedit and hit enter.
•Browse to: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
•Double-Click on Memory Management
Microsoft offers a free security baseline for its different operating system versions. You can download them at the Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit site. These are standards Microsoft creates mainly focused on enterprise customers, but consumers can use them as well. Microsoft's security baselines are "an industry-standard configuration that is broadly known and well-tested"
Microsoft will create custom policies and safeguards against new threats and attack vectors that weren't being used when the operating system first came out. This is more pervasive than a simple security update.
This is a more advanced option for security for those who enjoy tinkering with all facets of their security and permissions on their PC.
•Download the appropriate version of the security baseline for your PC from the Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit site.
•Navigate to the location of the download and extract the file.
•Go to the scripts folder
Sep 18, 2024 · Windows 11 Home vs Pro: Security. The most notable difference in features between Windows 11 Pro vs Home is on the security front.
- Alex Wawro
Jul 10, 2024 · Windows 11 is the most secure Windows yet with extensive security measures designed to help keep you safe. These measures include built-in advanced encryption and data protection, robust network and system security, and intelligent safeguards against ever-evolving threats.
Windows 11 provides chip-to-cloud security, enabling IT administrators to implement strong authorization and authentication processes with tools such as our premier solution Windows Hello for Business.
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Oct 4, 2021 · As the day becomes October 5 in each time zone around the world, availability of Windows 11 begins through a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 PCs and on new PCs pre-installed with Windows 11 that can be purchased beginning today.
