Back in April, Microsoft announced a number of new security features for Windows 11 and said they would be coming in a “future release” of the operating system. As it turns out, the company was referring to the Windows 11 2022 update in this announcement – which is now being pushed out. Microsoft has confirmed that all the security improvements it announced a few months ago are now generally available in Windows 11.
Smart App Control settings in Windows 11
The highlight of this update is Smart App Control, which is powered by an artificial intelligence model that helps detect and stop potentially unsafe apps from running on your computer. Smart App Control builds on Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC). However, as previously explained, a clean installation of the computer must be performed to take advantage of this feature. This feature is intended for both individuals and small businesses.
In terms of driver protection, both Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) and the Vulnerable Driver Block List will be enabled by default. The former actually runs the kernel code within a Virtualisation Based Security (VBS) environment via Kernel Mode Integrity Checking (KMCI), rather than the actual Windows kernel. This process ensures that all kernel code is verified, secured and signed before it is allowed to run on the Windows kernel. Essentially, this is a kernel-level mitigation against malware. At the same time, the list of vulnerable driver blocks will protect your computer from harmful drivers and their associated behaviour.
