A security web browser is hidden in Windows 10, which allows you to browse even the most dangerous sites full of viruses or malware, without any risk for the computer used. This browser is called Windows Defender Application Guard and is a special version of Microsoft Edge that runs in a protected virtual environment .
This Application Guard, to be precise, uses the internal tool to virtualize Windows 10 systems, that is Hyper V, in order to keep it separate and isolated from the main system, rendering any malicious site ineffective in its attempt to download viruses or exploit security vulnerabilities .
Windows Defender Application Guard is a way to surf the internet that requires to be installed and activated separately, available in Windows 10 from version 1803 (Update of April 2018).
While this protected browser is especially recommended to be installed on company PCs, offices and those shared by many people, it can also be useful to normal users who can use it, from time to time, in order not to leave traces of the internet on the computer (because the session navigation is completely removed as soon as it closes) and go to visit particularly risky sites without having worries that the PC may be affected by malware or viruses.
READ ALSO: Windows Defender Antivirus for Chrome as an extension (from Microsoft)
To activate the Application Guard browser, a PC with the Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise version (from version 1803), 64-bit, with 4 GB of RAM is required.
To install this feature, select it from the list of optional Windows 10 components.
Then open the Control Panel from the Start menu, go to the Programs> Programs and Features section and click on the " enable or disable Windows features " link.
In the list that appears, go to select the " Windows Defender Application Guard " feature and press OK to start activation
Windows may require a restart to complete the installation.
To use Application Guard protection, you must now open the Microsoft Edge browser from the Start menu.
From Edge, press the button with three dots at the top right and notice that it is now possible to open a new Application Guard window .
The new window opens the Edge browser again as though it were a different program, with a separate window and the words " Application Guard " at the top left.
The main peculiarity of Application Guard is that it is not possible to "take out" elements from its protected mode .
In practice, it is not possible to execute files downloaded from the internet and save them on a PC and neither can you make a copy of the text to paste it outside of Application Guard.
Furthermore, even if images can be saved on the PC, they cannot be viewed on the PC outside of the Guard browser.
Copy and paste remains enabled only within Application Guard cards, but it is not possible to paste the copied text on a different program such as Notepad or Word.
In addition, Application Guard does not allow you to change any settings and options.
It is therefore not possible to change the search engine, change the home page, change privacy options and everything that can be done from the configuration menu that appears by pressing the three dots at the top right.
It is not even possible to save bookmarks and the history is cleared when the computer is turned off (The possibility of using private mode remains in Application Guard).
Another limitation is that if you use Application Guard, as this activates Hyper-V, other programs will not work to manage starting virtual machines such as VirtualBox or VMWare.
Windows Defender Application Guard is therefore an excellent option, integrated into Windows 10, to be used when you have bad intentions, that is, when you want to visit sites that you know are at risk of security such as those for adults or those for downloading illegal material.
Technically it really looks like a bomb-proof browser, armored by security risks, completely isolated from the system, perfectly limited in saving elements of any type on the PC from the sites visited and in the execution of files or scripts remotely.
READ ALSO: What the Windows 10 Security Center does (Windows Defender Security Center)
