diff --git a/monkey/monkey_island/cc/environment/utils.py b/monkey/monkey_island/cc/environment/utils.py
index dbed504f2..bbf2a0ba6 100644
--- a/monkey/monkey_island/cc/environment/utils.py
+++ b/monkey/monkey_island/cc/environment/utils.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ def is_windows_os() -> bool:
 
 
 if is_windows_os():
+    import win32file
+
     import monkey_island.cc.environment.windows_permissions as windows_permissions
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -15,11 +17,13 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 def create_secure_directory(path: str, create_parent_dirs: bool):
     if not os.path.isdir(path):
-        _create_secure_directory(path, create_parent_dirs)
-        set_secure_permissions(path)
+        if is_windows_os():
+            _create_secure_directory_windows(path)
+        else:
+            _create_secure_directory_linux(path, create_parent_dirs)
 
 
-def _create_secure_directory(path: str, create_parent_dirs: bool):
+def _create_secure_directory_linux(path: str, create_parent_dirs: bool):
     try:
         if create_parent_dirs:
             # Don't split directory creation and permission setting
@@ -35,10 +39,13 @@ def _create_secure_directory(path: str, create_parent_dirs: bool):
         raise ex
 
 
-def set_secure_permissions(dir_path: str):
+def _create_secure_directory_windows(path: str):
+    security_descriptor = windows_permissions.get_sd_for_owner_only_perms()
     try:
-        if is_windows_os():
-            windows_permissions.set_perms_to_owner_only(folder_path=dir_path)
+        win32file.CreateDirectory(path, security_descriptor)
     except Exception as ex:
-        LOG.error(f"Permissions could not be set successfully for {dir_path}: {str(ex)}")
+        LOG.error(
+            f'Could not create a directory at "{path}" (maybe environmental variables could not be '
+            f"resolved?): {str(ex)}"
+        )
         raise ex
diff --git a/monkey/monkey_island/cc/environment/windows_permissions.py b/monkey/monkey_island/cc/environment/windows_permissions.py
index 225e52370..02640e734 100644
--- a/monkey/monkey_island/cc/environment/windows_permissions.py
+++ b/monkey/monkey_island/cc/environment/windows_permissions.py
@@ -4,12 +4,10 @@ import win32con
 import win32security
 
 
-def set_perms_to_owner_only(folder_path: str) -> None:
+def get_sd_for_owner_only_perms() -> None:
     user = get_user_pySID_object()
+    security_descriptor = win32security.SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR()
 
-    security_descriptor = win32security.GetFileSecurity(
-        folder_path, win32security.DACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION
-    )
     dacl = win32security.ACL()
     dacl.AddAccessAllowedAce(
         win32security.ACL_REVISION,
@@ -17,9 +15,8 @@ def set_perms_to_owner_only(folder_path: str) -> None:
         user,
     )
     security_descriptor.SetSecurityDescriptorDacl(1, dacl, 0)
-    win32security.SetFileSecurity(
-        folder_path, win32security.DACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION, security_descriptor
-    )
+
+    return security_descriptor
 
 
 def get_user_pySID_object():