Department of Defense Standardizes on Windows 10
Windows 10 is enjoying a big boost, thanks to the US Department of Defense. This week, the DoD announced a new initiative for all Department agencies using Microsoft Operating Systems, which aims to begin deploying Windows 10 as a standard OS. Approximately four million systems will be moved to Windows 10 over the next 12 months.
One of the largest enterprises anywhere – the US Department of Defense (DoD) – has joined the ranks of enterprise customers planning swift Windows 10 deployments.
The Need for Security
The Department of Homeland Security says that the DoD was hit with 10 million cyber attacks in 2012. Focusing on shoring up defenses against cyber attacks, President Obama recently unveiled the Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) that outlines the changes in threats to information systems, as well as the actions to enhance security capabilities.
Microsoft took note of users’ increasing demand for security features and added a number of enhancements in their latest Windows release. Windows Hello uses facial recognition to authenticate users, while an improved Windows Defender protects systems from malware and spyware. Perhaps most useful to enterprise users like the DoD is the new Enterprise Data Protection feature. EDP provides extra layers of security for devices that share personal and business data. EDP provides clear separation between personal and corporate data without requiring the user to switch accounts or environments.
Approval for Surface Devices
In addition, the government has added the Surface 3, Surface Pro 3 and 4, and Surface Book to the list of approved devices. This means that the Surface family has undergone the strict security testing and DoD agencies will now be able to purchase and implement Surface hardware.
A Boost for Microsoft
The contract brings plenty of revenue for Microsoft and is sure to give struggling Windows 10 a boost in market share. More importantly, though, the move may help clear up some security concerns from Windows 10 users. It shows that a massive and incredibly data-sensitive agency is willing to put their trust in Windows 10’s security.
