How to Enable the Windows Defender Sandbox in Chromium Microsoft Edge

[The AchieVer]

How to Enable the Windows Defender Sandbox in Chromium Microsoft Edge 

 

One of the best features of the original Microsoft Edge browser was its deep integration in Windows 10, which in turn produced a series of benefits like support for several security features offered by Microsoft.

 

For example, Microsoft Edge was fully integrated with Windows Defender Application Guard on Windows 10, meaning users could load their browsers in a sandbox that would have technically prevented websites from doing any harm to their computers.

This is without a doubt a welcome feature, especially as more and more cybercriminals turn to crafted websites in order to exploit vulnerabilities in apps and the operating system itself.

Now that Microsoft is migrating from EdgeHTML to Chromium, the biggest challenge is to transition all features from the original version of the browser to the new one.

For example, Microsoft is currently working on adding a dark theme to Chromium Edge, as well as smooth scrolling and a read mode. At the same time, the software giant has also started the work on enabling Windows Defender Application Guard for the new browser.

In the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, the purpose of WDAG is exactly the same, as it’s supposed to protect users from any potential threat found online.

 

 

The most recent Canary version of Microsoft Edge gives us the chance to try it out, albeit it’s critical to keep in mind that WDAG in the new browser is still in the early days, so some functionality might be missing, while other features may not work exactly as expected.

The first step is to enable Windows Defender Application Guard on Windows 10. To do this, click the Start menu and type:

Turn Windows features on or off

In the list of features, look for Windows Defender Application Guard, check the box next to it, and hit the OK button at the bottom of the screen. Windows 10 should then start installing the feature on your device.

When it comes to an end, the next step is to enable Windows Defender Application Guard in the Chromium-powered Microsoft Edge. To do this, you must first make sure you are running the most recent Canary version of the browser. This tutorial was tested on version 75.0.133.0.

Next, in the address bar, type the following code to access the advanced flags screen:

edge://flags

At this point, you need to search for a flag that is called:

Microsoft Edge Application Guard

Toggle its status from Default to Enabled and then reboot your browser to apply the settings.
 

 

Once the Windows Defender Application Guard feature is enabled in your browser, you can simply run the app in a sandbox by clicking its menu button (the three-dot icon in the main screen) and clicking the option that reads:

New Application Guard window

The first time you launch this mode, you should see a setup dialog to prepare your secured browsing session.

“To protect your device against malware, Microsoft Edge is opening in Application Guard. This may take a moment,” the message reads.

Whenever you’re browsing the web in this mode, Microsoft Edge displays the Application Guard icon right next to the address bar. A shield icon is also being used for the Edge icon in the taskbar.

Needless to say, this is a work in progress at this point, so not everything is finished, with certain refinements needed here and there, like in the case of the warning sent to users when content is blocked. This is without a doubt something that Microsoft will improve in the coming updates for Microsoft Edge.

The new browser is currently in preview stage, and the stable version should go live later this year.

 

 

 

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