Forum Discussion
Hardening Windows 10 on an IT Pro's laptop
a clean install of Windows 10 is pretty good, that said, I do have the following advice:
- It is important to properly configure User Account Control on all machines; out of the box it is very insecure meaning anything can bypass it to grab admin privileges.
- It is important to make sure that Secure Boot is enabled on all machines.
- BitLocker is an obvious one, enable it on all machines.
- You may want to use Windows Defender Firewall to block all inbound connections on the private and public profiles, its very effective for protecting devices in public places and usually has no negative impact but should be assessed per requirements.
- You should deploy the uBlock Origin browser extension to all browsers, it blocks a significant amount of malware and greatly reduces the bandwidth used by your org; for the record, Chrome and Edge are much more secure than other browsers.
- Also remember to properly patch, if Windows, Defender, or Browser are out of date then you WILL be targeted.
Following the above will significantly benefit you and your users and can be done by anybody without any extra cost; I hope that's useful for you
Edit: oh, and if you're ever able to: I recommend you look into Windows 10 S (soon to be called Windows Pro in S Mode)
yes, it gets a lot of stick for restricting you to Edge and Store apps but that thing is rock solid; even if you never ever use it, it's the best example of Device Guard Code Integrity in action and how powerful it can be when properly configured
Edit: from 1803 Hypervisor enforced Code Integrity (HVCI) will be enabled by default via clean install, you can enable it on previous versions by following these instructions: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/security/threat-protection/enable-virtualization-based-protection-of-code-integrity
HVCI is a feature that helps defend against kernel level malware; I initially didn't mention it because I'm not sure what the real world benefits are and I'm aware that it can cause instability and performance problems, however since Microsoft seems to be pushing for its implementation I felt it was worth adding. (I imagine they may also do the same for DMA Protection in the future)
im not trying to argue or anything, i have no conflict with most of what you're saying
1 correct, i was adding that this is what used to be known as HVCI, it was a more up and coming feature that didnt exist as core isolation at the time and now it does, memory isolation also has more features that arent exposed in the GUI so it may be useful for some to know
2 DEP as a memory feature isn't outdated, that GUI setting and its wording however is, if you want a gui to manage it the correct place to configure it now is via the "exploit protection" area of the security centre where you will also see that it is on by default
3 when i clear my microsoft account privacy settings it deletes my tech community account, the posts themselves would be deleted if there were any issues
4 again, not trying to argue, but since you bring it up i will say i am a kaspersky customer and my opinion is that kaspersky is generally as good as windows defender, their database is historically the best though defender in the last year has definitely caught up and is in second place, but toward my point: Kaspersky does indeed support AMSI and ELAM which most other AVs do not, Kaspersky also treats unknowns just as defender does which is why they pick up wrapped variants very quickly, but i maintain that it is impossible to catch everything the first time its ever seen, such as your example stuxnet was caught after the damage was done, not before, and something preventative like ASR could have prevented it ever getting into the supplier's systems
5 exactly, i just ask that you be less hostile, theres enough testosterone fuelled cesspits on the internet already
about DEP, the underlying code and script is the same and the OP is having just a Windows 10 pro, other 3rd party tools like that require additional paid licenses and they are supposed to be installed on a stationary server, not a portable device like OP's laptop.
hmm that's weird. I've changed my privacy settings a lot of times and never had that happen to me.. if it's a bug in the site then report it. the only way i know it happens is that when you deliberately delete your account and create a new one with a different Email address..
sorry i should be clearer, it is not third party, and it is not implemented the same way, i am talking about the below image, built into windows 10 for free
technically it is a replacement of a previously optional windows 7 tool known as "EMET" which itself was a gui tool for multiple exploit mitigations (not just DEP)
in current windows 10 DEP is enabled by default by this new implementation for applications despite of what you see in that older interface, hence i try to explain that the setting you are advising doesn't have the assumed impact as the outdated wording is misleading
that old interface is from 2003 and you will see in the new one that there are a whole 20 more configurable exploit mitigations (the ones pictured can be configured as system wide defaults, the rest have to be configured on an app by app basis)
i hope this information is interesting and valuable ❤️- It's not misleading. it's correct. the DEP option in computer properties has 2 options for enabling either for some services or all programs, in Windows defender there is only one option. you really couldn't tell the difference?
but it does not even matter, changing that option does not do that, it does not function like it says, i dont know how else to explain this to you, seriously
what i have shown is not part of windows defender, DEP is part of windows itself, the security centre GUI is just a way to manage some windows security features AND windows defender features, and it has the same TWO DEP options:
ON: this is the SAME as: "Turn on DEP for all programs and services" except it actually WORKS
OFF: this is the SAME as: "Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only" except it actually WORKS
THE DEFAULT IS ONbut as you have noticed by default the OLD setting is set to "Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only" which is the same as OFF
how can DEP be ON and OFF for any application at the same time?
simple: it cannot, it is either off or it is on, and it is ON because
THE NEW SETTING WORKS
THE OLD SETTING DOES NOT
how can you suggest that i "really cant tell the difference" when i am wasting my time trying to explain this to you that what you SEE is a misconception
theres many obscure features in windows that have been depreciated, buttons that connect to nothing, text that is incorrect
the option you place trust in is 15 years old, yes it has two options, but DEP has four states
DEP is already enabled, for all programs and services, even though that option is not selected
because that option is overridden by the ON setting in the GUI in the image i showed you
it is YOU that cannot tell the difference
manual exceptions is the only reason why that old interface is still there, because sometimes you need to opt out of this 15 year old security feature to run even older software
but even that is essentially broken too as manual exceptions is replaced by application opt outsDEP is already enabled, for all programs and services, with application opt outs instead of manual exceptions
enabling the option you are suggesting, only disables those application opt outs causing some old software to be unable to run, thats why its NOT SELECTED BY DEFAULT
things are the way they are for a reason, Microsoft did not spend the last fifteen years doing random engineering for the fun of it
to put it in your own words, "Windows is constantly changing and getting better. it's the duty of system admins to stay up to date." and im not even sure you are a system admin
stuff changes, the best option changes, new becomes old
using windows 7 changing the option is better than the default, feel free to enable it, i encourage it
using windows 10 changing the option is worse than the default, leave it alone, you dont understand what you are breaking
only reason i am responding at all is because there is so much outdated windows advice that people still follow and share online to the detriment of many