Other aspects of Windows 10 IoT Enterprise include tools to manage start-up. The same techniques used to harden a point-of-sale system can add extra protection to a dedicated application terminal - all you need to do is take the time needed to configure and manage the OS.
By removing unused Windows features, you're minimising the attack surface, while reducing the risk of unwanted software interactions. SEE: Checklist: Securing Windows 10 systems (TechRepublic Premium)Ī future release, due later in 2021, is expected to offer improved customisation, allowing you to strip back unwanted features and have only the services that support your applications. However, where stability is key, especially if you're running software that's both highly regulated and business critical, choosing Windows 10 IoT Enterprise makes sense. You will need to change licensing model if you're using this, as Windows 10 IoT has its own licensing and is not available through standard sales channels.
By treating those PCs as if they were embedded systems, they can take advantage of the Windows 10 ecosystem while offering a stable platform that only gets security updates. Luckily there is an alternative, as the LTSC release of Windows 10 IoT Enterprise retains its 10-year support cycle, allowing it to be used instead of another Windows LTSC client. These aren't the laptops on our desks - they're machines that sit in back offices running business-critical tasks that can't be interrupted and can't go wrong. That's where treating them as appliances starts to make sense. While that may be suitable for workstations where hardware is refreshed every four or five years, it's not a suitable model for PCs that are running EDI gateways or other business-critical applications that don't require a server OS.
However, recent changes from Microsoft mean that the LTSC model for Windows 10 Enterprise is changing, dropping support from 10 to only five years. The Long-Term Servicing Channel for Windows 10 provided a way of supporting those systems with security updates for 10 years, removing consumer-facing features like the Windows Store. These systems have tended to be treated as general-purpose computers, and managed like normal PCs. One interesting use case for Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is for devices that may have used the LTSC release of Windows 10 Enterprise - systems that need to be supported for a long time because they handle specific regulated tasks. You need to be sure that software and hardware has not been compromised, and that file systems are encrypted. That's important if you're building hardware like ATMs, where device and software health is critical. You want to be able to turn them on and let them do what they're intended to do.Īn advantage of building on the existing Windows ecosystem for Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is support for Windows' hardware- and virtualization-based security. Kisok mode is an important option, as embedded devices don't need a Windows desktop. You can use IoT Enterprise with a standard Windows 10 user interface, or run it in Kiosk mode, locking down access to one app or to a selected group of tools.
It's available with the standard semi-annual update model like most of the Windows 10 family, and with a Long-Term Servicing Channel ( LTSC) option for embedded systems that are unlikely to require new features in a long life, like ATMs or point-of-sale systems.
This is a full version of Windows 10, functionally equivalent to Windows 10 Enterprise, but licensed separately. Larger-scale systems can use Windows 10 IoT Enterprise.
While it supports a single UWP app running at a time, there's the option of running it 'headless', without a screen and built into devices. If you're building bespoke hardware that needs more processing power than an Arduino, or where you want an alternative to embedded Linux or a RTOS, IoT Core is an option that lets you build on existing Windows software development skills. It'll run on systems as small as a Raspberry Pi, with Arm as well as Intel. IoT Core is focused on small systems, usually single-board computers running kiosk-like user interfaces. The Windows 10 IoT platform encompasses two operating systems: Windows 10 IoT Core and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise. Windows 11: Tips on installation, security and more (free PDF).Windows 11 SE: Why it's both more and less locked down than Windows 10 S.Windows Server IoT 2022 is for a lot more than Internet of Things.
Windows 11 cheat sheet: Everything you need to know.