Direct answer
Select rules for the organization's risks, pilot applicable rules with representative devices, review audit events and business impact, and use an approved change process before enforcement.
Choose rules and scope
Identify Windows versions, Defender prerequisites, target device groups and workloads. Microsoft describes ASR rules as controls for risky software behaviors and supports audit mode for evaluating effects. Review current rule-specific guidance and licensing before choosing a mode.
Reference: Microsoft: Attack surface reduction overview.
Exercise representative work
Include document workflows, line-of-business applications and management tools in an authorized pilot. Collect relevant events and distinguish a legitimate blocked behavior from malicious activity. Audit mode records behavior without enforcing the block, so it is a compatibility assessment, not a protective equivalent.
Review exceptions and enforcement
Validate any exception with the application and security owners, keeping its scope as narrow as practical. Test enforcement on a small group with a rollback path, verify expected protection and legitimate work, and monitor new applications or policy conflicts.
Investigate a blocked business macro
If a pilot rule flags a finance macro, collect the rule, application version and action without copying sensitive documents. Ask the application owner to demonstrate the legitimate workflow on a test device and review safer design or a narrowly scoped exception. Repeat the test after the approved change and monitor new versions.
Assessment limits
Rule availability, modes and effects depend on platform and configuration. A successful pilot does not cover every application or future behavior.
Frequently asked questions
Does audit mode block the behavior?
No. It records evaluation without taking the configured block action.
Should an exception be broad to avoid complaints?
Review the actual application need and limit an approved exception's scope.
Does one pilot cover every application?
No. Include representative and infrequent workflows, and monitor after deployment.
Primary sources and further reading
These guides combine published security guidance with practical assessment planning. Adapt checks to the owner's policy, environment, and authorized scope.
This guide was prepared with AI assistance using the linked sources and illustrative examples. Check current vendor guidance and your environment before making changes.