Microsoft announced the public preview launch of Win32 app isolation, a new Windows 11 security feature designed to sandbox 32-bit desktop applications.
Recently announced during Microsoft’s Build 2023 conference, Win32 app isolation uses AppContainer to boost security by mitigating the potential harm caused by compromised applications and protecting the user’s privacy.
“The Win32 application is launched as a low integrity process using AppContainer, which is recognized as a security boundary by Microsoft,” said David Weston, Microsoft VP for Enterprise & OS Security.
If an app vulnerability is exploited, the AppContainer execution environment ensures that the Win32 app remains restricted to the resources granted within its confines.
“Win32 app isolation is an addition to the family of existing Windows sandbox options, such as Windows Sandbox and Microsoft Defender Application Guard,” said David Weston, Microsoft VP for Enterprise & OS Security.
“While these options are based on virtualization based security, Win32 app isolation is built on the foundation of AppContainers.”