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Windows 11 Security Guide: Powerful Security by Design

Updated: Jul 26

Emerging technologies and evolving business trends present new opportunities and challenges for organizations of all sizes. As technology and workstyles transform, the threat landscape becomes more complex, with increasingly sophisticated attacks targeting organizations and employees.


To thrive in this environment, organizations need security solutions that work anywhere. Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index indicates that "cybersecurity issues and risks" are top concerns for business decision-makers. They worry about threats such as malware, stolen credentials, devices lacking security updates, and physical attacks on lost or stolen devices.


Traditionally, corporate networks and software-based security were the first lines of defense. However, with an increasingly distributed and mobile workforce, the focus has shifted to hardware-based endpoint security. Human error is now a significant vulnerability, with 74% of breaches resulting from errors, privilege misuse, stolen credentials, or social engineering. Most attacks are financially motivated, with credential theft, phishing, and exploitation of vulnerabilities being the primary attack vectors. Credential theft alone accounts for 50% of breaches.


At Microsoft, we are dedicated to helping organizations stay agile and protected against modern threats. We analyze 43 trillion signals daily to understand and defend against digital threats. Our team includes over 8,500 dedicated security professionals across 77 countries, and we collaborate with more than 15,000 partners in our security ecosystem to enhance resilience for our customers.


Businesses worldwide are adopting secure-by-design and secure-by-default strategies. These models prioritize security as a fundamental business requirement, rather than just a technical feature. With a secure-by-default strategy, businesses can proactively reduce risk and exposure to threats because products are shipped with security features already built-in and enabled.


To support businesses in this new era, we designed Windows 11 to be secure by design and secure by default. Windows 11 devices come with more security features enabled out of the box, in contrast to Windows 10 devices, which required IT or employee intervention to activate many safeguards. The default security settings in Windows 11 enhance protection without the need for additional configuration. Additionally, Windows 11 devices have demonstrated increased malware resistance without compromising performance.


Windows 11 is the most secure version of Windows to date, developed in close partnership with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and silicon manufacturers. Discover why organizations of all sizes, including 90% of Fortune 500 companies, are leveraging the robust default protection offered by Windows 11.




Security priorities and benefits



Security by design and security by default


Windows 11 is designed with layers of security enabled by default, so you can focus on your work, not your security settings.


Out-of-the-box features such as credential safeguards, malware shields, and application protection led to a reported 58% drop in security incidents, including a 3.1x reduction in firmware attacks.


In Windows 11, hardware and software work together to shrink the attack surface, protect system integrity, and shield valuable data. New and enhanced features are designed for security by default. For example, Win32 apps in isolation (public preview) ⁶, token protection (public preview) ⁶, and Microsoft Intune Endpoint Privilege Management⁷ are some of the latest capabilities that help protect your organization and employees against attack. Windows Hello and Windows Hello for Business work with hardware-based features like TPM 2.0 and biometric scanners for credential protection and easier, secure sign-on. Existing security features like BitLocker encryption have also been enhanced to optimize both security and performance



Protect employees against evolving threats


With attackers targeting employees and their devices, organizations need stronger security against increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats. Windows 11 provides proactive protection against credential theft. Windows Hello and TPM 2.0 work together to shield identities. Secure biometric sign-in virtually eliminates the risk of lost or stolen passwords. And enhanced phishing protection increases safety. In fact, Businesses reported 2.8x fewer instances of identity theft with the hardware backed protection in Windows 11.






Gain mission-critical application safeguards


Help keep business data secure and employees productive with robust safeguards and control for applications. Windows 11 has multiple layers of application security that shield critical data and code integrity. Application protection, privacy controls, and least-privilege principles enable developers to build in security by design. This integrated security protects against breaches and malware, helps keep data private, and gives IT administrators the controls they need. As a result, organizations and regulators can be confident that critical data is protected.



End-to-end protection with modern management


Increase protection and efficiency with Windows 11 and chip-to-cloud security. Microsoft offers comprehensive cloud services for identity, storage, and access management. In addition, Microsoft also provides the tools needed to attest that Windows 11 devices connecting to your network or accessing your data and resources are trustworthy. You can also enforce compliance and conditional access with modern device management (MDM) solutions such as Microsoft Intune⁹ and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Azure Active Directory). Security by default not only enables people to work securely anywhere, but it also simplifies IT. A streamlined, chip-to-cloud security solution based on Windows 11 has improved productivity for IT and security teams by a reported 25%.




Security by design and default



 In Windows 11, hardware and software work together to protect sensitive data from the core of your PC all the way to the cloud. Comprehensive protection helps keep your organization secure, no matter where people work. This simple diagram shows the layers of protection in Windows 11, while each chapter provides a layer-by-layer deep dive into features.





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