The new web browser from Microsoft, Edge, has the potential to incur some serious damage for its users, but Microsoft has a solution for all of that. The company is releasing the Windows Defender Application Guard, which is able to keep untrusted browsing sessions away from the rest of the operating system. The news means that if, for any reason, you visit a risky site, all the bad things on the website can’t affect the computer’s operating system, and therefore the PC will be kept safe.
Microsoft figures showed that most of the phishing emails, about 90 percent of them, are able to initiate their attacks firstly by attacking the browser, and from then on can take a position from which they can infiltrate the computer.
However the company has introduced the Windows Defender Application Guard, which is aimed at protecting companies and corporations from such threats and acts. The application manages to isolate the Microsoft Edge browser on its own and isolates the browser from other files on the computer, therefore limiting the risk of damage.
The Windows Defender Application Guard will, however, not work for any other browser except the Edge browser. All other independent browsers on the Windows platform will not be protected and so Edge will stand out. Considering the relative difficulties it had with user adoption, the Microsoft Edge browser could surely do with something that would make it stand out from the rest. The move could help boost the adoption rates of the browser.
To achieve the isolation process, the browser will launch some new sessions in virtualized containers which are on the Windows 10, when and if the WDAG is enabled. If a malicious code on the site tries to work on the Windows 10 platform, the Guard will push the code into the container, thereby locking it out of the OS and any other thing that might be with it. The container that has been used will be instantly destroyed once the Edge browsing session is over, which means the malicious code with it is also destroyed.
However, making use of the containers to virtualize Edge can also make it work slower. Microsoft says they have a solution for this by allowing users to whitelist several websites so that they can work perfectly.
The move might not be embraced by everyone, but it will be essential for various military, finance and other vulnerable sectors, because they can now keep their data safe. Microsoft plans to make the application available to users on the Windows 10 Enterprise E3 and E5 starting from next year.
Regardless of Microsoft’s spotty history on user privacy and control, it might still be best to get a good VPN for Windows 10. That even rhymes!
