(air whooshing) Configuring Windows Defender Exploit Guard Network Protection. (computer beeping) Is your current security falling short against sophisticated online scams? Understand how Windows Defender Exploit Guard Network Protection uses advanced intelligence to spot and terminate connections to harmful domains. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to Ninja One's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Understanding Windows Defender Network Protection. Windows Defender Exploit Guard Network Protection is a key component of Windows Defender, designed to protect your devices from web-based threats, like deceptive domains and malicious IPs. It leverages Microsoft's Intelligent Security Graph, a vast database of security intelligence, to identify and block these dangers in real time by promptly terminating outbound connections to harmful sites. While similar to Microsoft Defender Smart Screen, Network Protection acts as an immediate blocker, rather than just a warning system, providing a robust first line of defense against phishing and other online scams. Prerequisites and system Requirements. Before you dive into configuration, make sure your system meets the requirements. Windows Defender Exploit Guard Network Protection is supported on various Windows versions, including Windows 10, Windows 11, and several Windows Server editions, like 2016, 2019, and 2022. For enterprise environments using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, you'll need specific licenses, such as Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 or 2, or Microsoft Defender for Business. Also, you'll need administrator-level permissions to configure settings in Windows Defender. If you're in an enterprise, your IT team can use role-based access control, or RBAC, to manage these permissions. Configuring Windows Defender Network Protection. Enabling Windows Defender Exploit Guard Network Protection is simple. The network protection group policy setting doesn't appear on all systems. Therefore, the most reliable way is to use PowerShell when enabling it. Just open an elevated PowerShell window and run Set-MpPreference -EnableNetworkProtection Enabled. Once enabled, run the Get-MpPreference commandlet in PowerShell to verify status. Verifying and troubleshooting. After configuration, verify network protection is active using PowerShell or the registry editor, and test blocked URLs in the Microsoft Defender portal. If you hit false positives or performance issues, report them to Microsoft, or switch to audit mode via PowerShell to log risks without blocking. If using a third-party antivirus, you might need to temporarily disable network protection to avoid conflicts. For IT admins, remember to combine this feature with other Windows security tools, set trusted domain exclusions, and consistently monitor logs. (air whooshing) Enabling Windows Defender Exploit Guard Network Protection is an important step in safeguarding your personal and enterprise devices from evolving cyberthreats. It effectively complements other Windows security tools, providing robust defense. Remember to keep Windows Defender Exploit Guard regularly updated for the best protection. For more information, check out our official blog post on configuring Windows Defender Exploit Guard Network Protection in Windows linked in the description below. Be sure to subscribe to Ninja One's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. (air whooshing)