A leading security researcher was enlisted to test if Microsoft’s newest, locked down version of Windows 10 is protected against all “known” kinds of ransomware, as the company claims.
Microsoft claims “no known ransomware” runs on Windows 10 S, its newest, security-focused operating system.
The software giant announced the version of Windows earlier this year as the flagship student-focused operating system to ship with its newest Surface Laptop. Microsoft touted the operating system as being less susceptible to ransomware because of its locked down configuration — to the point where you can’t run any apps outside the protective walled garden of its app store. In order to get an app approved, it has to go through rigorous testing to ensure its integrity. That’s one of several mitigations that helps to protect the operating system to known file-encrypting malware.
This researcher wanted to see if such a bold claim could hold up.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t.