Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure (AZ-800) Practice

Windows Defender Credential Guard is designed specifically to protect user credentials during the sign-in process. It uses virtualization-based security to isolate and safeguard credentials, so even if a malicious application gains access to the local environment, it would not be able to retrieve the credentials. This feature takes advantage of the latest security technologies available in Windows 10 Enterprise, ensuring that sensitive information, such as user credentials, are kept safe from attacks, including credential theft and phishing.

In contrast, Windows Defender Device Guard focuses on protecting the operating system and applications by preventing untrusted applications from running. Secure Boot ensures that only trusted software is loaded during the startup process, which is critical for maintaining the integrity of the system but does not specifically focus on user credentials. User Account Control (UAC) is aimed at preventing unauthorized changes to the operating system rather than directly protecting credentials during sign-in. Thus, Windows Defender Credential Guard stands out as the dedicated feature for credential protection.