Windows 11 to Automatically Enable Memory Integrity This Fall

Microsoft has announced that it will start automatically enabling Memory Integrity on eligible Windows 11 devices through standard quality updates starting in October 2026. This feature, also known as Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI), checks kernel-mode code and drivers against a list of trusted software before they run.

Malicious code cannot load directly into the kernel unless it passes this check. Microsoft already blocks known vulnerable drivers through Windows Defender Application Control policy, but Memory Integrity adds an extra layer of screening for kernel-mode code.

Memory Integrity relies on Virtualization-based Security (VBS) to function and will be turned on along with the feature in devices that do not already have it enabled. This change is part of Microsoft's commitment to making Windows secure by design and secure by default.