The public release of Application Guard security technology for Microsoft 365 apps is getting closer. The new update will give IT administrators and security personnel greater assurance that users who open dangerous attachments will not cause a malware outbreak .
Application Guard offers additional protections for businesses using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and Windows 10.
The company claims that Application Guard for Office or Defender Application Guard "helps prevent accessing untrusted files trusted sources, keeping your business safe from new and emerging attacks."
Microsoft released the private preview of Application Guard for Office in February, expanding a feature that until then was only available for the new Edge browser.
The feature allows users to open websites securely, protected by a “ hardware-.” The feature isolates browser processes from the underlying operating system and device.
"To enhance user protection, Office opens files from potentially unsafe locations in Application Guard, a secure container that is isolated from the device through hardware-based emulation," Microsoft said in a blog post about the public preview.
«When Office opens files in Application Guard, users can securely read, edit, print, and save those files without having to reopen them outside the container.»
The feature will be disabled by default and is only available to customers with Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E5 licenses.
Computers must be running Windows 10, version 2004, 20H1, 19041 and have Office Beta Channel Build version 2008 16.0.13212 or later, according to the company's technical documents.
Defender Advance Threat Protection (ATP) works with Application Guard for Office to monitor and provide alerts about malware in an isolated environment.
