Microsoft Support & Discussions

Throughout the year, security researchers submit some amazing work to us under the Microsoft Bug Bounty program. Starting this quarter, we want to give a shout out to and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the following individuals and companies who have contributed to securing Microsoft’s products and services over our third quarter (January-March 2018).

At Microsoft, we want users to be in control of their devices, including knowing the security health of these devices. If important security features should fail, users should be aware. Windows Defender System Guard runtime attestation, a new Windows platform security technology, fills this need. In Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, we reorganized all system integrity features into Windows Defender System Guard. This move allowed us to continually make significant innovations in platform security. Windows Defender System Guard runtime attestation, which is built into the core Windows operating system, will soon be delivered in all editions of Windows. Windows Defender…

How to watch the annual Xbox E3 2018 Briefing Watch live beginning on Sunday, June 10, at 1 p.m. PDT on the official Xbox Mixer Channel or on the Mixer app for Windows 10 or Xbox One. You’ll also be able to catch a live stream of the briefing on other streaming services, which we’ll be announcing soon, as well as on the big screen at your local Microsoft Stores. The briefing is when you’ll have a chance to check out everything from in-depth looks at previously-announced games to trailers for our unannounced titles coming in 2018 and beyond. How to watch Inside Xbox: Live @ E3 This year will mark the first year that our hot new show, Inside Xbox, will be air…

1. Choose your performance and battery balance The new Performance/Power slider lets you set the right balance between battery-life longevity and system performance and responsiveness.* Optimize for battery life on a long flight; go with performance when you’re gaming or photo editing at home.** Simply click on the battery icon in the taskbar and use the slider to choose your performance and battery balance. 2. Travel easier with the built-in currency converter Just open Calculator, click on the menu button on the left, and select what you’d like to convert.* It also includes converters for things like time, power and temperature – so you can easil…

Most organizations deal with high volumes of security data and have dozens of security solutions in their enterprise, making the task of integrating various products and services daunting and complex. The cost, time, and resources necessary to connect systems, enable correlation of alerts, and provide access to contextual data is extremely high. These challenges hinder the ability for organizations to move quickly when detecting and remediating threats in a world of fast-moving, disruptive attacks. By connecting security data and systems, we can gain an advantage over todays adversaries. At Microsoft, our security products are powered by the Intelligent Security Grap…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17134 (RS4) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. This build has no new features and includes the fixes from KB4100375 as well as some fixes for general reliability of the OS. As Build 17133 progressed through the rings, we discovered some reliability issues we wanted to fix. In certain cases, these reliability issues could have led to a higher percentage of (BSOD) on PCs for example. Instead of creating a Cumulative Update package to service these issues, we decided to create a new build with the fixes included. This just reinforces that Windows Insiders are critical to helping us find an…

There has been a distinct shift in my conversations with customers over the last year. Most have gone from asking can we still keep our assets secure as we adopt cloud services?, to declaring, we are adopting cloud services in order to improve our security posture. The driving factor is generally a realization that a cloud services provider can invest more in security, do the job better, and just make life simpler for overburdened enterprise IT and SecOps teams. This idea of making sound security practices easier to implement is a big part of our strategy. Today were announcing several new technologies and programs that build on our unique cloud and intelligence capabilit…

Apps are also sharing data with third-party services The Google Play Store might be full of apps and games that are tracking children without the express permission from the parent, and Google doesn’t seem to be doing much about it. Following Facebook’s data leaking scandal with Cambridge Analitica, a lot of people have turned their attention to other social networks that might be doing the same thing. It turns out that we ought to be looking towards mobile apps as well, at least on Android, as a newly released study revealed. It’s one thing to track adults on Facebook or through other means, but tracking children it feels even more despicable. And the co…

This blog post was co-authored by Samuel Li, Principal Program Manager Lead, Windows Server and Vinicius Apolinario, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Windows Server. At Ignite 2017, we unveiled the technical preview of Project Honolulu to the world for the first time. It sparked a flame of excitement in IT admins hearts. From multiple tools to a single experience for day-to-day activities, Project Honolulu was a dream come true with a simple and elegant solution to remotely manage Windows Server and Windows 10. The numbers confirm the ongoing excitement: To everyone who downloaded and tested Project Honolulu, thank you! Your valued feedback guided o…

At the 2018 RSA Conference, our senior leaders will dissect modern cyber defense strategies, and reveal new products to detect and block cyber attacks when they happen. Our objective is to arm business, government and consumers with deeply integrated intelligence and threat protection capabilities across platforms and products. To this end, we have much to share, joining tech giants and top security leaders and pioneers to expand the frontlines of cyber defense. The theme of this years RSA Conference is Now Matters, a nod to the pressure and urgency to protect governments, economies, and nearly half of the worlds population who connects to the Internet. Microsoft Pre…

What’s new in HP’s Pavilion portfolio: These devices arrive built-in with your digital personal assistant Cortana* and comprehensive protection with Windows Defender, and, with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have options to save files in OneDrive and access them like any other file on your PC without filling up disk space, download files on-demand, or select files to always be available offline. Some also include fingerprint readers that light up Windows Hello for fast and secure login. The new HP Pavilion x360s 14 and 15 convertibles are infused with premium features and design elements empowering you to tackle any task. Specific features inclu…

Let’s talk about an integrated security experience. Many of our customers are in various stages of cybersecurity maturity: Initializing Firefighting No formal security program Developing Point solutions/tools for basic controls Pockets of expertise Defining Aligned to frameworks Documented controls Begins to integrate signals for faster response Managing Intelligence driven response and recovery Organization wide emphasis C-suite sponsorship Optimizing Continuous improvement through innovation Aims to be predictive Trusted intel sharing But what is the goal at the end of the day as you move up the maturity model? S…

Today, we released security updates to provide additional protections against malicious attackers. By default, Windows 10 receives these updates automatically, and for customers running previous versions, we recommend they turn on automatic updates as a best practice. More information about this month’s security updates can be found in the Security Update Guide. Continue reading...

RSA is around the corner which means tens of thousands of people will descend on Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. Hundreds of innovative young companies will look for customers, props, and capital (especially at the Early Stage Expo!). Venture capitalists will look for opportunities to invest and find the next $1B IPO. Larger companies may well search for IP to complement larger platforms. CISOs will show up looking for solutions to todays problems, with an eye toward tomorrows, and ask two key questions: What in this expo hall will help me better protect my company? And, what can I take OUT of my portfolio in exchange? Considering this, I contacted several VC an…

Today, we released security updates to provide additional protections against malicious attackers. By default, Windows 10 receives these updates automatically, and for customers running previous versions, we recommend they turn on automatic updates as a best practice. More information about this month’s security updates can be found in the Security Update Guide.