Whitelist

This fall, just a few short months from the time of this writing, Microsoft will be releasing a minor update to follow the most recent Windows 10 Creators Update from earlier this year. It will include some new features, including a few that revolve around their built-in Windows Defender suite. With these changes to Windows Defender, Microsoft hopes to make their latest operating system more resistant to ransomware attacks which have become prolific over the last several years.

One of the features coming with the update is called Controlled Folder Access. Microsoft touts the feature as a direct response to ransomware. It will work via a whitelist approach, with Windows Defender only granting certain applications the privilege to access the data of a protected user account; otherwise, the application is not allowed to read, write, or modify any data a user might own such as documents, pictures, or videos.

The default folder list includes Documents, Pictures, Movies, and Desktop and are hard-coded into the feature with no option for removal, but additional folders can be added manually through the Windows Defender Security Center. There will also be an option to add custom software to the whitelist, but Microsoft states that most software should already be pre-whitelisted. If an application is not whitelisted and attempts to alter data within a protected folder it will be automatically blacklisted and the user will be notified. Although this feature has many benefits, Microsoft will have the feature disabled by default. It can also be enabled in the Windows Defender Security Center under Virus & threat protection settings, as seen below.

Controlled Folder Access settings window, courtesy of Microsoft Blog.

Other features coming with the Fall Creators Update include a Cloud Clipboard which will allow copy and pasting between multiple Windows 10 devices; a Timeline feature, which will be similar to the app switcher found on many mobile phone operating systems; Pick Up Where You Left Off, which will be an application synchronization service that developers can use much like the Cloud Clipboard; and OneDrive Files On-Demand, which will allow access to files, even if they are only stored in the cloud and not locally.

Windows 10 is also getting a design language refresh. Microsoft is moving away from the Metro UI to offer a more consistent, depth-enabled interface with lighting and motion effects. It is being likened to Google’s own Material Design. Overall, a welcome change, but one that may be more resource demanding.

Will you be upgrading? What feature do you look forward to most? Leave a comment below!