Question TIL Windows Smart App Control

[igor_kavinski]

Smart App Control - Windows apps

Overview of Smart App Control, a Windows feature that protects users from untrusted or potentially dangerous code.

learn.microsoft.com

Couldn't get a benchmark to run on a new HP laptop. It told me that I could turn the feature off but then to turn it back on, I would have to do a complete re-install. Pretty aggressive protection feature. I see the appeal as if the feature is on, you can be sure that nothing untrusted has been installed on it.

But it also seems like a push to veer people towards the Microsoft Store as the apps on that are supposed to be "trusted".

I have mixed feelings. How do others here feel about it?

 

[Quintessa]

I see the appeal as if the feature is on, you can be sure that nothing untrusted has been installed on it.

It's basically Microsoft saying: clean install + Defender + SAC = locked-down appliance PC. Great for grandma’s laptop or a work machine that should only run known-good binaries.