14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has released a new extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox that’s supposed to protect users when visiting potentially-dangerous websites.
The Windows Defender Application Guard, which is available for download only for insiders before the public launch, has a very simple role: it checks the website you’re trying to load to determine if it’s a trusted link or not.
If it’s not, the extension automatically fires up an instance of Microsoft Edge running in a sandbox, which means that no matter what happens on the page after load, it can’t reach your data.
“The extension relies on a native application that we’ve built to support the communication between the browser and the device’s Application Guard settings,” Microsoft explains.
Extension requirements
Microsoft explains that the extension was designed to provide a seamless experience, so when users point the browser to a trusted website, the sandboxed session is automatically restored to the standard settings.
“In the isolated Microsoft Edge session, the user can freely navigate to any site that has not been explicitly defined as trusted by their organization without any risk to the rest of system. With our upcoming dynamic switching capability, if the user tries to go to a trusted site while in an isolated Microsoft Edge session, the user is taken back to the default browser,” Microsoft explains.
After installing the browser extension, you should see a landing page that describes in detail how everything works. The extension automatically checks if all prerequisites are met. For example, the extension scans the device to determine if it’s compatible, the Application Guard companion app is installed, and the feature is turned on for your device.
Needless to say, the extension is only available for Windows 10 devices, and you can download it using the links below for the browser you’re using (the companion app is also required):
Get the Google Chrome extension Get the Mozilla-Firefox extension Get the Microsoft Store companion app