Brave New Kernel: Microsoft Previews Safer Windows Ecosystem

Windows 11 Revamp Means No Kernel Access Required for Third-Party Security Tools Mathew J. Schwartz (euroinfosec) • June 30, 2025

"All of the endpoint security features you've come to expect, without that pesky kernel-level access."

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While that's not an actual marketing statement from Microsoft, it's the subtext of the company's latest missive on what it's doing to make the Windows ecosystem more resilient, in the wake of the July 19, 2024, global meltdown caused by a faulty CrowdStrike software update.

Nearly one year later, the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant is advancing plans to help the latest-generation Windows systems avoid such mishaps, or at least to recover quickly. Part of that overhaul involves giving third-party security tools the ability to still detect and eradicate viruses and block suspicious ...