Enhanced Phishing
Protection: Your Shield Against Password Threats in Windows 11

Introduction Enhanced Phishing Protection: Protecting Your Digital Credentials

In today's digital landscape, safeguarding your work and school passwords is more critical than ever. Enhanced Phishing Protection, a feature within Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, offers robust defenses against phishing attacks and unsafe password usage within Windows 11. This article provides a comprehensive overview of Enhanced Phishing Protection, its benefits, how to configure it, and how it integrates seamlessly into your Windows 11 experience.

This article explains the function of Enhanced Phishing Protection, which is designed to protect Microsoft work or school passwords from phishing and unsafe usage on websites and apps. This protection works with Windows security protections to alert users when they type their passwords into malicious sites or reuse them, helping prevent attackers from gaining access to accounts. Moreover, it can automatically collect info from websites and apps to help identify security threats.

How It Works Understanding Enhanced Phishing Protection

Enhanced Phishing Protection monitors your password usage in various scenarios:

If you type or paste your work or school password on any browser, into a site deemed malicious by Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, Enhanced Phishing Protection alerts you. It also alerts you to change your password so attackers can't gain access to your account. This helps prevent attackers from gaining access to your accounts.

It warns users if they reuse their work or school Microsoft account password on sites and apps, prompting password changes.

The system warns users if they store their work or school password in Notepad, Word, or any Microsoft 365 Office app, recommending deletion.

If users enter their work or school password into a suspicious website or app, Enhanced Phishing Protection gathers information to identify security threats, such as content displayed and app memory.

Key Benefits The Advantages of Enhanced Phishing Protection

Enhanced Phishing Protection provides several key benefits:

Anti-Phishing Support: Detects and warns against credential harvesting on both trusted sites and applications. By evaluating URLs and characteristics, it identifies and blocks unsafe content.

Secure OS Integration: It integrates directly into Windows 11, analyzing password entry context for enhanced threat detection. This includes process connections, URLs, and certificate information across all browsers and apps.

Unparalleled Telemetry: Leverages insights from the entire Microsoft security stack, working alongside other products for a layered approach to password security, particularly for organizations beginning their passwordless journey.

Easy Management: Simplified management through Group Policy and Microsoft Intune, offering customization options for notification policies and audit mode settings. View valuable phishing sensor data within the Microsoft 365 Defender Portal.

Configuration Configuring Enhanced Phishing Protection for Your Organization

Enhanced Phishing Protection can be configured through Microsoft Intune, Group Policy Objects (GPO), or Configuration Service Providers (CSP) with an MDM service. The settings available include:

Automatic Data Collection: This setting determines if additional info is collected when users enter their work or school password into a suspicious site or app. This setting helps SmartScreen to determine if the website or app is malicious.

Service Enabled: This setting determines if Enhanced Phishing Protection is in audit mode or off. Users won't see any notifications for any protection scenarios when Enhanced Phishing Protection is in audit mode.

Notify Malicious: If enabled, this setting warns users if they type their work or school password into malicious sites, prompting them to change their password.

Notify Password Reuse: Warns users if they reuse work or school passwords.

Notify Unsafe App: Warns users if they store their passwords in Notepad or Microsoft 365 Office Apps.

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Enhanced Phishing Protection is your proactive defense against password-related threats.

Microsoft Security Team

Licensing Windows Editions and

Enhanced Phishing Protection with SmartScreen is supported on the following Windows editions:

Windows Pro, Windows Enterprise, Windows Pro Education/SE, and Windows Education.

License entitlements are granted by various licenses, including Windows Pro/Pro Education/SE, Windows Enterprise E3/E5, and Windows Education A3/A5.

Implementation How to Configure Enhanced Phishing Protection

Follow these instructions to configure your devices using Microsoft Intune, GPO, or CSP.

Intune: Create a Settings catalog policy and use settings listed under the category: Automatic Data Collection, Service Enabled, Notify Malicious, Notify Password Reuse, and Notify Unsafe App. Then assign the policy to a security group.

CSP: Enhanced Phishing Protection can be configured using the WebThreatDefense CSP.

GPO: Please see Microsoft's documentation for further information about Group Policy Objects and CSP settings.