How to Turn Enhanced Security On or Off with Microsoft Edge

What Does “Enhanced Security” Do?

Microsoft Edge’s Enhanced Security feature acts like a digital bodyguard for your browser, offering stronger protection against online threats that try to exploit website weaknesses.

Microsoft Edge handles JavaScript, the code that makes websites interactive, by using Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. JIT compilation quickly translates JavaScript code into computer-readable language, which speeds up website loading. For example, some JIT optimizations in older browser versions (prior to Chrome 90) have presented security vulnerabilities.

Enhanced Security in Microsoft Edge blocks Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation for JavaScript. JIT compilation speeds up program code execution. Turning JIT off stops a common way attackers can enter the system. Enhanced Security also adds two extra Windows protections to the Microsoft Edge browser: code integrity checks and application guard features.

• Hardware-enforced Stack Protection: This means your computer’s hardware helps stop bad code from taking over important parts of your browser.
• Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG): This acts like a security guard. It stops unknown code from running in your browser’s memory.

Enhanced security protections make Microsoft Edge stronger against online dangers. The browser automatically uses stricter rules for new websites or sites visited rarely. This learning approach improves protection without requiring user setup.

Choose Your Protection Level: Balanced vs. Strict

Enhanced Security in Microsoft Edge offers adjustable strength levels. Users can select between two distinct modes for improved online protection when Enhanced Security is active.

Balanced Mode (Recommended)

Balanced mode is the best setting for most users because it adds extra security to websites you don’t visit often, while letting your favorite, everyday sites work without interruption.

Enhanced security mode in Microsoft Edge offers better protection for new websites. Most websites will continue to work normally. A small shield or "Secure" sign appears near the address bar when this mode actively protects a specific site.

Strict Mode

Strict mode offers the highest level of protection in Microsoft Edge by applying enhanced security settings to every single website you visit, giving you the best defense against online dangers.

Strict mode in Microsoft Edge is not recommended for typical web browsing for most users. This advanced security setting may require frequent adjustments to settings or adding specific website exceptions, which can be inconvenient. For users who prefer not to manage these configurations or encounter website problems, Microsoft Edge's Balanced mode offers a less intrusive security approach.

How to Turn Enhanced Security On or Off

You can easily turn Microsoft Edge’s Enhanced Security feature on or off, and choose your preferred mode, by going into the browser’s settings menu.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner. This is the “Settings and more” menu.
3. Choose “Settings” from the list.
4. On the left side, click “Privacy, search, and services.”
5. Scroll down to the “Security” section.
6. Find “Enhance your security on the web.” Make sure the switch next to it is “On.”
7. Below that, you can choose your mode. Click the dropdown menu and pick “Balanced” or “Strict.”

Enhanced Security, a feature in Microsoft Edge, allows users to add specific websites to an exception list. This exception list permits certain important websites to function correctly while keeping Enhanced Security active for the majority of internet browsing.

Making Exceptions: When a Site Needs Special Treatment

Microsoft Edge lets you create exception lists for its Enhanced Security feature, allowing you to make specific websites always use extra protection or never use it at all.

You can tell Microsoft Edge to *always* use enhanced security for a specific site, or to *never* use it for that site.

How to Add a Site to an Exception List:

1. Follow steps 1-5 from the section above to get to the “Security” settings page.
2. Make sure “Enhance your security on the web” is “On.”
3. Below where you choose the mode, click on “Site preferences for enhanced security.”
4. You will see two lists: “Never use enhanced security for these sites” and “Always use enhanced security for these sites.”
5. To add a site to a list, click the “Add site” button next to the list you want.
6. Type the full website address (URL) in the box. For example: https://www.example.com
7. Click “Add.”

To add a site to an exception list for Microsoft Edge’s Enhanced Security, you’ll first need to navigate to the security settings page.

Editing or Removing Sites from Exception Lists:

You can easily edit or remove websites from your Microsoft Edge Enhanced Security exception lists by revisiting the site preferences page in the browser’s settings.

1. Go back to the “Site preferences for enhanced security” page in Edge’s settings.
2. Find the website you want to manage in either the “Never use” or “Always use” list.
3. Next to the website’s address, click the “More actions” icon (it usually looks like three dots).
4. You will see options to “Edit” the address or “Remove” the site from the list.

Microsoft Edge's enhanced security feature lets users turn off protection for specific websites. Users click the "Added security" icon in the address bar to disable security for a particular site. This action adds the website's address to an exclusion list, offering a quick fix for immediate website issues, such as those seen in Microsoft Edge version 98.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/enhance-your-security-on-the-web-with-microsoft-edge

Summary

Microsoft Edge’s Enhanced Security feature provides better online protection through settings like Balanced mode for most sites and Strict mode for maximum defense, with options to manage exceptions.