Windows 10 users will be protected more than ever before thanks to a new feature that allows software developers to integrate all apps with any anti-malware programs on the computer in question.
Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI), which was unveiled by Microsoft this week, allows apps to automatically send content over to any anti-malware program installed locally by the user and then be scanned without having to set up any extra processes.
"While the malicious script might go through several passes of deobfuscation, it ultimately needs to supply the scripting engine with plain, unobfuscated code. When it gets to this point, the application can now call the new Windows AMSI APIs to request a scan of this unprotected content," explained Lee Holmes, principal software engineer at Microsoft, in a blog post.
Communications also safer
In addition to the unobfuscation of scripts, AMSI can also be used with communication apps to scan instant messages for viruses before they are displayed on screen. Gamers will also see the benefits as plugins will be scanned by the same anti-malware program before installation to make sure that nothing untoward is present.
As well as application developers being able to incorporate the Windows AMSI interface into their Windows 10 apps, antivirus software vendors are also able to integrate support for the AMSI interface inside programs to provide much deeper insight into data that apps might consider malicious.
