Driver security addressed in new Windows Defender feature

Microsoft Defender (Windows Defender) is a free-with-purchase security utility that ships with Windows 11 and 10. It runs in the background most of the time, and the only time most users come in contact with this protective shield is when their activity, either online or off, unearths a vulnerability. Microsoft Defender receives new features every now and then, often without a massive reveal or so much as a changelog, but each new feature further increases the protection users have on their Windows 11 or 10 devices. One such feature now blocks drivers that have been flagged as having security vulnerabilities from running on your devices. 

This new feature is an option in the Defender settings interface that lets you either activate or deactivate increased driver scrutiny. Security vulnerabilities in your Windows ecosystem are something you’ll likely want to avoid at all times. This new feature gives you the option to do just that by employing a ‘better safe than sorry’ default approach when dealing with third-party drivers. Not all third-party drivers carry security vulnerabilities, and not all security vulnerabilities are cause for significant alarm, but when the security of your online or offline digital real estate is concerned, it’s always better to carry more protection than less. 

Microsoft released a support document containing further, more comprehensive details as to the nature of the new addition. Within the document, Microsoft specifically mentioned two types of system configurations within which the new addition would be enabled by default. The two systems are:

• Hypervisor-protected code integrity enabled devices (HVCI)
• Windows 10 devices running in S mode

The document goes into considerable detail as to the how’s and why’s that more technologically-minded users of its Windows 11 and 10 operating systems would find illuminating. However, for those who simply use the product during daily professional or personal operations and who have no interest in the deeper development of such features, the core concept is this: Microsoft Defender can now protect your system better from drivers and applications that may have malicious intent in their coding. 

Microsoft seems to be on the very cutting, leading, or even bleeding edge of technological advancement and how we might interact with tech in the not-so-distant future. Consult our writings on the latest news pertaining to the Windows 11 beta build 22581 to see what features might be heading to the long-awaited Windows 11 version 22H2 expected in the fall.