Small But Mighty: The Kernel’s Essential Role in Cybersecurity Defense

The kernel is the brain of the operating system. It controls everything that happens on a computer and has full access to the hardware and all system resources. Though it has a small code base, the kernel plays a critical role in how systems and applications operate, interact and stay secure. Due to the current architecture and design of Windows systems, cybersecurity products running in the platform — particularly those involved in endpoint protection — require kernel access to provide the highest levels of visibility, enforcement and tamper-resistance while meeting the strict performance requirements that large enterprise clients demand. Kernel access translates to stronger protection, better performance and adaptability to emerging threats. In this episode, Adam and Cristian are joined by cybersecurity expert Alex Ionescu to unpack what the kernel is and its critical role in cybersecurity defense. They explain threats to kernel security, why kernel access is critical for cybersecurity products and the testing that security products must undergo to gain kernel access. Looking ahead, they also discuss what we can expect for the future of collaboration among Microsoft, security researchers and larger security organizations.