--- title: Windows operating system security description: Securing the operating system includes system security, encryption, network security, and threat protection. ms.reviewer: ms.topic: article manager: dansimp ms.author: deniseb ms.mktglfcycl: deploy ms.sitesec: library ms.pagetype: security author: denisebmsft ms.collection: M365-security-compliance ms.prod: m365-security ms.technology: windows-sec ms.date: 09/21/2021 --- # Windows operating system security Security and privacy depend on an operating system that guards your system and information from the moment it starts up, providing fundamental chip-to-cloud protection. Windows 11 is the most secure Windows yet with extensive security measures designed to help keep you safe. These measures include built-in advanced encryption and data protection, robust network and system security, and intelligent safeguards against ever-evolving threats. Watch the latest [Microsoft Mechanics Windows 11 security](https://youtu.be/tg9QUrnVFho) video that shows off some of the latest Windows 11 security technology. Use the links in the following table to learn more about the operating system security features and capabilities in Windows 11.

| Security Measures | Features & Capabilities | |:---|:---| | Secure Boot and Trusted Boot | Secure Boot and Trusted Boot help prevent malware and corrupted components from loading when a Windows device is starting. Secure Boot starts with initial boot-up protection, and then Trusted Boot picks up the process. Together, Secure Boot and Trusted Boot help to ensure your Windows system boots up safely and securely.

Learn more [Secure Boot and Trusted Boot](trusted-boot.md). | Cryptography and certificate management|Cryptography uses code to convert data so that only a specific recipient can read it by using a key. Cryptography enforces privacy to prevent anyone except the intended recipient from reading data, integrity to ensure data is free of tampering, and authentication that verifies identity to ensure that communication is secure.

Learn more about [Cryptography and certificate management](cryptography-certificate-mgmt.md).

| Windows Security app | The Windows built-in security application found in settings provides an at-a-glance view of the security status and health of your device. These insights help you identify issues and take action to make sure you’re protected. You can quickly see the status of your virus and threat protection, firewall and network security, device security controls, and more.

Learn more about the [Windows Security app](threat-protection/windows-defender-security-center/windows-defender-security-center.md).| | Encryption and data protection | Wherever confidential data is stored, it must be protected against unauthorized access, whether through physical device theft or from malicious applications. Windows provides strong at-rest data-protection solutions that guard against nefarious attackers.

Learn more about [Encryption](encryption-data-protection.md). | BitLocker | BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature that integrates with the operating system and addresses the threats of data theft or exposure from lost, stolen, or inappropriately decommissioned computers. BitLocker provides the most protection when used with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 1.2 or later.

Learn more about [BitLocker](information-protection/bitlocker/bitlocker-overview.md). | | Encrypted Hard Drive | Encrypted Hard Drive uses the rapid encryption that is provided by BitLocker Drive Encryption to enhance data security and management.
By offloading the cryptographic operations to hardware, Encrypted Hard Drives increase BitLocker performance and reduce CPU usage and power consumption. Because Encrypted Hard Drives encrypt data quickly, enterprise devices can expand BitLocker deployment with minimal impact on productivity.

Learn more about [Encrypted Hard Drives](information-protection/encrypted-hard-drive.md).

| | Security baselines | A security baseline is a group of Microsoft-recommended configuration settings that explains their security impact. These settings are based on feedback from Microsoft security engineering teams, product groups, partners, and customers.

Security baselines are included in the [Security Compliance Toolkit](threat-protection/windows-security-configuration-framework/security-compliance-toolkit-10.md) that you can download from the Microsoft Download Center.

Learn more about [security baselines](threat-protection/windows-security-configuration-framework/windows-security-baselines.md). | | Virtual Private Network | Virtual private networks (VPNs) are point-to-point connections across a private or public network, such as the Internet. A VPN client uses special TCP/IP or UDP-based protocols, called tunneling protocols, to make a virtual call to a virtual port on a VPN server.

Learn more about [Virtual Private Networks](identity-protection/vpn/vpn-guide.md).

| | Windows Defender Firewall | Windows Defender Firewall is a stateful host firewall that helps secure the device by allowing you to create rules that determine which network traffic is permitted to enter the device from the network and which network traffic the device is allowed to send to the network. Windows Defender Firewall also supports Internet Protocol security (IPsec), which you can use to require authentication from any device that is attempting to communicate with your device.

Learn more about [Windows Defender Firewall with advanced security](threat-protection/windows-firewall/windows-firewall-with-advanced-security.md).

| Antivirus & antimalware protection | Microsoft Defender Antivirus is included in all versions of Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 and later, and Windows 11. If you have another antivirus app installed and turned on, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will turn off automatically. If you uninstall the other app, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will turn back on.

From the moment you boot Windows, Microsoft Defender Antivirus continually monitors for malware, viruses, and security threats. Updates are downloaded automatically to help protect your device from threats. Microsoft Defender Antivirus continually scans for malware and threats, and also detects and blocks [potentially unwanted applications](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/detect-block-potentially-unwanted-apps-microsoft-defender-antivirus) (applications that can negatively impact your device even though they are not considered malware).

Microsoft Defender Antivirus integrates with [cloud-delivered protection](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/cloud-protection-microsoft-defender-antivirus), which helps ensure near-instant detection and blocking of new and emerging threats.

Learn more about [next-generation protection and Microsoft Defender Antivirus](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/microsoft-defender-antivirus-windows).| | Attack surface reduction rules | Your attack surfaces are the places and ways you are vulnerable to a cyber attack. Attack surface reduction rules are built into Windows and Windows Server to prevent and block certain behaviors that are often abused to compromise your device or network. Such behaviors can include launching scripts or executables that attempt to download or run other files, running suspicious scripts, or performing other behaviors that apps don't typically initiate during normal work. You can configure your attack surface reduction rules to protect against these risky behaviors.

Learn more about [Attack surface reduction rules](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/attack-surface-reduction) | | Anti-tampering protection | During cyber attacks (like ransomware attempts), bad actors attempt to disable security features, such as antivirus protection on targeted devices. Bad actors like to disable security features to get easier access to user’s data, to install malware, or to otherwise exploit user’s data, identity, and devices without fear of being blocked. Tamper protection helps prevent these kinds of activities.

With tamper protection, malware is prevented from taking actions such as:
- Disabling virus and threat protection
- Disabling real-time protection
- Turning off behavior monitoring
- Disabling antivirus (such as IOfficeAntivirus (IOAV))
- Disabling cloud-delivered protection
- Removing security intelligence updates

Learn more about [Tamper protection](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/prevent-changes-to-security-settings-with-tamper-protection). | | Network protection | Network protection in Windows helps prevent users from accessing dangerous IP addresses and domains that may host phishing scams, exploits, and other malicious content on the Internet. Network protection is part of attack surface reduction and helps provide an extra layer of protection for a user. Using reputation-based services, network protection blocks access to potentially harmful, low-reputation based domains and IP addresses.

In enterprise environments, network protection works best with [Microsoft Defender for Endpoint](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/), which provides detailed reporting into protection events as part of larger investigation scenarios.

Learn more about [Network protection](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/network-protection). | | Controlled folder access | With controlled folder access, you can protect your valuable information in specific folders by managing apps’ access to specific folders. Only trusted apps can access protected folders, which are specified when controlled folder access is configured. Typically, commonly used folders, such as those used for documents, pictures, downloads, are included in the list of controlled folders. Controlled folder access helps protect valuable data from malicious apps and threats, such as ransomware.

Learn more about [Controlled folder access](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/controlled-folders). | | Exploit protection | Exploit protection, available in Windows 10, version 1709 and later, automatically applies several exploit mitigation techniques to operating system processes and apps. Exploit protection works best with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, which gives organizations detailed reporting into exploit protection events and blocks as part of typical alert investigation scenarios.

You can enable exploit protection on an individual device, and then use Group Policy to distribute the XML file to multiple devices simultaneously. When a mitigation is encountered on the device, a notification will be displayed from the Action Center. You can customize the notification with your company details and contact information. You can also enable the rules individually to customize which techniques the feature monitors.

Learn more about [Exploit protection](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/exploit-protection). | | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Windows E5 customers benefit from [Microsoft Defender for Endpoint](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/microsoft-defender-endpoint), an enterprise endpoint detection and response capability that helps enterprise security teams detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats. With rich event data and attack insights, Defender for Endpoint enables your security team to investigate incidents and take remediation actions effectively and efficiently.

Defender for Endpoint also is part of [Microsoft 365 Defender](/microsoft-365/security/defender/), a unified pre- and post-breach enterprise defense suite that natively coordinates detection, prevention, investigation, and response across endpoints, identities, email, and applications to provide integrated protection against sophisticated attacks.

Learn more about [Microsoft Defender for Endpoint](/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint) and [Microsoft 365 Defender](/microsoft-365/security/defender/). |