Windows How-To

How to Enable AI-Powered Security with Windows Defender

Activate Windows Defender's AI features to strengthen protection against online threats

Activate Windows Defender’s AI features to strengthen protection against online threats

by Pallav Pathak

Windows Defender offers advanced AI-powered security capabilities that significantly improve your defense against online scams and malicious websites. By activating these features, you can reduce your exposure to scareware, phishing attempts, and other web-based threats. Follow these detailed instructions to enable AI-powered security features in Windows Defender and Microsoft Edge.

Method 1: Enable Scareware Blocker in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge includes a built-in AI-powered security feature called Scareware Blocker. It uses a local AI model to analyze web page contents in real-time, detecting and blocking online scams such as fake technical support pop-ups designed to deceive users into contacting scammers.

Open Microsoft Edge on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 device. Click the three-dot “Settings and more” button located at the top-right corner of the browser window.
From the dropdown menu, select “Settings” to open the Edge settings page.
In the left sidebar, click on “Privacy, search, and services.” Scroll down to find the “Security” section.
Locate the “Scareware blocker” toggle switch under the Security section and turn it on. If “Microsoft Defender SmartScreen” is not already activated, ensure you toggle this feature on as well to maximize protection.

Once enabled, Edge’s Scareware Blocker will automatically monitor web pages for signs of scams. When a suspicious page is detected, the browser displays a warning, giving you control over whether to proceed or return to safety. If you later decide to disable this feature, simply follow the same steps and turn off the toggle switch.

Method 2: Enable AI Threat Protection for AI Workloads with Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides AI-driven threat protection specifically designed to secure generative AI applications and workloads within Azure subscriptions. It identifies real-time threats such as data leakage, credential theft, and unauthorized access attempts, allowing security teams to respond swiftly and effectively.

Sign in to your Azure portal with administrator privileges. From the search bar, type and select “Microsoft Defender for Cloud.”
Within the Defender for Cloud interface, navigate to “Environment settings” from the left-hand menu. Choose the Azure subscription you want to protect.
On the “Defender plans” page, locate the option labeled “AI workloads” and toggle it to “On” to activate threat protection for your AI resources.
To further improve your security monitoring, enable “User prompt evidence.” This feature includes suspicious segments from user prompts and AI responses directly in security alerts, helping you quickly determine the nature and severity of threats. To activate, select “Settings” under AI workloads, toggle “Enable user prompt evidence” to “On,” then click “Continue.”

With these settings activated, Defender for Cloud will continuously analyze your AI workloads, alerting you immediately if threats are detected and providing detailed insights to facilitate rapid response.

Method 3: Activate Microsoft Security Copilot for Unified Security Operations

Microsoft Security Copilot integrates generative AI into your security operations, improving the efficiency and accuracy of threat detection, investigation, and response. It unifies your security tools, including Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel, into a single platform, simplifying management and improving response speed.

If your organization qualifies, enroll in the Microsoft Security Copilot Early Access Program. Contact your Microsoft account team or visit the Microsoft Security Copilot official page for enrollment details.
Once enrolled, Security Copilot will integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel, providing AI-driven insights directly within your existing workflows. You can use natural language queries to investigate incidents, generate detailed reports, and automate routine security tasks.
Customize your Security Copilot experience by enabling integrations with third-party security tools and services using custom plugins. This expands the scope of your security monitoring and response capabilities, ensuring comprehensive protection across your entire digital environment.

With Security Copilot active, your security team gains the advantage of AI-driven analysis, significantly reducing response times and improving the accuracy of threat detection.

By following these methods, you can effectively leverage AI-powered security features provided by Windows Defender and Microsoft Edge, significantly improving your organization’s resilience against sophisticated online threats. Regularly review your security settings and stay updated with new AI-driven features as they become available.

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