Impact: Users will be prevented from downloading certain types of files, and will not be able to bypass security warnings.

Rationale: Downloads can contain malware that has the potential to exfiltrate sensitive data or encrypt critical systems for ransom.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled: Block potentially dangerous downloads. Please see Security Zones in Edge - text/plain for more information. Note #2: Microsoft Edge relies on the Internet Explorer zones (Local Machine, Local Intranet, Trusted, Internet, Restricted) to determine which sites may bypass this policy setting. For more information on Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, please visit Microsoft Defender SmartScreen Frequently Asked Questions. These restrictions don't apply to saving or downloading the currently displayed page, nor do they apply to the Save as PDF option from the printing options. Note: These restrictions only apply to downloads from web page content, as well as the 'download link.' context menu option. If this policy is not configured the default state of 'No special restrictions' will be used and the downloads will go through the usual security restrictions based on Microsoft Defender SmartScreen analysis results if it is used. Information This policy controls whether Microsoft Edge blocks certain types of downloads, and prevents users from bypassing security warnings, depending on the classification of Safe Browsing.

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