Windows Server 2025 introduces a suite of new and enhanced security features tailored to tackle modern threats across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments. Microsoft has just published a new Windows Server 2025 Security Advice book that you should download and read.
For those responsible for Windows Server security in enterprise environments, this document is a technical roadmap for understanding the depth of protection now embedded in Windows Server. Here's an overview of what you can find in the document:
System Hardening and Baselines
A detailed breakdown of security baselines in Windows Server 2025 explains how to achieve compliance with standards like the CIS Benchmark and DISA STIG. It walks through deploying the baseline across the system lifecycle, leveraging tools like PowerShell and OSConfig. This section is invaluable for those who need to balance security requirements with system performance and compatibility.
Credential Protection and Application Control
The document provides a technical overview of how virtualization-based security (VBS) isolates sensitive credentials, along with insights on application control using Windows Defender. Advanced policies for application control are discussed in a way that shows how to tailor security to fit specific organizational needs, especially useful for environments where sensitive data and high trust levels are involved.
Silicon-Assisted Security Innovations
An explanation of the Secured-Core Server functionality that leverage hardware-based protections like TPM 2.0, Dynamic Root of Trust Measurement (DRTM), and memory integrity checks. The document explains how these components protect against increasingly sophisticated firmware and supply chain attacks.
Operational Security and Continuous Monitoring
The document demonstrates how to set up continuous monitoring, drift protection, and hybrid infrastructure management. IT professionals will appreciate the step-by-step guidance on implementing real-time security baselines and alerts, which are crucial for environments requiring high availability and fast incident response.
Workload Security for Virtual Machines and Containers
The document covers security enhancements specifically for virtualized environments. New virtual machine options, such as Secure Boot on Generation 2 VMs and workload monitoring through Microsoft Defender for Cloud, are explained in detail, helping admins understand how these features support integrity and compliance in virtualized setups.
Enhanced Network Security with Micro-Segmentation
A thorough section on Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Security Groups (NSGs) details how to implement micro-segmentation and enforce network isolation policies. This provides a foundation for reducing lateral movement risks.
Advanced Compliance and Threat Detection
The document covers **Microsoft Sentinel** integration, showing how security alerts from Defender for Cloud can feed into Sentinel for unified threat detection and incident management.
Access the Windows Server 2025 Security Advice book.
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