As you contemplate if and when to move to Windows 11, other than the fact that Microsoft will no longer support Windows 10 beginning in October of next year, another important reason to make the change is security. Windows 11 is significantly more secure than Windows 10, and in this day and age of very sophisticated hackers, that is an important improvement.
The key differences that make Windows 11 inherently more secure than Windows 10 are as follows:
TPM 2.0 requirement: Windows 11 mandates TPM 2.0, a hardware chip not available on older systems but standard on newer systems. TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module and is a dedicated motherboard chip that with Windows 11 provides by default many key protections such as hard disk encryption, prevention of low-level attacks that can occur when booting up a computer, and system file checks and protection from viruses and other forms of malware.
Secure boot: Windows 11 enforces secure boot by default, preventing malicious software from loading during the computer’s boot up process.
Enhanced Windows Defender: with Windows 11 the default antivirus software Defender has been enhanced with more advanced threat detection and protection features. (Note that third party antivirus products are still a good addition to provide even better antivirus protection, especially if non Microsoft browsers are preferred).
Integrated Passkeys: passkeys are an emerging alternative to passwords which many companies are beginning to support. Passkeys allow users to log into websites and apps using the face, fingerprint, or PIN instead of passwords.
Improved updates: the Windows 11 update mechanism has been improved to provide streamlined updates with enhanced security patches delivered quickly and automatically.
As with all new operating system releases, Windows 11 introduces user interface changes and new/revised functionality that one must learn, but for the most part it will be very familiar to those who are comfortable with Windows 10. But the fact remains, if you wish to be secure, if you cannot upgrade to Windows 11 (as discussed in prior blogs), you will have no choice but to either pay for Microsoft’s extended Windows 10 support, buy a new Windows 11 computer, or move to a Mac.
The key differences that make Windows 11 inherently more secure than Windows 10 are as follows:
TPM 2.0 requirement: Windows 11 mandates TPM 2.0, a hardware chip not available on older systems but standard on newer systems. TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module and is a dedicated motherboard chip that with Windows 11 provides by default many key protections such as hard disk encryption, prevention of low-level attacks that can occur when booting up a computer, and system file checks and protection from viruses and other forms of malware.
Secure boot: Windows 11 enforces secure boot by default, preventing malicious software from loading during the computer’s boot up process.
Enhanced Windows Defender: with Windows 11 the default antivirus software Defender has been enhanced with more advanced threat detection and protection features. (Note that third party antivirus products are still a good addition to provide even better antivirus protection, especially if non Microsoft browsers are preferred).
Integrated Passkeys: passkeys are an emerging alternative to passwords which many companies are beginning to support. Passkeys allow users to log into websites and apps using the face, fingerprint, or PIN instead of passwords.
Improved updates: the Windows 11 update mechanism has been improved to provide streamlined updates with enhanced security patches delivered quickly and automatically.
As with all new operating system releases, Windows 11 introduces user interface changes and new/revised functionality that one must learn, but for the most part it will be very familiar to those who are comfortable with Windows 10. But the fact remains, if you wish to be secure, if you cannot upgrade to Windows 11 (as discussed in prior blogs), you will have no choice but to either pay for Microsoft’s extended Windows 10 support, buy a new Windows 11 computer, or move to a Mac.
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