No Known Ransomware Works Against Windows 10 S, Says Microsoft (betanews.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: According to Microsoft, "no Windows 10 customers were known to be compromised by the recent WannaCry (WannaCrypt) global cyberattack." That's great news for anyone running the latest version of the OS, and the software giant says it is working to ensure Windows 10 remains safe from other future attacks. However, if you want to guarantee your safety from ransomware, then Microsoft points out there's an even more secure option to consider -- 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."

Comments

Neither do the applications

[Anonymous Coward]

None of the applications I regularly use are supported on Win10 S, so I guess it's as useless for me as it is for the ransomware developers.....

So, let me get this straight...

[Anubis IV]

If the S version is supposedly better, why offer a $50 "upgrade" to the less secure non-S version? You can't have it both ways. Either you own your walled garden or you accept your open platform. You can't offer an upgrade to a version you're claiming is superior.

Moreover, they're basically arguing that their software is more secure because it's hobbled by design. A rock is similarly secure against WannaCry, but that doesn't mean it's actually useful for everyday computing tasks.

10S, a push to education, doomed to fail??

[labnet]

Windows 10 S is clearly a push into the education market: but google has has had Chrome For Education for several years now: and the big advantage of Chrome Management Console (CMC) is it being active directory in the cloud done right. CMC makes it super easy to lock down, manage and update education targeted computers (it's also great for digital signage)
I haven't used Azure AD, so it would be interesting if any /.ers have a comparison of the two systems.

Apple had an awesome opportunity here after they created a whole new locked to a store OS niche, but never capitalised on it by giving schools the tools to manage the platform.

Now the only reason PC's are still selling, are office and legacy programs. Think custom business programs written in .NET and specialised CAD/CAM software. MS have lost the first mover advantage to chrome, and I doubt this move will get it back.