In a nutshell: One of the new capabilities Microsoft released with the Windows 11 22H2 update toward the end of last month could assist users in maintaining greater security for their credentials. It was created by the corporation to protect against phishing efforts and deter customers from choosing poor passwords.
The new Microsoft Defender SmartScreen in Windows 11 will alert users if they start typing their login or password in any app or page in a Chromium-based browser that is known for phishing assaults. When a user’s login information is found to have been entered in an unsafe location, the function prompts them to reset their password.
By reading process connections, URLs, and certificate data at the OS level, SmartScreen will attempt to comprehend the context of users’ password entry. Local passwords, Microsoft accounts, Active Directory, and Azure Active Directory are all protected by the feature. Additionally, it continuously picks up new phishing scams from the other components of Microsoft’s security stack.
Furthermore, phishing defence employs alert alerts to deter users from repeating passwords. Additionally, it can recognise instances where users have stored their passwords in Notepad, Wordpad, Office, or Microsoft 356 documents and warn them not to do so.
In Windows Security > App & Browser Control > Reputation-based Protection > Phishing Protection, individual users can find the option for phishing defence. Through Microsoft Endpoint, SmartScreen alerts administrators to phishing incidents on their networks.
Go to the Endpoint Manager admin centre > Devices > Policy > Configuration Profiles to turn on phishing protection through Endpoint. Then make a new profile with “Windows 10 and later” as the platform and “Settings catalogue” as the profile type. Under Configuration Settings > Add Settings > Smart Screen > Enhanced Phishing Protection, users should locate the settings for phishing defence. After that, administrators can turn on notifications for suspicious activity, password reuse, and hazardous programmes.
Additionally, administrators can employ a mobile device management service with Configuration Service Providers, Group Policy Objects, or Microsoft Intune to protect against phishing. Detailed setup instructions for configuring phishing protection in all three are available in Microsoft’s document centre.
Smart App Control is a security feature that Windows 11 22H2 adds. While Smart App Control employs an AI model to stop risky apps from opening, Windows Defender Application Control makes predictions about whether apps are secure.
