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Windows security features licensing and edition requirements

  • Article
  • Applies to: ✅ Windows 11

This article lists the security features that are available in Windows.

Select one of the two tabs to learn about licensing requirements to use the security features, or to learn about the Windows edition requirements that support them:

Feature name Windows Pro/Pro Education Windows Enterprise E3 Windows Enterprise E5 Windows Education A3 Windows Education A5
Access Control (ACL/SACL) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Account Lockout Policy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Active Directory domain join, Microsoft Entra join, and Microsoft Entra hybrid join with single sign-on (SSO) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Always On VPN (device tunnel) ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
App containers Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
AppLocker ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
Assigned Access (kiosk mode) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Attack surface reduction (ASR) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Azure Code Signing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
BitLocker enablement Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
BitLocker management ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bluetooth pairing and connection protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Common Criteria certifications Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Controlled folder access Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Credential Guard ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
Device health attestation service Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Direct Access ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
Domain Name System (DNS) security Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Email Encryption (S/MIME) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Encrypted hard drive Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Enhanced phishing protection with SmartScreen Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Exploit protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140 validation Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Federated sign-in ❌ ❌ ❌ Yes Yes
FIDO2 security key Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hardware-enforced stack protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kernel Direct Memory Access (DMA) protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Local Security Authority (LSA) Protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Measured boot Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Defender Antivirus Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) configure via MDM ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) for Edge enterprise mode and enterprise management ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) for Edge standalone mode Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) for Microsoft Office ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) public APIs ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint ❌ ❌ Yes ❌ Yes
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Pluton Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft vulnerable driver blocklist Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Microsoft Windows Insider Preview bounty program Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Modern device management through (MDM) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
OneFuzz service Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Passkeys Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Personal Data Encryption ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
Privacy Resource Usage Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Privacy Transparency and Controls Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Remote Credential Guard Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Remote wipe Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Secure Boot and Trusted Boot Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Secured-core configuration lock Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Secured-core PC firmware protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Security baselines Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Server Message Block (SMB) file service Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Server Message Block Direct (SMB Direct) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Smart App Control Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Smart Cards for Windows Service Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tamper protection settings for MDE Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Transport Layer Security (TLS) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Universal Print ❌ Yes Yes Yes Yes
User Account Control (UAC) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Virtual private network (VPN) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Virtualization-based security (VBS) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Web sign-in Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
WiFi Security Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows application software development kit (SDK) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Autopatch ❌ Yes Yes ❌ ❌
Windows Autopilot Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Defender System Guard Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Firewall Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Hello for Business Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Hello for Business Enhanced Security Sign-in (ESS) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Hotpatch ❌ Yes Yes ❌ ❌
Windows LAPS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows passwordless experience Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows presence sensing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Sandbox Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows security policy settings and auditing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

For more information about Windows licensing, see Windows Commercial Licensing overview.