MDM & GP Tips Blog

Many organizations are choosing to use some type of MDM provider to manage their mobile devices.  Some organizations are even turning to MDM for all of their client devices.  If you have been relying on Group Policy to deliver configuration and security settings to these your Windows devices, you should know that there is still a disparity gap between between Group Policy and an MDM such as Microsoft Endpiont Manager (MEM) when it comes to setting coverage.  While Microsoft has closed this gap considerably over the past couple of years, there are still a number of Group Policy settings that MEM and other MDM solutions don’t accommodate.   Obviously, you need to know what settings can’t be replicated when considering a move to MDM.

MEM now provides an easy to use tool called Group Policy Analytics (Preview) that will analyze your on-premise GPOs and determine how they will translate into the cloud.  It will analyze a specific GPO and identify which settings are supported in the MDM, which ones have been deprecated and which ones are simply not available.  The first step is to select the GPO you want to test out in the Group Policy Management Console.  As shown in the screenshot below, simply right click on your selected GPO and choose “Save Report.”  Save it as an XML file.

The next step is to import the XML file into MEM.  Using the MEM admin center, go to Devices > Group Policy analytics (preview).  Select Import and point to the saved XML file as shown in the screenshot below.  Note that the saved XML cannot be larger than 4 MB. 

Click the X in the upper righthand corner and wait for the analyzation process to complete.  You will then see the percentage of settings are supported by the MDM.

Now click on the stated percentage and review the status of all your settings.  The supported settings will list the corresponding CSP mapping in the righthand column as shown below.

Group Policy analytics is a great tool to determine the MDM setting coverage of your GPOs.  If any of the non-supported settings are critical to your management or security policies, you may want to continue using Group Policy for a while longer or utilize a third-party settings management solution.

In our final segment of this series, we are going to wrap up our discussion concerning Windows update management.  So now that you’ve configured your update rings and settings, you can create a compliance policy to reinforce them using Microsoft Endpoint Manager and going to the
“Devices |Overview” section and selecting Compliance policies near the bottom of the menu as shown below.  Here you can also click on Compliance status and view the compliance status of your enterprise fleet

Create a new policy and choose Windows 10 and later as the platform.  Name your policy and then go to Compliance settings > Device Properties.  Here you can set the minimum OS version to be compliant.  You can also set a maximum if desired.  In the example below I have assigned 21H1 as the minimum OS version with 21H2 as the max. 

You can then determine what your action will be for non-compliant status.  You can choose to either send an email to the user of the device or choose the hard-core action of retiring the device for noncompliance as shown in the screenshot below.  A grace period of 3 days has also been configured.

The final step is to assign the compliancy policy to your designated group(s). 

Managing Updates in a Co-managed Environment

Those enterprises that use Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager can utilize either WSUS or Windows Update as their update source.  Here’s a good example of the flexibility this offers.  Let’s create a GPO and go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage updates offered from Windows Server Update Service.   Here you would configure settings to specify the IP address of the WSUS server.  The settings we want to focus on is “Specify source service for specific classes of Windows Updates” as is shown in the screenshot below.

Enable the policy and then choose the source service for each update class.  In the example below I am assigning the WSUS server as the feature update source and Windows Update for quality updates.

While we are in Group Policy, let’s look at some other useful settings.  If you are fully managing the update environment for your end user devices, there is no need to perpetually send Windows update notifications to users.  In the screenshot below I enabled the Display options for update notifications.  Note that I have also enabled “Speficy deadlines to use Windows Updates and restarts” where just as I demonstrated in MEM earlier, you can assign a deferral period and grace period for Quality updates and Feature updates.  I also chose to remove access to all Windows update features for good measure by enabling that policy.

Here I chose to disable all update notifications other than restart warnings in order to give them a heads up about pending restarts.

Conclusion

Ensuring that all your Windows machines receive the latest quality updates is one of the most important steps you can do to secure your devices.  Quality updates fix bugs and improve the reliability of your machines so that they run optimally for users.  While feature updates are not as imperative, they cannot be ignored either as you need to make sure that users have access to new features that can help stimulate innovation and improve productivity.  It’s a big job, but Microsoft provides the management tools to ensure that your machines remain update accordingly. 

There are times when we all wish we had the ability to turn back time to undo a mistake.  This is certainly the case for Windows support teams that have had to deal with a sudden surge of help desk calls due to the havoc created by a recent non-security bug fix in a recent Windows update.  The traditional way to remediate such an issue has been to uninstall the update, a time-consuming process that overstretched IT personnel don’t have time for.  How great it would be if there were a way to simply roll back to the prior state up the update by implementing a single policy.

Known Issue Rollback (KIR)

Microsoft released Known Issue Rollback (KIR) beginning with Windows 10, version 2004.  Its purpose is to improve support for non-security bug fixes and make life a little easier for internal IT by rolling back the undesired changes of an update.  KIR starts at the code level as every non-security bug fix retains the old code while adding the fix on top of that.  Fixes are enabled by default, thus disabling the old code.  A KIR policy, however, can disable the fix however and revert the OS back to the old code-path, problem averted.

Now, when Microsoft determines that a non-security update has an issue, it generates a KIR to roll it back.  Microsoft’s goal is to deploy a KIR within 24 hours of identifying the root cause of a reported problem so that most users are never exposed to the bug.  For non-enterprise users, the process is completely automated, requiring them to do nothing.  In many cases the KIR will be implemented prior to the download being installed.  End users that have installed the update will be prompted to reboot their machines.

KIR and the Enterprise

The process is a little more involved for enterprise customers.  In this case, Microsoft releases a policy definition MSI file that admin teams can deploy using Group Policy (an Intune solution reportedly on its way).  These KIR policy definitions have a limited lifespan of only a few months as the aim for Microsoft is to quickly address the issue through a new update.  KIRs are announced by Microsoft through Windows Update KB articles and listed on the Known Issues list located on the Windows Health Release Dashboard where you can find a link to download the MSI.

Creating a KIR Group Policy

Once downloaded, simply run the MSI which will install the ADMX/ADM template files into the local store at C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions as is shown in the screenshot below:

You can use the Local Group Policy editor to create a KIR policy for the local machine.  To deploy the policy to multiple machines across your domain, you will need to copy the files to your central store located in your SYSVOL folder.  Be sure to include the ADML template file located in the EN-US folder.

In this example I am using a KIR that was released last year for Windows 10 version 2004.  I first made a GPO using the Group Policy Management Console and named it KIR Issue 001.  Then go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > and select the KB rollback issue listed as shown below.

Then open the policy setting and choose Disabled.

You can create a WMI filter to specifically target machines running the designated Windows version. This is done in the Group Policy Management Console by right-clicking WMI Filters and selecting New.  Name the filter something like “Apply to all Windows 10, version 2004 devices.”   Then insert the following string:

SELECT version, producttype from Win32_OperatingSystem WHERE Version = "10.0.19041"

The screenshot below shows the newly created WMI.  You can find out the build number of your Windows version here

Now go back and highlight the GPO you just created and look for the WMI Filtering section at the bottom where you will select the appropriate filter.  You can also use a third-party solution such as PolicyPak to for granular filtering as well.

Conclusion

KIR is a recent Windows servicing technology that can help you escape from the nightmare of a Windows update bug-fix gone bad.  This is also a good example of why you should manage your Windows updates using Windows Update for Business that gives you greater management control over when and how updates are implemented throughout your enterprise. 

In my last blog segment, I used MEM to configure some policies related to Windows updates.  Let’s now see what happens behind the scenes because there is an awful lot that goes on each time a policy assigned device goes seeking updates.

In this instance, I have a policy Feature Update Deployment policy assigned to a desktop PC that currently hosts Windows 10 21H1.  Since 21H1 was released back in April of 2021, it obviously needs updating.  Let’s say I have been working remotely from home for a using my laptop and haven’t been to the office in months.   In the feature update policy, I created I chose to deploy Windows 11.  I also chose a specific time frame that it would be made available as I want to give our IT team additional time to test for Windows 11 compatibility issues concerning our application portfolio.  In this case I chose February 21, 2022, as the earliest available date.  The PC is also assigned to a business update ring that has a quality update deferral period of 7 days.

On February 11, I return to the office for a department meeting and power up the desktop.  MEM has already contacted Windows Update and provided the PCs ID and the targeted feature update to be deployed.  MEM also will deliver any new policies that have been assigned to the PC since the last time it was online.  In this case it includes the Business Update for Ring policy settings.  Next the PC will contact the cloud to seek possible updates.  In doing so, the PC informs Windows Update of any assigned deferral periods, its current OS version, and its revision status.  This entire process is outlined in the diagram below.

Let’s see what happens first regarding feature updates.  There are two feature updates available on February 11 for the PC - Windows 10 21H2 and Windows 11.  Because the targeted feature update policy dictates Windows 11, 21H2 is out of the picture.  Windows 11 would be made available if it wasn’t for the deployment period I specified which starts on February 21.  That means no feature updates for our desktop PC today.

Now let’s look at Quality updates.  Since my computer hasn’t been powered up in quite a while, its missing a lot of quality updates so it’s revision status is quite outdated.  Fortunately, quality updates are cumulative, so I don’t have to download the updates released every single month since it was last powered on.  Quality updates are released on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month.  This means the most recent release date was February 8.  Because I have a deferral period of 7 days, February updates will have to wait a few more days before they are made available.  As a result, the January Quality updates will be applied to my desktop. 

I then spend the next few days using my laptop at home and return to the office on February 16.  Once again, my desktop PC checks in for Windows updates and because the deferral period is now over, February quality updates are now downloaded and installed.  Windows 11, however, will remain elusive until the 21^st.  On February 23^rd, I return to the office and Windows 11 is now available.  For the update to be issued, Windows Update must first determine if it is compatible or not.  This is performed automatically using Windows Update for Business.  If you have Update Compliance configured in Azure along with a Log Analytics Workspace, you can verify the compliance status of any listed device.  While the PC itself may exceed the compliancy requirements of Windows 11, the update can still be deferred due to a safeguard hold assigned by Microsoft.  Safeguard holds prevent devices with a known compatibility issue from receiving a new feature update.  For instance, an installed application on the device may have compatibility issues with Windows 11.  You can read more about safeguards here in one of my other blogs.  In this instance, there is a safeguard hold assigned to my desktop so until a fix is released for that issue it will have to wait on Windows 11 for a while.

More to it than Meets the Eye

As you can see, there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to Windows Updates for Business.  In our remaining segment, we will wrap up our discussion by looking talking about compliance deadlines, automatic restarts, and touch on Group Policy one last time. 

Think of WSUS as version 1.0 for managing Windows updates.  Windows Update for Business can be considered version 2.0 as it is the next evolutionary step for managing updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11.  Unlike WSUS, clients connect directly with Microsoft Endpoint so there is no intermediary server involved.  All you need is a management tool such as Group Policy Management Console, an MDM tool such as Microsoft Endpoint Manager or a third-party management tool.  The management tool is where you create the update policies and assign them to designated device groups.  Once the clients receive the policy, they contact Microsoft endpoint which sends them one or more updates depending on the client’s provided inputs.  If you have the Windows Update for Business Deployment service installed, the manager can talk directly with Microsoft Endpoint as well.

Deferring and Pausing Updates

One of the enhanced features that Windows Update for Business provides is the ability to defer the installation of both feature and quality updates for a specified number of days.  The deferment period depends on the type of update as shown below.

Update Category                             Maximum deferral period

Feature updates                                             365 days

Quality updates                                                30 days

Non-deferrable                                                   0 days

You can also choose to pause quality or feature updates all together.  This is similar to deferring an update except you specify an exact date.   Beginning on that date, updates are paused for 35 days.  This is useful if you discover that one of the recent updates is causing problems and you want to buy some time to conduct further testing.   You can configure the required settings to defer or pause an update using Group Policy.  Create a GPO and go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business where you will see several policy options.  In the screenshot below, we have configured a deferment period of 15 days as well as a specific date to start pausing Quality updates.

Windows Update Rings

Windows Update for Business also gives you the ability to create update rings to fine tune the deployment of quality and feature updates.  Rings specify how and when quality and Windows 10 and Windows 11 feature updates are applied.  For instance, let’s say you want to deploy the Windows 11 feature update.  For a large corporation you certainly wouldn’t want to install it on everyone’s computer at once right out of the gate.  You would probably want your IT personnel group to receive the update first to allow them to test it out first.  That would mean creating a fast update ring and assigning it to them.  You would next want to update devices for power users such as software developers, graphical artists, etc.  You would create a slower ring and, and so on.  Below is an example of a 3-ring architecture.

You can create these rings using the Group Policy Management Console.  Create a GPO and go to Computer configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business > Select “When Preview Builds and feature updates are Received.”  Enable the policy and select the ring of your choice as is shown in the screenshot below.  Then assign a deferral period for that ring.  In the example below we have chosen a 2-day deferral period for the Fast Ring.  We would then choose a longer period of perhaps 45-days for the slow ring.

To create rings for Quality Updates you would create a policy and go to Computer configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business > Select when Quality Updates are Received. 

Using MEM to Manage Windows Updates for Business

You can also use Microsoft Endpoint Manager to manage Windows Updates for Business.  If you open  MEM and go to Devices you will see 3 options.

A small enterprise may not feel the need to utilize multiple update rings.  If you want to simply deploy Windows 11 at large, click “Feature updates for Windows 10 and later” and select Windows 11 as the feature update.  You can then choose between pushing the update as soon as possible, making it available on a specific date or gradually dispersing the update across your enterprise.  In the example below I chose the third option and set a start and finish time for the deployment.

If you want to use update rings, the process is similar.  Create a ring with your desired settings and assign it to a designated group.  Note below the addition of an uninstall period that you can assign. 

You can also configure User Experience settings for each ring.  User experience settings give your users the ability to defer updates on their own when necessary.  This would be important for a sales executive that is attending a sales conference for instance and needs the full use of their computer for an extended time.  For instance, you can configure a grace period that specifies the number of days until a device is forced to restart.  This would be useful for users returning to the office from extended leave or a long holiday period.  You should first configure the active hours so that update-initiated reboots do not occur during this critical time window.  You can then configure deadlines.  In the screenshot below, users could defer feature updates on their own for 7 days, at which point the update would forcibly install.

Service Channels

Finally, there is something called Service Channels.  Service channels define when features updates will be available.  For instance, someone that is a member of the Windows Insider Program probably wants to receive feature updates in advance to preview them.  Internal IT needs access to new feature updates ASAP to validate them for their desktop environments.  These four channels are as follows:

• General Availability Channel – This is the default channel
• Windows Insider Dev
• Windows Insider Beta
• Windows Insider Release Preview

You can create policies using Group Policy or MDM to create policies that assign these channels.

Putting it all Together

Windows Update for Business obviously has a lot more moving parts than the media or WSUS methods.  Things can get complex quickly.  In part 3 of our ongoing series, we will look at an environment involving multiple Windows feature versions and deferral settings to see how the underlying processes occur to ensure that each device receives the updates it needs. 

Managing Windows updates is one of the most important functions for Windows admins today.  The methodologies available to manage and deliver updates to Windows servers, desktops and laptops has changed a lot over the years.  In this 4-part series, we will outline the different management options that are available today and break down how Windows Update Manager works and why it should be the preferred management alternative for today’s enterprises.  Before we get started, define what we mean by Windows updates.

Types of Windows Updates

There are two broad categories of Windows updates.  The first is quality updates.  These are the updates that are mostly released on what we have come to traditionally know as ‘Patch Tuesday.’  Quality updates are referred to cumulative updates or maintenance updates.  Most quality updates are released to either address a security issue or fix a problem to improve the reliability and security of Windows.  These are known as mandatory updates.  Other quality updates may provide some preview enhancements of existing features.  A reboot may be required once all the newly downloaded quality updates are installed. 

Then there are feature updates.  Feature updates are made available twice a year and are known as semi-annual releases.  You can think of a feature update as a new version of Windows.  Feature updates can be deferred for up to 365 days although each new version is only supported by Microsoft for a period of 18 months which is another benefit of updating.  Feature updates can introduce new features as well as visual changes to the operating systems.  The objective here is to constantly improve the Windows operating system.  A feature update may require a series of reboots to complete the update process.   

Now let’s look at the three primary ways of managing Windows updates.

Media

This is the most basic way of all to manage Windows updates.  Here the computer contacts Microsoft Endpoint directly to learn of any available updates.  The local admin of the computer can then choose to either download and install those updates at a designated time or defer them to the automated process.  This one-to-one relationship is shown below.

Obviously, this method is not suitable for enterprise environments as there is no way to centrally manage the updates of multiple machines.  It is designed for personal users or very small SOHO environments. 
 

Windows Server Update Services

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) has been around for a long time and used to be the primary way that admins managed Windows updates for enterprise environments.  WSUS was designed back in the days of a totally on-prem world.  Think of the WSUS server as a repository for Windows updates.  Rather than each Windows machine directly contacting Microsoft for updates and using a lot of precious bandwidth in the process, the WSUS server downloads all updates and retains them on local storage.  Besides the WSUS server itself, WSUS also requires a manager which can be one of the following:

• The WSUS Stand-alone console
• Group Policy
• MEM CONFIG Manager
• A third-party management tool

Regardless of which management tool you choose, you must create policies to govern the Windows update process.  The policy must identify the WSUS server and outline when updates will occur.  These policies can be assigned to either device groups or the devices themselves.  The admin then approves which updates they want to distribute.  The manager then then informs the WSUS server of the newly approved list.  When prompted by their assigned policies, Windows devices then scan their updates against the WSUS server itself.  The WSUS server then offers each device any approved updates that it is missing.  This process is outlined below.

WSUS was an ideal solution for managing Windows updates for enterprise environments at one time.  There are two primary limitations of WSUS currently.  The first is the fact that Microsoft has not provided any enhancements to WSUS in years, and it will eventually be deprecated.  The bigger factor however is that the world has changed in recent years.  WSUS cannot adequately service hybrid work models and remote work strategies as all Windows desktops must be connected in some way to the local network.  For this and other reasons, Windows Update for Business is a better choice in many cases.  In our next blog segment, we will look at the architecture of Windows Update for Business and how to implement it.

Microsoft recently released the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge 95 version to Stable channel for Windows and Mac, which coincides with a new security baseline for it as well.  Some of the new features of the new Edge version include the following:

• A new efficiency mode that becomes active when a laptop enters battery saver mode so that the two work in tandem to extend the battery life of the machine.
• The ability to pick up where you left off on PDF documents and resume your review of the documents.
• The ability to update your passwords with fewer clicks as the browser will navigate a user to the Change Password page for a given website assuming that the website supports that feature.  The browser will also suggest a strong, unique new password. 
• Supports free form text boxes within PDF documents that allows users to use them to fill out a form. 

Because the browser today is the most frequently used application, it is critically important to keep your security baselines up to date to ensure you are running best practice.  MDM administrators that utilize Microsoft Endpoint Management (Intune) are familiar with the concept of Security Baselines.  A security baseline is a collection of Microsoft recommended configuration settings that help secure and protect enterprise users and devices.  Security baselines are an easy and effective way for admins to ensure that they are consistently enforcing a minimum-security level that will address fundamental security and compliance issues.  The Security Baselines for Group Policy are designed around the same principle as the MEM Security Baselines.  You can download the new security baseline package here by selecting the Microsoft Edge v95 Security Baseline.zip file. 

The Benefits of Using Security Baselines

While it is perfectly ok to configure your own MDM profile or GPO to select and configure available settings, baselines are a quick and easy way to enforce a default baseline that prevents users from making changes that will result in an insecure state.  There are several benefits of using security baselines offered by Microsoft.

• They are already configured by Microsoft security experts
• They enforce settings that mitigates contemporary security threats.
• Baseline settings have been pretested to ensure that they do not cause operational issues that are worse than the risks they mitigate
• They ensure that users and device configuration settings are compliant with the baseline

Installing the Microsoft Edge v93 Security Baseline

Once downloaded, you will see that the package contains multiple folder directories as is shown below.  Note that unlike other packages, this one doesn’t include a Template folder as this package does not include the ADMX/ADM template files.  You can download the template files directly from the Microsoft website for any of the current Edge versions.  You must have the required template files in your central store for the package to work.

The next step is to import the new security baselines.  You can import these policies either locally or into AD using the enclosed scripts.  I am choosing to import them into my AD environment using the appropriate scripts as shown below.

Then choose the location where you want to link the new policy and browse for the new MSFT Edge 95 – Computer.

In my case, I chose the East Sales OU to link it.  Note that this is a computer side GPO, so it needs to be linked to an OU that contains computer objects.  The screenshot shows the enclosed settings below.

There are two new security baseline settings.  The first is “Enable browser legacy extension point blocking” which blocks code injection from third party applications on the new Edge browser.  The setting is enabled by default as is shown below.

The other new enforced setting is “Specifies whether the display-capture permissions-policy is checked or skipped.  It allows web applications using the getDisplayMedia() API to bypass a permission policy check required by the API specification This setting is only temporary and will be deprecated after Microsoft Edge 100.  It is intended to block Enterprise users whose application is non-spec compliant.  The setting is enabled by default as is shown below.

All in all there were 1 new computer settings and 1 new user settings for Microsoft Edge version 95 with 3 settings being removed.  You can learn more about these settings here.

Microsoft has a new operating system, which means we need a new security baseline.  Microsoft released the new package on October 5 which features two new settings and some recommended setting changes.  The Security Baselines for Group Policy are designed around the same principle as the MEM Security Baselines.  They provide an easy and effective way for admins to ensure that they are consistently enforcing a minimum-security level that addresses fundamental security and compliance issues.  The baseline settings are preconfigured by Microsoft security specialists and have been tested for proven compatibility. 

Installing the Windows 11 Security Baselines

Once you download the package you will see that it contains multiple folder directories as is shown below.

If you don’t have the Windows 11 ADMX/ADML templates, you can copy them from the Template folder and paste them into your central store.  The templates are shown below.

The real purpose of the package is to import the new security baselines.  You can import these policies either locally or into AD using the enclosed scripts.  I am choosing to import them into my AD environment using the appropriate scripts as shown below.

Domain Security GPO

Let’s look at some of the settings included in the package.  The package includes a GPO called MSFT Windows 11 – Domain Security.  A big change here is the recommended password length.  While a 14-character password has been supported on multiple Windows 10 versions, Security Baselines have continued to enforce an 8-character password length only, which remains a standard in the industry.  The Windows 11 baseline has now increased the minimum password length to 14-characters as shown in the screenshot below.  Advanced password breaking applications powered by readily available increased CPU power has made the 8-character passwords far too vulnerable as they can be potentially cracked in mere hours.

It is highly recommended that you confirm that all your systems and applications are compatible with a password of this length before you enact this policy.  It’s a good idea to first Enable the ‘MinimumPasswordLengthAudit’ Group Policy setting which is located at Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies -> Password Policy -> Minimum password length audit.  Enabling this setting will provide insights into the potential impact of increasing your password length.

Restrict Printer Driver Installations

In July of 2021, Microsoft released CVE-2021-34527 which patched a remote code execution vulnerability in the Windows Print Spooler service.  Essentially, it prevents non-admin users from installing a print driver, which caused a great deal of havoc early on as enterprises that freely allowed standard users to install print drivers were inundated with calls to the helpdesk.  I wrote a blog back in August called the Utlimate Guide to PrintNightmare that lists the options you now have as a result of the update.  Note that Microsoft has added this setting to the Windows 11 Security Baseline as is shown in the screenshot below.

Microsoft Legacy Edge is No More

As Microsoft Edge Legacy reached EOL earlier this year, it is not a part of Windows 11.  That means that all its supported settings have been removed from the baseline.  Only Chromium Edge is now supported.

Script Scanning

According to Microsoft, script scanning was a parity gap between Group Policy and MDM.  As the gap has now been closed, Microsoft is enforcing the enablement of script scanning in this baseline.  Enabling script scanning means that scripts are scanned before being executed to determine their threat status. 

One thing lacking in the Group Policy version of Windows 11 Baseline Security is the ability to enable Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's tamper protection feature which is available using Microsoft Endpoint Manager.  Microsoft does encourage you to enable it however using other means.  More information here.

Last month, Microsoft released a security baseline for Microsoft Edge version 93.  While there isn’t a whole lot new here it’s important to keep your security baselines up to date in order to ensure you are running best practice.  You can download the latest security baseline packages here by selecting the Microsoft Edge v93 Security Baseline.zip file.  The Security Baselines for Group Policy are designed around the same principle as the MEM Security Baselines.  They provide an easy and effective way for admins to ensure that they are consistently enforcing a minimum-security level that addresses fundamental security and compliance issues.  The baseline settings are preconfigured by Microsoft security specialists and have been tested for compatibility. 

Installing the Microsoft Edge v93 Security Baseline

Once downloaded, you will see that the package contains multiple folder directories as is shown below.  Note that unlike other packages, this one doesn’t include a Template folder as this package does not include the ADMX/ADM template files.  You can download the template files directly from the Microsoft website for any of the current Edge versions.  You must have the required template files in your central store for the package to work.

The next step is to import the new security baselines.  You can import these policies either locally or into AD using the enclosed scripts.  I am choosing to import them into my AD environment using the appropriate scripts as shown below.

In my case, I chose the East Sales OU, and I linked the MSFT Edge Version 93 – Computer GPO.  Note that this is a computer side GPO, so it needs to be linked to an OU that contains computer objects.  Now let’s look at the preconfigured settings below.

There is only one newly enforced setting and that is the disabling of 3DES which is outlined in the screenshot above.  In Microsoft Edge version 95, the 3DES encryption cipher is completely removed and will no longer function so this is way to prepare you for the inevitable deprecation of it. The upcoming baseline security release will have the 3DES setting completely removed.

The other thing new is an addition by subtraction setting.  Since Adobe Flash support has now ended and been removed from Microsoft Edge completely, there is no need to enforce the setting that disabled Flash. 

All in all there were 31 new computer settings and 26 new user settings for Microsoft Edge version 93 which you learn more about here.

Believe it or not, the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser has grown by 1,300 percent in the past year.  One of the contributing reasons to its popularity surge is the perpetual release of innovation that Microsoft unveils on a regular basis in the form of feature updates.  At the same time, Microsoft is aware that many enterprises want to have some degree of control over how often these new features are distributed to their users. 

• Stable Channel
• Beta Channel
• Dev Channel
• Canary Channel

The Canary Channel puts you on the bleeding edge, providing you with the newest innovations as quickly as possible.  At the top of the chain is the Stable Channel which is best suited for production environment and intended for broad deployment throughout your organization.  Microsoft has traditionally released feature updates every 6 weeks for the Stable Channel and Beta Chanel.  Microsoft is making some changes however starting with Microsoft Edge 94., which is currently scheduled to be released for the Beta Channel beginning the first week of September.  Those using the Stable Channel will have to wait until the week of September 23.  You can see the complete Microsoft Edge release schedule here.

Starting with Microsoft Edge 94, Microsoft is switching to a 4-week release cycle.  Part of this is in reaction to Google’s announcement to do the same thing for Chrome version 96 in the fourth quarter of 2021.  Another reason though is to feed the insatiable appetite that users have for new innovative features.  This of course is what agile software development is all about.  Microsoft knows however that not every enterprise is ready to adapt to a shortened release window.  For organizations that want to move more cautiously, Microsoft will bring a new release channel called “Extended Stable” which will provide a longer 8-week release timeline.  Like the current channels, admins can opt-in to this channel using either Group Policy or Microsoft Endpoint Manager.  If you don’t create a policy for the new channel, Microsoft Edge will default to the 4-week release cycle.

Those who go with the 8-week Extended Stable release option will receive cumulative feature updates aligned with even-numbered releases.  Any feature updates of an odd-numbered release will be then delivered as part of the subsequent numbered release.  Microsoft will continue to provide Assisted Support for the three most recent Stable Channel releases that equates to approximately 12 weeks.  Assisted Support will be available for the two most recent Extended Stable channel releases which equates to 16 weeks.  For more information you can refer to the Microsoft Edge Lifecycle Policy.

Keep in mind that security patches and fixes operate independently and will continue to be deployed as needed.  If you don’t use Windows Update for Business to manage updates, you can always download Microsoft Edge updates using Windows Services Update Server (WSUS).