Azure Virtual Desktop is now generally available in Azure Government Secret

Steve Downs

Today we’re announcing that Azure Virtual Desktop received Department of Defense (DoD) Impact Level 6 (IL6) accreditation and is now available to all customers in Azure Government Secret.

Azure Virtual Desktop enables government agencies to host secure, compliant, mission-critical workloads in Azure. Whether a government agency requires a mission-focused desktop or an enterprise-wide desktop environment, Azure Virtual Desktop provides a scalable solution that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft offerings.

About Azure Virtual Desktop

Azure Virtual Desktop provides secure, remote desktop and application experiences from virtually anywhere on any device. As agencies continue to modernize and adapt to remote hybrid work scenarios, implementing remote work strategies is essential to increasing mission resilience and improving security posture. Azure Virtual Desktop provides users with access to the only solution fully optimized for Windows 11 and 10 with multi-session along with the reliability and built-in security features of Azure.

5 tips for securely enabling remote work with Azure Virtual Desktop

1. Use Azure Virtual Desktop to securely store all employee and organization data in the Microsoft cloud instead of on local desktops.
2. Leverage Azure security offerings such as Azure Firewall, Azure Security Center, Azure Sentinel and Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for end-to-end security from the endpoint to the applications.
3. Use conditional access to manage risks before granting users access to your Windows Virtual Desktop environment.
4. Setup multi-factor authentication via smartcards or other means.
5. Protect your Azure infrastructure by enabling role-based access control (RBAC) and detect threats using Azure Security Center.

Next steps

• Contact your Microsoft account representative to get started with Azure Virtual Desktop in Azure Government Secret.
• Learn more at Azure Virtual Desktop documentation.
• Visit Azure and other Microsoft cloud services compliance scope – Azure Government | Microsoft Docs for US government compliance information.

Steve Downs Principal Product Manager, Azure Virtual Desktop

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