santiago silver - Fotolia

How does Windows 10 virtualization-based security work?

The Isolated User Mode in Windows 10 is a virtualization-based security technology that helps power Credential Guard and Device Guard.

Isolated User Mode, part of Microsoft's virtualization-based security technology, is brand new to Windows 10.

Windows 10 virtualization-based security has not received much attention so far, but it is one of the operating system's most significant security features.

The idea behind virtualization-based security is actually simple. If a process, or data, is virtualized, then it is isolated from the rest of the operating system, and therefore it is more difficult to tamper with. Isolated User Mode allows for a secure kernel and secure applications.

A number of different areas of the Windows operating system rely on virtualization-based security. Credential Guard, for example, uses a virtualized environment to store and prevent credential theft. In the past, hackers could steal credentials with a pass the hash attack, which virtualization-based security protects against.

Device Guard is another operating system security feature that uses virtualization-based security. In previous versions of Windows, if an attacker somehow gained administrative privileges to tamper with the app control policy for a device, she could allow malicious apps to run on the device.

With Device Guard, the app control policy can only be updated if a trusted signer signs it. That way, an attacker cannot modify the app control policy to let prohibited apps run on a device. This technique is far more secure than relying on AppLocker alone.

Next Steps

A deeper look at Device Guard credential

How Windows 10 ups the security game

Explore Windows Hello and Passport

Will Microsoft change its virtualization licensing with Windows 10?

Dig Deeper on Unified endpoint management

Virtual Desktop
SearchWindowsServer
Close