CERT: Windows 7 With EMET Is Safer Than Windows 10

Microsoft declares its anti-hack tool EMET is superfluous, since in Windows 10 equivalent security measures are natively integrated. Therefore the support for the software from mid-2018 should be omitted. CERT security expert Will Dormann, however, continues to be indispensable to EMET.

Microsoft has its utility Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) declared superfluous because in 10 Windows appropriate security measures are already integrated. The tool should therefore expire and no longer be supported from mid-2018. However, the renowned CERT security expert Will Dormann from Carnegie Mellon University considers this to be questionable. EMET continues to provide more control to the user, be more flexible to configure, and more appropriate to secure older applications.

Dormann specializes in the analysis of weak points and has already been responsible for numerous CERT safety warnings. He accuses Microsoft of overlooking the primary reason for using EMET. According to him, this is where applications impose additional defenses when these native exploit defenses of the operating system are not used for themselves.

"It is fairly clear that an application running on a standard Windows 10 system does not have the same protection as an application that runs on a Windows 10 system with cleanly configured EMET," writes the CERT expert in one blog post . "Even a Windows 7 system with configured EMET protects your application better than an unchanged Windows 10 system."

The anti-hack tool EMET is intended to help prevent the exploitation of security gaps in the software. Users or administrators can for selected programs additional security technologies to limit damage are running to this toughen subsequently. This can block numerous attack methods, which are exploited by malicious software and exploits. The general operation of EMET is very simple: the various safety technologies can be individually switched on or off for each application. This allows older programs to benefit from increased security. In addition, the tool also offers system-wide security features, which can be easily managed using a uniform user interface.

Dormann admits that Windows 10 actually provides "some nice" mechanisms to prevent exploits. The problem, however, is that the software used by the user has to be compiled in order to gain advantages. And who already knows in a company, which application uses a certain exploit defense technology?

The safety expert in principle recommends the use of EMET beyond 31 July 2018. The announced end of support does not mean that the support program will no longer work. When it comes to preventing exploits, upgrading to Windows 10 is a good idea. However, Will Dormann also recommends the installation of EMET and its configuration for application-specific defense mechanisms. "Windows 10 does not offer all the features that EMET administrators can rely on for a long time."