windows-itpro-docs/windows/threat-protection/windows-defender-exploit-guard/customize-attack-surface-reduction.md

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title	description	keywords	search.product	ms.pagetype	ms.prod	ms.mktglfcycl	ms.sitesec	ms.pagetype	localizationpriority	author	ms.author	ms.date
Configure how ASR works to finetune protection in your network	You can individually set rules in audit, block, or disabled modes, and add files and folders that should be excluded from ASR	Attack surface reduction, hips, host intrusion prevention system, protection rules, anti-exploit, antiexploit, exploit, infection prevention, customize, configure, exclude	eADQiWindows 10XVcnh	security	w10	manage	library	security	medium	iaanw	iawilt	08/25/2017

Customize Attack surface reduction

Applies to:

• Windows 10, version 1709

Audience

• Enterprise security administrators

Manageability available with

• Windows Defender Security Center app
• Group Policy
• PowerShell
• Configuration service providers for mobile device management

Attack surface reduction is a feature that is part of Windows Defender Exploit Guard. It helps prevent actions and apps that are typically used by exploit-seeking malware to infect machines.

This topic describes how to customize Attack surface reduction by excluding files and folders or adding custom text to the notification alert that appears on a user's computer.

You can use Group Policy, PowerShell, and MDM CSPs to configure these settings.

Exclude files and folders

You can exclude files and folders from being evaluated by Attack surface reduction rules.

You can specify individual files or folders (using folder paths or fully qualified resource names) but you cannot specify if the exclusions should only be applied to individual rules: the exclusions will apply to all rules that are enabled (or placed in audit mode).

Use Group Policy to exclude files and folders

1. On your Group Policy management machine, open the Group Policy Management Console, right-click the Group Policy Object you want to configure and click Edit.

2. In the Group Policy Management Editor go to Computer configuration.

3. Click Policies then Administrative templates.

4. Expand the tree to Windows components > Windows Defender Antivirus > Windows Defender Exploit Guard > Attack surface reduction.

5. Double-click the Exclude files and paths from Attack surface reduction Rules setting and set the option to Enabled. Click Show and enter each file or folder in the Value name column. Enter 0 in the Value column for each item.

Use PowerShell to exclude files and folderss

1. Type powershell in the Start menu, right click Windows PowerShell and click Run as administrator

2. Enter the following cmdlet:

   Add-MpPreference -AttackSurfaceReductionOnlyExclusions "<fully qualified path or resource>"
   

Continue to use Add-MpPreference -AttackSurfaceReductionOnlyExclusions to add more folders to the list.

Important

Use Add-MpPreference to append or add apps to the list. Using the Set-MpPreference cmdlet will overwrite the existing list.

Use MDM CSPs to exclude files and folders

Use the ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Defender/AttackSurfaceReductionOnlyExclusions configuration service provider (CSP) to add exclusions.

Customize the notification

See the Windows Defender Security Center topic for more information about customizing the notification when a rule is triggered and blocks an app or file.

Related topics

• Reduce attack surfaces with Windows Defender Exploit Guard
• Enable Attack surface reduction
• Evaluate Attack surface reduction