Microsoft Updates Windows Recall: New Privacy Features and Security Enhancements

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been making a lot of big waves, especially over the last year, with several popular companies adding it to their products. However, one product in particular has been getting extra attention due to worries about security, and that is the new Microsoft Recall feature that is available in all of the new Copilot PCs.Keep reading, and we’ll explain what the problem is and what Microsoft is doing about it.

What is Windows Recall?

Windows Recall is a productivity tool that helps users by automatically taking snapshots of their recent PC activity. These screenshots can be of documents, websites, or apps, and the goal is to help users quickly return to where they left off without having to search through files or history logs manually.

Privacy concerns addressed in the latest update

Initially, Recall raised concerns about data privacy because screenshots can occur at any time, including when you are typing sensitive information when logging in to websites or dealing with banking.

Firstly, all data captured by Recall is now stored locally on the device, meaning nothing goes into the cloud, which will help reduce the risk of data exposure during network transfers.

Additionally, all Recall data is encrypted and housed in Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) enclaves, which are isolated sections of the system not in contact with the operating system or network to ensure that sensitive information is protected from unauthorized access, even if the user’s machine is compromised​.

New controls for users

Another welcome change in the new update is the addition of more user control. Recall is now completely optional and turned off by default. Users can choose whether or not to enable it during the initial setup of a Copilot+ PC, and they can even delete it entirely if they want to.

For those who opt in, Microsoft has introduced several customizable privacy settings, including the ability to prevent specific applications or websites from being captured, set retention periods for stored data, and easily delete snapshots they no longer need​.

Enhanced security through encryption and authentication

To improve security even further, Recall now integrates with Windows Hello for biometric authentication. Additionally, the data is encrypted with keys stored in a secure area of the system, ensuring that even administrators or potential malware cannot access it without authorization.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s updates to Windows Recall show the company’s commitment to balancing productivity with privacy. However, users’ decision to use Recall ultimately depends on how much trust they place in Microsoft’s assurances that they will keep their data safe.

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