Microsoft has announced a new security measure for Windows 10 that should protect computers and laptops against malware. Device Guard, as the solution is called, allows organisations to protect their systems against both known as unknown malware, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and zero-day attacks.
The security measure only allows software of specific developers, the Windows Store or the own organisation to run on a device protected by Device Guard. All other software will be blocked. The organisation that owns the device can decide which software they allow to run on it. The solution comes with software that makes it possible to sign third-party apps, so they can be allowed by Device Guard.
To determine whether the application that's executed is trustworthy, Device Guard uses hardware technology and virtualization to isolate that decision from the rest of Windows 10. This should offer protection against attackers or malware that have obtained full system privileges. According to Microsoft this offers a big advantage over traditional virus scanners and whitelist technologies that are vulnerable to manipulation of administrators or malware.
Several manufacturers, including Acer, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba have announced to support Device Guard on their devices.
