In another set of killing off important features this month, Microsoft announced that it will deprecate the Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Office just a little over four years after its release.
The tech giant said the tool is "no longer being updated" in favor of the new Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
The end-of-service announcement came after reports of a Microsoft study focusing on hackers using highly sophisticated AI tools to launch their attacks.
Microsoft recently announced that the Defender for Endpoint is now able to "automatically to disrupt human-operated attacks" with the help of AI-powered detectors.
Microsoft deprecated several tools in November, including the Steps Recorder, Tips app, Computer Browser driver, the Webclient Service, and the Remote Mailslots.
Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Office: Use and Purpose
Released in 2019, the Defender Application Guard is a security feature used to protect data in the Microsoft 365 Office like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The security tool is designed primarily for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users.
The Application Guard for Office is designed to protect Windows from opening untrusted files by isolating suspicious files away from the rest of the device.
This is achieved with the integrated Hyper-V-enabled container where the tool opens the software and prevents potential hackers from
The tool was previously available in a limited preview to Microsoft 365 E5 and E5 Security license holders.
Hackers Attacking Microsoft and Windows Devices
Windows devices are among the most common target of threat actors for cyberattacks and ransomware due to its numerous vulnerabilities.
In 2022, Microsoft detected 513 Windows vulnerabilities, of which 49 are considered critical. Primarily, day zero weaknesses continue to be exploited before a patch can be released.
Windows security systems are known to be easily exposed and tampered with via third-party software. With the rise of AI-integrated tools for processing, security experts expect cyberattacks could double in the future.
