Microsoft has worked hard to improve the security of its operating system. Until Windows XP Service Pack 2, the system did not even include a firewall. And it was not until Windows 8, and especially until Windows 10, when they finally deigned to launch an antivirus worthy of protecting us from threats. Microsoft has included many other shields and many other security features in its operating system to ensure that users work with this system without much difficulty. But, today, we bring bad news.
Of all the security features that Windows has, we can highlight one in particular: Microsoft Defender Application Guard. Microsoft Defender Application Protection Shield is a module of Microsoft’s antivirus which allows you to isolate untrustworthy programs and websites so that, if they hide a threat, they cannot affect the rest of the system.
This shield was designed especially for programs downloaded from the Internet that were not trustworthy, but soon after it was extended to web browsers in the form of an extension, as well as Microsoft Office, to protect users from threats hidden in Word, Excel and others. suite programs.
In 2023, Microsoft announced that it was going to discontinue this security shield in Windows 11. It didn’t give much explanation as to why it was going to do so, but as of late last year, these features are no longer supported, although they still work for users who They have them installed.
But this is ending.
Goodbye to Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge and Chrome
Microsoft has announced that the first of the shields that will stop working is the extension for Chrome and Edge of this security measure. This extension was responsible for analyzing the websites that the user visited and, if any of them were considered potentially dangerous, it was opened in isolation so that the PC was not at risk.
Now, Microsoft has assured that the extension will not be updated to the new Manifest V3 (new version of the operating instructions and permissions for Chromium extensions) and, therefore, at the time when V3 comes into force , the extension will be completely deactivated.
This change will not affect home users too much, since, unless we have downloaded, installed and configured it by hand, Microsoft Defender Application Guard is a security measure designed for business use and organizations. But, just in case, Microsoft recommends that users look for similar alternatives that allow them to remain protected from potentially dangerous websites.
More deprecated Windows features
In addition to WDAG, Microsoft has also marked other operating system features as obsolete, features that will soon disappear from the OS. Some are unknown functions, very little used in the domestic environment and not at all in the business environment, such as passwords in MPR notifications or TLS certificates with short RSA keys.
But other functions, to be honest, were interesting, such as the Windows Subsystem for Android or its augmented reality system, Windows Mixed Reality. We will see what more functions come to life throughout 2024.
