Using a Windows laptop? The government has warned you

Hyderabad: Are you using a Windows laptop? Be aware. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a warning for the users stating that the agency has flagged security vulnerabilities in some versions of Microsoft Windows that can affect the Windows Defender, the tool which guards Windows against malware, viruses, etc.

This can allow hackers to gain access to the victim’s computer, bypassing the security restrictions. According to the agency, the vulnerability exists due to a flaw in the Credential Guard component of the Windows Defender.

As per CERT-In, the list of affected versions include:

· Windows 11 for ARM64-based Systems, Windows 11 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems, Windows 10 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 for 32- bit Systems

· Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems, Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems , Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 21H1 for 32-bit Systems

· Windows 10 Version 21H1 for ARM64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems, Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems , Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2022

· Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2016, Windows Server, version 20H2 (Server Core installation)