At Build 2023, Microsoft introduced a group of new features that will enhance security and IT management, including a new backup and restore capability. All the new tools will become available in preview on May 24 (tomorrow) on Windows 11.
To start, Microsoft says that it is putting privacy, accessibility, and security features within reach for developers. The company says privacy is essential to business customers, who need transparency but also control over how information is used.
Windows 11 already has capabilities for hands-free sign-in and sensing technology to automatically lock when a user walks away. Microsoft is now adding a new privacy setting for apps that allows customers to control who has access to information from the presence sensor, while also be able to enable/disable the sensing features.
Elsewhere, Microsoft is adding a glanceable VPN on the taskbar, which makes it easier to see the status of a VPN quickly. Interestingly, this comes just as Microsoft is investigating a problem in Windows 11 where the OS tanks download speeds when connecting to a VPN. On the taskbar, users can now see a shield icon that shows if a device is connected to a VPN.
Microsoft Pluton Brings Chip to Cloud Security
Also announced at Build today, Microsoft Pluton is coming to more AMD systems, including the Phoenix line. Microsoft Pluton was first discussed back in 2018 as a security subsystem secure boot environment accompaniment to Azure Sphere. While it was expected Pluton would launch soon after, that did not happen. Pluton became widely available in November 2020, making the security processor widely available.
Microsoft Pluton is a security chip platform that will replace the company's existing Trusted Platform Module (TPM). However, it builds on TPM and makes some improvements to create more security for Windows devices.
Lastly, Microsoft is embracing the next generation of wireless audio by adopting Bluetooth Low Energy Audio in Windows 11. The company says that this is the first support for the audio standard on a PC platform. Bluetooth LE Audio was created by Samsung and Intel to deliver clear high-quality audio without consuming too much power.
Last Updated on May 25, 2023 10:51 am CEST
