Configure Secured-core server

• Applies to:

  ✅ Windows Server 2025, ✅ Windows Server 2022, ✅ Windows Server 2019, ✅ Windows Server 2016

Secured-core is a collection of capabilities that offers built-in hardware, firmware, driver and operating system security features. This article shows you how to configure Secured-core server by using Windows Admin Center, the Windows Server Desktop Experience, and Group Policy.

Secured-core server is designed to deliver a secure platform for critical data and applications. For more information, see What is Secured-core server?

Prerequisites

Before you can configure Secured-core server, you must have the following security components installed and enabled in the BIOS:

• Secure Boot.
• Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.
• System firmware must meet preboot DMA protection requirements and set appropriate flags in ACPI tables to opt into and enable Kernel DMA Protection. To learn more about Kernel DMA Protection, see Kernel DMA Protection (Memory Access Protection) for OEMs.
• A processor with support enabled in the BIOS for:
  • Virtualization extensions.
  • Input/Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU).
  • Dynamic Root of Trust for Measurement (DRTM).
  • Transparent Secure Memory Encryption is also required for AMD based systems.

Important

Enabling each of the security features in the BIOS can vary based on your hardware vendor. Make sure to check your hardware manufacturer's Secured-core server enablement guide.

You can find hardware certified for Secured-core server from the Windows Server Catalog, and Azure Local servers in the Azure Local Catalog.

Enable security features

To configure Secured-core server you need to enable specific Windows Server security features, select the relevant method and follow the steps.

GUI

Here's how to enable Secured-core server using the user interface.

1. From the Windows desktop, open the Start menu, select Windows Administrative Tools, open Computer Management.
2. In Computer management, select Device Manager, resolve any device error if necessary.
   1. For AMD based systems, confirm the DRTM Boot Driver device is present before continuing
3. From Windows desktop, open the Start menu, select Windows Security.
4. Select Device security > Core isolation details, then enable Memory Integrity and Firmware Protection. You might not be able to enable Memory Integrity until you've enabled Firmware Protection first and restarted your server.
5. Restart your server when prompted.

Once your server has restarted, your server is enabled for Secured-core server.

Windows Admin Center

Here's how to enable Secured-core server using Windows Admin Center.

1. Sign into your Windows Admin Center portal.
2. Select the server you want to connect to.
3. Select Security using the left-hand panel, then select the Secured-core tab.
4. Check the Security Features with a status of Not configured, then select Enable.
5. When notified, select Schedule system reboot to persist the changes.
6. Select either the Restart immediately or Schedule restart at a time suitable for your workload.

Once your server has restarted, your server is enabled for Secured-core server.

Group Policy

Here's how to enable Secured-core server for domain members using Group Policy.

1. Open the Group Policy Management Console, create or edit a policy applied to your server.

2. In the console tree, select Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Guard.

3. For the setting, right-click Turn On Virtualization Based Security and select Edit.

4. Select Enabled, from the drop down menus select the following:

   1. Select Secure Boot and DMA Protection for the Platform Security Level.
   2. Select either Enabled without lock or Enabled with UEFI lock for Virtualization Based Protect of Code Integrity.
   3. Select Enabled for the Secure Launch Configuration.

   Caution

   If you use Enabled with UEFI lock for Virtualization Based Protect of Code Integrity, it cannot be disabled remotely. To disable the feature, you must set the Group Policy to Disabled as well as remove the security functionality from each computer, with a physically present user, in order to clear configuration persisted in UEFI.

5. Select OK to complete the configuration.

6. Restart your server to apply the Group Policy.

Once your server has restarted, your server is enabled for Secured-core server.

Verify Secured-core server configuration

Now that you've configured Secured-core server, select the relevant method to verify your configuration.

GUI

Here's how to verify your Secured-core server is configured using the user interface.

1. From the Windows desktop, open the Start menu, type msinfo32.exe to open System Information. From the System Summary page, confirm:

   1. Secure Boot State and Kernel DMA Protection is On.

   2. Virtualization-based security is Running.

   3. Virtualization-based security Services Running shows Hypervisor enforced Code Integrity and Secure Launch.

      

Windows Admin Center

Here's how to verify your Secured-core server is configured using Windows Admin Center.

1. Sign into your Windows Admin Center portal.

2. Select the server you want to connect to.

3. Select Security using the left-hand panel, then select the Secured-core tab.

4. Check the all Security Features have a status of Configured.

   

Group Policy

To verify Group Policy has applied to your server, run the following command from an elevated command prompt.

gpresult /SCOPE COMPUTER /R /V

In the output, confirm the Device Guard settings are applied under the Administrative Templates section. The following example shows the output when the settings are applied.

        Administrative Templates
        ------------------------
            GPO: Local Group Policy
                Folder Id: SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard\LsaCfgFlags
                Value:       3, 0, 0, 0
                State:       Enabled

            GPO: Local Group Policy
                Folder Id: SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard\RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures
                Value:       3, 0, 0, 0
                State:       Enabled

            GPO: Local Group Policy
                Folder Id: SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard\EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity
                Value:       1, 0, 0, 0
                State:       Enabled

            GPO: Local Group Policy
                Folder Id: SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity
                Value:       2, 0, 0, 0
                State:       Enabled

            GPO: Local Group Policy
                Folder Id: SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard\HVCIMATRequired
                Value:       0, 0, 0, 0
                State:       Enabled

            GPO: Local Group Policy
                Folder Id: SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard\ConfigureSystemGuardLaunch
                Value:       1, 0, 0, 0
                State:       Enabled

Verify your Secured-core server is configured by following the steps.

1. From the Windows desktop, open the Start menu, type msinfo32.exe to open System Information. From the System Summary page, confirm:

   1. Secure Boot State and Kernel DMA Protection is On.

   2. Virtualization-based security is Running.

   3. Virtualization-based security Services Running shows Hypervisor enforced Code Integrity and Secure Launch.

      

Next steps

Now that you've configured Secured-core server, here are some resources to learn more about:

• Virtualization-based Security (VBS)
• Memory integrity and VBS enablement
• System Guard Secure Launch