How to Verify Device Guard Status in Windows Device Guard is a powerful feature in Windows Enterprise environments, helping to protect systems by allowing only trusted applications to run. In this video, we’ll show you how to verify Device Guard status and explain why it's so critical for your organization's security. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne’s IT Video Hub for more tech content like this. Introduction to Device Guard Device Guard is a collection of Windows security features that include Virtualization-based Security, Kernel Control Flow Guard (CFG), and Hypervisor-Enforced Code Integrity. It’s designed to prevent unauthorized or malicious code from running on your networked Windows devices. Unlike Credential Guard, Device Guard isn’t always enabled by default— even if the hardware supports it. That means verifying its status is a must for IT admins. How to Verify Device Guard Let’s look at three easy ways to check if Device Guard is running: Use the System Information tool. Open the Run dialog by pressing Windows + R. Type msinfo32 and press Enter. In the System Summary, look for “Device Guard Virtualization-based Security.” If it says “Running,” it’s active on that system. Use PowerShell. Open PowerShell as an administrator. Run: This displays which Device Guard components are available and enabled. Check Group Policy. Run gpedit.msc to open Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to: Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System, Device Guard Review settings like “Turn On Virtualization- based Security” and “Configure HVCI.” If you've recently updated Group Policy but don't see changes, run gpupdate /force or reboot the device to apply them. For confirmation across your Windows Domain, use: gpresult /h gpresult.html in PowerShell to see which policies have been applied. Remember, Device Guard offers more than protection— it gives administrators control over what users can run, significantly reducing the attacks surface. Whether you're managing a handful of machines or a global network, verifying Device Guard status should be part of your regular security protocol. For more information, check out our official blog post on “Guide: How to Verify Windows Device Guard Status” linked in the description below.