Microsoft: Windows 10 S impregnable to all known ransomware

Last month Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 S, a new locked-down version of Windows for educational devices. This Windows version exclusively runs apps downloaded via the Windows Store, and has a lot of other limitations like the inability to change the default browser or search engine.

Now the software giant is also hyping up the security advantages of this locked down model, which functions a bit like Apple's iOS or Google's Android. The software giant says the inability to run programs from outside Microsoft's ecosystem makes the device safer against malware.

The Redmond giant claims no known ransomware works against Windows 10 S:

The new, hardened Windows 10 variant only runs apps from the Windows Store, which means it can’t run programs from outside Microsoft’s ecosystem, and that includes malware. Which is why, as Microsoft says, "No known ransomware works against Windows 10 S".

Of course, while being fully protected against ransomware is great, Windows 10 S’s ability to only run apps from the Windows Store does make it a much more limited choice compared to Windows 10 Pro, which is why the new OS is being primarily targeted at users in full time education.

Of course, this doesn't mean there won't be any attacks for Windows 10 S. Vulnerabilities in Edge or the operating system itself could still make your PC vulnerable.