Microsoft introduced Windows 11 features that address the challenges of IT departments supporting the division of a corporate workforce between office and home.
New and upcoming Windows 11 features, announced Tuesday, will help companies support employees remotely, protect employees from phishing attacks, and automatically update software soft. These features will simplify management and ensure a hybrid workforce, Microsoft says.
The upcoming Windows 11 update will build anti-phishing protection on the operating system. If employees enter their Microsoft credentials into a malicious app or website, Defender SmartScreen will alert them and prompt them to change their password.
Another security feature, Smart App Control, will prevent employees from running untrusted or unsigned applications on their Windows 11 computers.
Microsoft does not specify a release date for Defender SmartScreen or Smart App Control.
Several enhancements to Microsoft’s device management platform, Endpoint Manager, can help IT professionals cope with hybrid work challenges on Windows 11 PCs. Features include:
- A cloud-based remote help service that allows administrators to view employee screens and control their PCs. Microsoft released the feature this week to allow IT to support out-of-office employees. However, remote help has an additional fee of $3.50 per user per month.
- Improved automatic patching for Windows, the Microsoft Edge browser, and Microsoft 365 apps. The new Windows Autopatch allows companies to test updates with a small group of users before rolling out patches to the full force. labor volume. Services may stop and reverse updates if they cause problems. Microsoft will release Autopatch in July.
- An advanced feature that allows IT professionals to send pop-up messages in Windows 11. Administrators can target specific groups whose notifications appear above the taskbar or on the lock screen or screen. employee background. For example, notes can remind new employees that they need to attend a training session and direct them to class. Microsoft did not say when it will launch this feature.
- A new policy enforcement feature requires employees to sign in to the Microsoft Edge browser before accessing company resources such as email. Once workers are logged in, the software forces them to follow company policies. These may include preventing workers from copying and pasting company data.
Forrester Research analyst Paddy Harrington said IT departments would appreciate additional policy enforcement to protect workers from themselves.
“The biggest problem in any security implementation … is the person behind the keyboard,” says Harrington. “They’ll circumvent your security policies and practices faster [anything else] maybe because they want to do things their way. “
Microsoft executives emphasized that companies like the consulting firm Accenture have already started using the operating system. However, advertising platform AdDuplex found that from February to March, only about 0.1% of Windows 10 users switched to Windows 11.
Consulting firm Riverbed reports that Windows 11’s hardware requirements have left businesses on the sidelines. It is estimated that more than a third of the company’s PCs cannot run the operating system.
Mike Gleason is a reporter on unified communications and collaboration tools. Previously, he covered communities in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts for Milford Daily News, The Walpole Times, Sharon Advocate and Medfield Press. He has also worked for newspapers in central Massachusetts and southwestern Vermont and served as local editor for patch. He can be found on Twitter at @MGleason_TT.
