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Identity and access management

Learn more about identity and access management technologies in Windows.

Warning

Windows Hello for Business is the modern, two-factor authentication for Windows. Microsoft will deprecate virtual smart cards in the near future. Customers using virtual smart cards are strongly encouraged to move to Windows Hello for Business. Microsoft will publish the deprecation date to ensure customers have adequate lead time to move to Windows Hello for Business. We recommend that new Windows deployments use Windows Hello for Business.

Section Description
Local Administrator Password Solution Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) provides management of local account passwords of domain-joined computers. Passwords are stored in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and protected by an access control list (ACL), so only eligible users can read them or request a reset.
Technical support policy for lost or forgotten passwords Outlines the ways in which Microsoft can help you reset a lost or forgotten password, and provides links to instructions for doing so.
Access control Describes access control in Windows, which is the process of authorizing users, groups, and computers to access objects on the network or computer. Key concepts that make up access control are permissions, ownership of objects, inheritance of permissions, user rights, and object auditing.
Configure S/MIME for Windows 10 In Windows 10, S/MIME lets users encrypt outgoing messages and attachments so that only intended recipients who have a digital identification (ID), also known as a certificate, can read them. Users can digitally sign a message, which provides the recipients with a way to verify the identity of the sender and that the message hasn't been tampered with.
Protect derived domain credentials with Credential Guard Introduced in Windows 10 Enterprise, Credential Guard uses virtualization-based security to isolate secrets so that only privileged system software can access them. Unauthorized access to these secrets can lead to credential theft attacks, such as Pass-the-Hash or Pass-The-Ticket. Credential Guard helps prevent these attacks by protecting NTLM password hashes and Kerberos Ticket Granting Tickets.
Protect Remote Desktop credentials with Remote Credential Guard Remote Credential Guard helps you protect your credentials over a Remote Desktop connection by redirecting the Kerberos requests back to the device that's requesting the connection.
User Account Control Provides information about User Account Control (UAC), which helps prevent malware from damaging a PC and helps organizations deploy a better-managed desktop. UAC can help block the automatic installation of unauthorized apps and prevent inadvertent changes to system settings.
Virtual Smart Cards Provides information about deploying and managing virtual smart cards, which are functionally similar to physical smart cards and appear in Windows as smart cards that are always-inserted. Virtual smart cards use the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip that is available on computers in many organizations, rather than requiring the use of a separate physical smart card and reader.
VPN technical guide Virtual private networks (VPN) let you give your users secure remote access to your company network. Windows 10 adds useful new VPN profile options to help you manage how users connect.
Smart Cards Provides a collection of references topics about smart cards, which are tamper-resistant portable storage devices that can enhance the security of tasks such as authenticating clients, signing code, securing e-mail, and signing in with a Windows domain account.
Windows Hello for Business In Windows 10, Windows Hello replaces passwords with strong two-factor authentication on client devices. This authentication consists of a new type of user credential that is tied to a device and a biometric or PIN.
Windows 10 Credential Theft Mitigation Guide Abstract Learn more about credential theft mitigation in Windows 10.