In response to the significant CrowdStrike meltdown last summer, which exposed some critical vulnerabilities in the Windows platform, Microsoft is set to introduce a series of further security updates in 2025.
The meltdown, caused by a flawed update, led to widespread system crashes and highlighted the need for more resilient security measures. To prevent such incidents in the future, Microsoft has collaborated with endpoint security vendors to implement “Safe Deployment Practices”. These practices will ensure updates are tested more thoroughly and deployed gradually, reducing the risk of widespread failures.
What can you expect to see?
One of the key features being introduced is “Quick Machine Recovery”. This tool will allow your IT engineer to remotely fix machines stuck in reboot loops due to bad updates or drivers. Leveraging the Windows Recovery Environment, this feature will enable targeted fixes from Windows Update without needing physical access to the affected PCs. This capability is expected to significantly streamline the recovery process and minimise downtime for businesses.
For Windows 11 users, Microsoft is introducing several new security features.
Windows 10 support is ending. Organisations should be aiming to phase it out within the next few months. The information we are seeing only refers to Windows 11 gaining these enhancements.
“Administrator Protection” will limit the use of administrator privileges, requiring biometric authentication for actions that need elevated rights. This change aims to mitigate the risk of malware exploiting administrative access. Additionally, “Smart App Control” will block unknown and potentially harmful apps from running, further safeguarding users from malware.
Enterprise users will benefit from features like “Personal Data Encryption”, which adds an extra layer of security for personal files, and “Hotpatch”, which allows critical updates to be applied without rebooting. These enhancements are designed to improve both security and manageability for business environments, ensuring that systems remain secure with minimal disruption to operations.
Overall, these updates reflect Microsoft’s learning form past incidents and responding. We’re pleased to see a continued drive to strengthen Windows security and prevent future incidents like the CrowdStrike meltdown.
For more info, check out ZDNet’s article : Microsoft to tighten Windows security dramatically in 2025