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Windows 8 adds new messures for PC Security

Microsoft held an event in New York yesterday to launch the new OS, Windows 8.

Microsoft spent the majority of it’s time talking about new cool features and introducing a swag of hardware options available with Windows 8 but one thing Microsoft didn’t talk about much, though, is security and the new features in Windows 8 that will keep your PC and data safe.

As with every previous version of the Windows operating system, Windows 8 they say is the most secure version yet and that amounts to little more than marketing hype. Each new version includes the security features of the previous one, but improves on them and adds new features to address potential risks missed by the predecessor. Not to suggest that Windows 8 is invulnerable, but it should be expected that its more secure than Windows 7, or any previous version of Windows. So, what makes Windows 8 more secure? Perhaps the biggest security feature of Windows 8 is really not a Microsoft or Windows 8 thing at all: UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). UEFI is an open standard used to replace the archaic BIOS typically found on PC hardware.UEFI has been around for a while, but systems built for Windows 8 (and Windows Server 2012) are the first to take advantage of the feature of UEFI that allows for pre-boot authentication. Basically, UEFI will only allow software with recognized, valid security certificates to run, so it prevents rootkits or other malware that might attempt to load at boot from doing so.Next there’s Windows Defender. If youre already using Windows Vista or Windows 7, or if youve downloaded the free tool to use with Windows XP, then you’re already familiar with Windows Defender. Previous versions of Windows Defender have been strictly anti-spyware, while Microsoft offered a separate, standalone tool for broader – protection called Security Essentials. In Windows 8, the two are merged together so Windows Defender is actually a more comprehensive anti-malware tool.Windows Defender is part of Windows 8, and its enabled by default so you get protection right out of the box. However, Microsoft does allow for OEMs to disable and replace the Windows Defender protection with third-party tools.

Windows Defender should still be there, though you just need to enable it. Wolfgang Kandek, CTO of Qualys, points out that Windows Defender is primarily a consumer-oriented security tool. Organizations, which typically require management capabilities, such as reports on machine update status and alerts of neutralized malware, will still need to look for an enterprise malware solution.

With Windows 8, Microsoft takes the SmartScreen protection which has been a very effective tool for guarding against malicious downloads when using Internet extends it to the entire operating system. Now, SmartScreen will warn and protect you even if you’re using an alternate browser, such as Firefox or Chrome, or just downloading a file across the network.

For organizations deploying Windows 8, Dynamic Access Control is also greatly enhanced. The current Dynamic Access Control lets IT admins restrict access to files and folders based on users and groups. The new Dynamic Access Control gives IT admins much more granular control enabling access to be defined by virtually any Active Directory attribute.

For example, the old Dynamic Access Control allows for an organization to determine which users or groups are allowed to access a given folder. The new Dynamic Access Control enables an organisation to allow access to a given folder as long as an individual is using an authorised company-issued iPad, but prevent that same individual from accessing the folder from their own personal iPad.

One last aspect of Windows 8 that contributes to better security is the focus on the Windows App Store. Microsoft wants individuals and organisations to migrate toward using apps that are developed to work within the Start screen Modern UI (the only software that will run with Windows RT). The upside for Windows 8 users is that the apps available in the App Store are vetted and scanned, so they should be inherently more secure.