Microsoft Introduces Windows 365 Cloud PC: What Is It & How Secure Is It?

On Wednesday as Microsoft announced Windows 365 – a cloud service to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when released) for businesses of all sizes, there’s chatter. Everyone wants to know what Microsoft 365 is, what it offers, and whether it is safe to use or not. If you too are part of that conversation, you are at the right place. In this post, we will discuss what Microsoft 365 is and how secure it is to use.

What is Windows 365?

Since the way we used to work is changing, Microsoft is also modifying things. Built on Microsoft’s Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365 is the company’s latest subscription-based cloud PC service. Using this service, the user gets the capability of accessing remote Windows desktop via any popular web browser.

In short, Windows 365 is a way of accessing a remote PC via a virtual desktop system. On this platform, you can install any Windows program and can have a complete Windows operating system. Also, when you exit the browser on which you were using Windows remotely, the desktop item remains intact.

Windows 365 is Microsoft’s answer to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Amazon Web Services.

Devices Compatible with Windows 365

Any device with a modern browser can be used to access Microsoft’s Remote Desktop app. This means whether you are using Linux, Mac, iPad, Chromebook, iPhone, Android device, or any you can run it.

Who Is Windows 365 For?

As of now, Windows 365 is available only for businesses of all sizes. Whether you have a business with a few people or with a large number of people, Windows 365 is for you. Just pay for the subscription and start using it.

Once you have the Windows 365 subscription, create cloud PCs and start assigning them to employees, so that they can access the standardized desktop on any device with any hardware configuration and operating system.

How will businesses create, assign and manage cloud PCs and when will Windows 365 launch?

To do all the above businesses will have to use Microsoft Endpoint Manager. The said service will launch on August 2, 2021.

How Much Will Businesses Have to Pay for Windows 365?

Since it is a subscription-based service, businesses will need a fixed amount monthly of employees.

There will be two plans –

Windows 365 Business

Windows 365 Enterprise.

Alongside this, the company says there will be different performance tiers. This means based on CPU, storage resource, and RAM the amount can be fixed. As told, the starting configuration will be:-

• 1 CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 64GB of storage

However, the largest will have :

• 8 CPUs
• 32 GB of RAM,
• 512 GB of storage

Once the type of tier and performance option is selected businesses will get to know the fixed amount they need to pay each month until the preference is changed.

However, the price models are not yet disclosed, rumors suggest they will be out when Windows 365 will be officially announced.

Is Windows 365 Secure?

This one indeed is a very serious question, because what we will be sharing is data – our powerhouse.

Since Office 365 is a customizable information security platform it will allow subscription-based clients to secure their data. Also Azure offers data security measures using which businesses will be able to track and secure documents from anywhere in the world.

Not only this, with every Windows 365 subscription, Microsoft guarantees 99.9% uptime, backed financially with SLA. Also, there are certain advantages and security benefits of using Windows 365 they are as follows:

Also Read: Google’s New Security Update Says No Need To Remember The Passwords

Advantages & Security Benefits

1. Azure Active Directory

Azure Active Directory using its security boundaries will help isolate data. This means the data stored on Windows 365 or accessed will neither be compromised by others nor will anyone else be able to access it.

2. No Accessing or Mining Your Data for Advertising

Certain well-known services to make money allow advertisers to access and use stored data to show ads. This means the third party gets access to data. But with Microsoft, this won’t be the case, as Privacy controls will be enabled by default.

3. Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication as we all know adds an extra layer of security. Windows 365 while working on the Azure platform will provide an in-house multi-factor authentication on a dedicated app. Moreover, third-party multi-factor authentication solutions will also be allowed.

4. Data Encryption

Windows 365 the cloud-based service will allow organizations to send business communications confidentially with enhanced security. In simple words, users will be allowed to send and receive an encrypted emails from their desktops.

5. Data Location Security and Access

The data stored on Office 365 will be saved in geographically distributed Microsoft data centers that are protected by layers of defense-in-depth security.

6. Security Measures

To secure data – files and emails, Windows 365 will use encryption, identity, and authorization policies. This will help safeguard information both within and outside the organization.

With these measures in place, Microsoft 365 promises to offer cloud data security. Also, it will allow users to use Microsoft Intune mobile-device management. This will help manage and protect devices across Windows, Apple iOS, and Android platforms.

Using it businesses will be able to detect, keep a check on things and protect sensitive information with data-loss prevention controls.

Moreover, with people using cloud services like Google Workspace, Slack, and others for ease, the Microsoft cloud platform is the only one that offers great security measures. Also, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform though running on virtual PCs will not let any PC or user interact with one another.

With this type of solution in place, by keeping their data secure businesses can surely run on a standardized desktop environment. Also, remote employees will no longer have to connect to VPN to access office PCs, install work applications, or upload files on the office network. What they will have to do is simply access a remote desktop environment and start working without downloading anything on a personal PC.

More information about the tool will be out there once it is launched. So keep reading the post as we will update it from time to time. You can also read more on Microsoft’s Windows 365 website.

Hope we were able to explain all about Microsoft 365, what it has to offer and how secure it will be. Please share your thoughts and if there is any question do let us know the same in the comments section.