Over the years, user information technology needs have continued to increase. There are more computers and devices in use in homes, offices, and even in business. With the high levels of advancements attained, there has been a constant rise in ransomware and spyware, necessitating the need for individuals and enterprises to remain vigilant to protect their private data from attackers. Under this new business environment, data security is no longer optional for businesses because cybersecurity crime keeps advancing as criminals change their tactics ( Reuvid, 2018). Creativity is hence crucial for companies that intend to remain competitive and avoid costs associated with cybercrime. The implication is that when selecting an operating system to run on, a business must evaluate its needs and the kind of data that needs to be stored. A cost-benefit analysis must be carried out to determine the resources available and the cybersecurity options available for the business. Simultaneously, the enterprise must evaluate the threat landscape internally and externally to determine the enterprise's cyber risks and threats and consequently allow sound decision-making and strategizing.
Companies offering computer solutions to enterprises such as Windows have taken up the need for increased security by businesses and advanced the security features in their operating systems to ensure that users have basic and advanced protection of their data and information. Windows 10 operating system, for example, is the latest Windows operating system and has more advanced features than previous versions. Windows 10 considers risks such as phishing attacks, worms, keyloggers, ransomware, and even spyware and incorporates relevant security tools in the operating system to secure the business from the threats.
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The most common security feature incorporated in Windows 10 for enterprises is the Windows update system which ensures that users get Windows update online once they are available. By so doing, Windows 10 users are constantly protected from any new threats that may be in existence. In addition, windows continuously work towards researching the most likely threats for users. Having security measures to mitigate the risks and threats makes it suitable for use by various enterprises across the world. Furthermore, once updates are available and connected to the internet, Windows automatically prompts the user to allow for updates, ensuring that users do not miss any current updates.
` Secondly, Windows 10 has the Windows defender smart screen feature, which, if enabled, "blocks at first sight." For example, in an enterprise setting, the windows defender bright screen protects employees if they attempt to visit sites that have previously been flagged as potentially containing phishing or malware. The feature also prevents users from downloading malicious files from these sites and blocking scam sites, fake advertising, and even drive-by attacks, which are techniques used by criminals to gain access to a computer without the user's knowledge.
The other feature by Windows 10 is the Windows Defender Application Guard, which plays a role in protecting an enterprise from advanced targeted threats launched. The feature uses Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization technology which works through a concept known as whitelisting ( Halsey, 2017) . This means that users can designate sites they trust for free browsing. If a site is not in the allowlist, the application guard opens it in a container blocking it from accessing the local storage, memory, network endpoints, or other installed applications. A related security feature is the Windows defender device guard, which allows accepted drivers and applications. The feature uses two modes of operations to protect the computer from unauthorized apps. The first mode is the kernel-mode code integrity (KMCI) which protects kernel mode processes and drivers from vulnerabilities using HVCI. The second mode is the user mode code integrity (UMCI) which achieves computer lockdown for a business using only trusted applications.
Windows uses authentication in the operating system as a way of protecting users from threats. Authentication refers to the process of verifying and recognizing users' identities in computers. It is a mechanism that involves the association of requests with the identity of credentials. It is a process that provides users authentication data to the data, which is then sent to servers for authentication once the data has been hashed, then sent to across the network. The credentials provided are then compared to the saved data on the databases on a local operating system. The process involves two authentication protocols used for the validation process, known as Kerberos and Windows NT challenge authentication.
Kerberos is an authentication protocol service used for requests between trusted and untrusted networks, like the internet. It is built in major operating systems, including Windows and Linux ( Halsey, 2017) . The protocol comprises three parts; a client, server, and a third party known as Key Distribution Centre (KDC). Their role is to present connection tickets to servers. Windows NT Challenge authentication is a protocol that uses information known as windows NT domain to authenticate and permit users in the administration console. These protocols are set to ensure security measures are implemented to secure users' authentication data during login and sign-up processes. The protocols have proved to be adequate security control protocols, and their primary advantages are that they protect user passwords and authentication.
Windows uses the Internet Information Services; a web server software developed by Microsoft as a powerful web server used to host ASP.NET in computers to enable complete authentication and recognition of users’ data. It proposes strategies to authenticate all kinds of requests received, and it works in different types.
Basic authentication was created to be supported by all browsers. When the servers request authentication using basic, the web browsers display a login box, where the user is required to fill in their credentials. The data is then transmitted to the Internet Information Service databases. It now tries to authenticate the user by checking if the credentials match the saved data in the database. If the credentials match, access is therefore granted.
In anonymous authentication, users do not provide any credentials, they make an anonymous request, and the web servers take it from there ( Halsey, 2017) . The Internet Information Service imitates a fixed user account when processing the request. This type of authentication is primarily used in public websites, where users do not require sign-up and issue their credentials. Instead, they access the websites freely; it is the duty of web servers to give access. When the administrators want to prevent users from accessing any particular resource on the web page, a separate group is created, and permissions are added to it by the admins.
Digest authentication enables users to provide their credentials. Still, it is different from basic authentication in that the password provided is not sent to the databases as provided. Still, it is hashed to provide a different kind of password-only understood by the servers. Digest authentication is used along with Windows Domain Controller, and it is primarily used in an intranet set-up for internal applications. Integrated Windows authentication is a type of Internet Information Service that contains two separate protocols, The NTLM and Kerberos. NTLM works like digest authentication, where the user passwords are hashed, and Kerberos is used as a similar option to the client ( Lambert, 2015) . This type of authentication is also used in an intranet setup because they all use the same domain.
Client certificate authentication presents a certificate to the server. The server then configures the mapped credentials to map every certificate for user authentication. This type of authentication requires that SSL be enabled on the domain to ensure users' authentication data security. This process helps one to authenticate users who log in with client certificates automatically.
On the other hand, authorization refers to a mechanism by windows to determine access levels granted or denied to clients or user privileges related to specific resources, including computer programs, files, services, and application features ( Lambert, 2015) . Modern Operating Systems depend on authorization processes for deployment and management. They contain credentials requiring verification and specific actions.
This process is done in two fundamental processes: where the policies are defined, access is authorized, and the other is where the requests are permitted or denied. This is based on previously described authorizations provided by windows. Access control uses approval to check the identity of users, whether they are authorized to access specific resources or not.
Authorization is based on enterprise-based mechanisms, such as Active Directory, used for seamless security integration mechanisms. ASP.NET is another mechanism developed, which works with both Microsoft Windows and Internet Information Service (IIS) for authentication and authorization processes. The .NET Framework provides a flexible security approach and suits server applications, whose role is to help servers access security checks where users' access is determined according to functions.
Windows 10 also provides virus and threat protection to users. The inbuilt feature helps a user to scan their devices for threats through running the various scans available. As a measure, the Microsoft Defender Antivirus comes as a package with the virus and threat protection feature giving a user the protection they need. The feature allows users to see the dangers of their devices, see the last time a scan was done on the device, how many files were scanned, and how long it took while also prompting for a scan each time a periphery device is attached to the computer. Furthermore, since users also need protection from internet threats, the feature also offers cloud-delivered protection by providing the device with access to the latest threat definition and behavior detection in the cloud. In addition, the feature ensures that Microsoft Defender gets constant updates while connected to the internet.
The Windows Defender Credential Guard, another feature of the Windows Defender feature, uses virtualization-based security to hide information so that only authorized system software can access them, protecting the devices from credential thief attacks ( Pogue, 2018) . Through the feature, users are assigned credentials for the files and applications they need to access. Users must be educated on the need to keep their credentials safe and have passwords that are not easy to guess. This protects them from hacks by malicious people.
The other common security feature incorporated in Windows 10 for enterprises is the User Account Control feature, preventing malware from causing damage to a machine ( Pogue, 2018) . The feature also allows users to have a better-managed desktop. Once the feature is enabled, apps and tasks run in a non-administrator account unless the administrator authorizes administrator-level access to the system based on needs. By so doing, unauthorized users cannot make changes to the machine's setup through the installation of unauthorized applications. The control also plays a crucial role in preventing any accidental changes to system settings that could distort data or other files leading to losses.
A firewall refers to a security device in networks that monitor all incoming and outgoing requests in a server to ensure security in the webservers. It is a wall that is between a trusted and untrusted network. It protects the network by sieving traffic and blocking untrusted computers from gaining access to private data. It also helps block malicious software and malware.
There are hardware and software firewalls, and each of them has an essential purpose in computer protection. A hardware firewall is physical and is stored between the network and gateway. This helps prevent any unauthorized access to your network ( Mowbray & Shimonski, 2014) . A software firewall is a program that works through applications to protect the computer from internal attacks from the internet or software programs. Finally, there are also cloud server firewalls, known as Firewall as a service (FaaS), whose benefit is that they offer security to your organizations’ web servers, protecting essential enterprise data.
Some of the risks of not having a firewall include;
Open access- Without a firewall, your computer connects with any other kind of computer, and there is no set mechanism to protect you from malicious software and malware on the internet or plug-and-play devices such as flash disks.
Loss of data- Not having a firewall leaves your computer unprotected, which means that your data is accessible to malicious users.
Network crushes- Without a firewall, attackers can access and shut down your network, leading to loss of data, and data recovery could cost you time and money.
Firewalls are hence essential in computer security since they act as a gateway to both hardware and software. Thus, they protect users' networks and computers and also keep the data safe and secure.
Windows 10 offers Windows device encryption as a security feature to help protect user's data by encrypting the system device. Once the feature is enabled, the data on the device can only be accessed by authorized people. The Windows Bitblocker is a full encryption solution that helps mitigate data access in a device by enhancing system and file protection as part of the encryption package. It renders data inaccessible if a device is recycled or decommissioned. This is particularly important in cases where physical devices get lost or land in the hands of malicious people who want to gain access to data.
In conclusion, users' needs in terms of the technology keep on changing with changing business environment hence the need for up-to-date systems that allow users to protect their data from malicious persons or accidental damage. The advancements further necessitate this in the cyber threats facing modern businesses ( Reuvid, 2018) . Windows 10 has various features that offer protection, both internally and externally, for its users. For example, safety comes in a Windows package that encompasses a Virus and Threat detector, an antivirus, a firewall, and authentication features that allow for access of the system and files depending on the user's needs and the authority accorded. This ensures that the system is not exposed to unauthorized personnel who may breach the data or distort the same, leading to losses.
References
Halsey, M. (2017). The Windows 10 Productivity Handbook: Discover expert tips, tricks, and hidden features in Windows 10 .
Lambert, J. (2015). Microsoft Windows 10 . Boca Raton: BarCharts, Inc.
Mowbray, T. J., & Shimonski, R. (2014). Cybersecurity: Managing systems, conducting testing, and investigating intrusions . Indianapolis, Ind: John Wiley & Sons.
Pogue, D. (2018). Windows 10: The missing manual .
Reuvid, J. (2018). Managing cybersecurity risk: Case studies and solutions .
