Cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated, targeting both software and hardware. Microsoft’s next-generation security features in Windows 11 Pro on modern devices powered by Intel’s vPro platform offer the most robust protection yet for small businesses.

Hackers sent an email to the staff of a small health organisation containing a link to sites that were able to harvest the employees’ login credentials.

It resulted in the personal health information of thousands of the company’s customers (some of whom were larger organisations) being compromised, and the business is now facing legal action.

This scenario is one of many that Andy Malakooti, Microsoft Australia and New Zealand’s Commercial Category Lead, Device Partner Sales, has heard about over the past couple of years.

“The pandemic brought about a steep increase in security threats, in the form of data breaches of employee and customer records, unauthorised access to sensitive data, and cyber extortion such as ransomware,” he tells Kochie’s Business Builders.

As cybersecurity threats have become more common (between 2020 and 2021 they shot up 1070 per cent), businesses also faced the challenge of how to protect staff while working from home.

“We saw a lot of panic buying,” says Andy. “At that time, the priority for a lot of the IT managers and teams was equipping staff with a device that enabled remote access. Security was somewhat of a secondary priority for a lot of organisations. Small businesses in particular have been very much targeted by a lot of these cyber criminals, because of the lack of sophistication in their hardware and software security.”

A global chip shortage threw another spanner in the works, as it meant new devices weren’t available. This situation is currently easing, and as hybrid working is becoming the norm, businesses need robust device security now more than ever.

Multi-layered security is king

Protect your sensitive company data with the latest devices and updates. Image: Kochie’s Business Builders

As cyber criminals expand their attacks into hardware, as well as software, it leaves older devices significantly more vulnerable to security threats.

Microsoft has responded to this by building next-generation security features into the latest Windows Security updates that come free with Windows 11 Pro.

However, not all features will work on older devices.

“The new set of hardware security requirements that come with Windows 11 are designed to build a foundation that’s even stronger and more resilient to these attacks,” says Andy. “In Windows 11, the hardware and software work together to help keep users’ data and devices protected.”

The tech giant has partnered with hardware manufacturers to deliver chip-to-cloud protection for small businesses. Devices built with Intel’s vPro platform, for example, benefit from a suite of security features including remote access management.

Here are some of the key security enhancements in Windows 11:

Personal data encryption

With staff working from different locations, and business travel picking back up again, there’s a growing need to protect login credentials any way you can.

For a user to access data on their device, they have to first authenticate with Windows Hello using biometrics such as face recognition, fingerprint or iris scan. If this doesn’t happen, the data is encrypted and inaccessible. This is to prevent hackers from breaking into the device if it’s lost or stolen.

“It adds that extra layer of security even for devices that get into the hands of criminals,” says Andy.

Next-level app security

The new Smart App Control feature gives users strong protection from malware by blocking apps that are malicious or untrusted. You know the type – those unexpected pop-ups that can end up slowing your system down.

“Previously, we had something like this built into the browser, but this goes beyond that across the whole core operating system,” says Andy. “So users can be confident they are using only safe and reliable applications on their new Windows devices.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Defender SmartScreen helps protect users from phishing attacks by identifying when they’re putting their credentials into a known malicious app or hacked website.

All-in-one ‘zero trust’ solution

Windows 11 is designed as a ‘zero trust’ operating system for this new era of hybrid work.

“As the name suggests, we work on the principle of not trusting anything,” explains Andy. “Everything requires a level of security and protection, so we can minimise any sort of vulnerability.”

The good news is that Windows Security for Windows 11 Pro is a complete solution: An advanced antivirus and malware protection software, which defends against cyber threats – and is routinely updated.

What this means is that, while you may need to buy new devices for your company to get the best security protection, you may be able to save money by ditching unnecessary third-party security products.

“Businesses today need modern security solutions to deal with today’s threats,” says Andy. “That’s what we provide with Windows 11.”

Ready to upgrade your security to the next level with Windows 11 on modern devices powered by the Intel vPro platform? Find out more here.

This article is brought to you by Kochie’s Business Builders in partnership with Microsoft.

Feature image: Supplied