Windows 10 Upgrade Ends July 2016

You Could Miss Out on Valuable Security Features

If you haven’t upgraded from Windows 7 or 8 yet, you may want to give Windows 10 another look before sticking with your old platform—if only for the enhanced security features that Windows is offering up with the new OS.

Biometric User Authentication

Windows Hello is a new layer of advanced security that utilizes facial recognition, fingerprint authentication, and iris scanning technology for user identity. The newest machines with fingerprint and infrared scanning capabilities are expected to be compatible with Windows Hello since Microsoft installed the biometric technology into the Windows 10 platform.

Considering most users are likely overwhelmed with the number of passwords they must remember just to navigate a few different sites to check email and pay bills, two-factor authentication (2FA) on a computer is certainly a welcome addition.

Microsoft Passport Offers Users Two-Factor Authentication

Microsoft Passport adds another security enhancement by offering users two-factor authentication. With 2FA, users can register a separate supported device as a backup that can be used to unlock a Windows 10 machine—as long as it is accompanied by a PIN or gesture unique to the user.

Due to these enhanced security measures, 2FA and Windows Hello biometric user authentication may make entering in a string of characters as a password a thing of the very recent past.

Even the Firmware Got a Security Upgrade

Windows 10 utilizes enhanced security on the firmware level, where digital signatures are confirmed on the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) level before the OS is loaded. If the OS loader, driver digital signatures, and components are corrupted or have been compromised, the machine won’t boot.

This security measure protects users from malware and other malicious software that installs on the machine’s boot loader.

Control Flow Guard is Re-Enabled

Microsoft re-enabled the Control Flow Guard (CFG) with this newest edition of Windows. CFG keeps cyber criminals from hijacking an application and redirecting it to an invalid address, which helps secure the OS from malicious attacks like memory corruption, code spoofing, phishing attacks, and zero-day attacks.

These Windows 10 security enhancements represent marked improvements over the sorely lacking Windows security measures of yesterday. As with any popular technology, however, once more users adopt Windows 10, more hackers will redirect their focus to the heavily utilized platform. Malware developers will undoubtedly evolve to keep pace with even these most advanced and innovative security measures.

If you are concerned about keeping your business data safe from cyber attacks and you are looking for an IT business partner who stays ahead of the latest security threats and advancements in technology, we can help. Centerpoint IT is your local IT managed service provider specializing in Windows technology and security issues. Contact us at (404) 781-0200 or send us an email at info@centerpointit.com for more information.