Microsoft making Edge more secure by default very soon on Windows, Mac, Linux, Arm

Microsoft is looking to make browsing on its Edge browser more safe and secure for all users. According to the Microsoft 365 (M365) roadmap, the company is planning to enable the "Balanced" mode for Edge's Enhanced Security mode feature by default. Currently, users can choose to enable this setting and choose between the "Balanced" and "Strict" options. Previously, the tech giant referred to this technology as the Super Duper Secure mode.

This was added to the M365 roadmap a few days ago and under the feature ID "124963":

Microsoft Edge: Enhanced security mode on by default

Enhanced security mode is being turned on by default to “Balanced” mode for x64 Windows, x64 macOS, x64 Linux, and ARM64 systems. Also, administrators have 2 new policies to manage the Enhanced security mode user experience: EnhanceSecurityModeIndicatorUIEnabled and EnhanceSecurityModeOptOutUXEnabled.

What Enhanced Security mode essentially does is run unfamiliar sites without the just in time (JIT) compilation to reduce the attack surface. This Security mode also initially had a "Basic" browsing preset available when it was launched for the first time to the Stable channel. However, it was removed last month via a major update.

Microsoft explains in a support document what the Balanced secure browsing mode is:

Balanced mode is an adaptive mode that builds on user's behavior on a particular device, and Microsoft's understanding of risk across the web to give sites that users are most likely to use and trust full access to the web platform, while limiting what new and unfamiliar sites can do when visited.

The change is set to roll out next month in July according to the M365 roadmap entry.

Microsoft making Edge more secure by default very soon on Windows, Mac, Linux, Arm