Technology

Microsoft’s more secure Windows Recall feature can also be uninstalled by users

Published

6 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Microsoft’s more secure Windows Recall feature can also be uninstalled by users

In response to security concerns, Microsoft is detailing how it has overhauled its controversial AI-powered Recall feature that creates screenshots of mostly everything you see or do on a computer. Recall was originally supposed to debut with Copilot Plus PCs in June, but Microsoft has spent the past few months reworking the security behind it to make it an opt-in experience that you can now fully remove from Windows if you want.

“I’m actually really excited about how nerdy we got on the security architecture,” says David Weston, vice president of enterprise and OS security at Microsoft, in an interview with The Verge. “I’m excited because I think the security community is going to get how much we’ve pushed [into Recall].”

One of Microsoft’s first big changes is that the company isn’t forcing people to use Recall if they don’t want to. “There is no more on by default experience at all — you have to opt into this,” says Weston. “That’s obviously super important for people who just don’t want this, and we totally get that.”

The new opt-in experience for Recall.

Image: Microsoft

A Recall uninstall option initially appeared on Copilot Plus PCs earlier this month, and Microsoft said at the time that it was a bug. It turns out that you will indeed be able to fully uninstall Recall. “If you choose to uninstall this, we remove the bits from your machine,” says Weston. That includes the AI models that Microsoft is using to power Recall.

Security researchers initially found that the Recall database — that stores snapshots taken every few seconds of your computer — wasn’t encrypted, and malware could have potentially accessed the Recall feature. Everything that’s sensitive to Recall, including its database of screenshots, is now fully encrypted. Microsoft is also leaning on Windows Hello to protect against malware tampering.

The encryption in Recall is now bound to the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) that Microsoft requires for Windows 11, so the keys are stored in the TPM and the only way to get access is to authenticate through Windows Hello. The only time Recall data is even passed to the UI is when the user wants to use the feature and authenticates via their face, fingerprint, or PIN.

“To turn it on to begin with, you actually have to be present as a user,” says Weston. That means you have to use a fingerprint or your face to set up Recall before being able to use the PIN support. This is all designed to prevent malware from accessing Recall data in the background, as Microsoft requires a proof of presence through Windows Hello.

The new Recall security architecture.

Image: Microsoft

“We’ve moved all of the screenshot processing, all of the sensitive processes into a virtualization-based security enclave, so we actually put it all in a virtual machine,” explains Weston. That means there’s a UI app layer that has no access to raw screenshots or the Recall database, but when a Windows user wants to interact with Recall and search, it will generate the Windows Hello prompt, query the virtual machine, and return the data into the app’s memory. Once the user closes the Recall app, what’s in memory is destroyed.

“The app outside the virtualization-based enclave is running in an anti-malware protected process, which would basically require a malicious kernel driver to even access,” says Weston. Microsoft is detailing its Recall security model and exactly how its VBS enclave works in a blog post today. It all looks a lot more secure than what Microsoft had planned to ship and even hints at how the company might secure Windows apps in the future.

So, how did Microsoft nearly ship Recall in June without a high amount of security in the first place? I’m still not super clear on that, and Microsoft isn’t giving much away. Weston confirms that Recall was reviewed as part of the company’s Secure Future Initiative that was introduced last year, but being a preview product, it apparently had some different restrictions. “The plan was always to follow Microsoft basics, like encryption. But we also heard from people who were like ‘we’re really concerned about this,’” so the company decided to fast-track some of the additional security work it was planning for Recall so that security concerns weren’t a factor in whether someone wanted to use the feature.

“It’s not just about Recall, in my opinion we now have one of the strongest platforms for doing sensitive data processing on the edge and you can imagine there are lots of other things we can do with that,” hints Weston. “I think it made a lot of sense to pull forward some of the investments we were going to make and then make Recall the premier platform for that.”

Some changes to the Recall settings include the ability to block apps from snapshots.

Image: Microsoft

Recall will also now only operate on a Copilot Plus PC, stopping people from sideloading it onto Windows machines like we saw ahead of its planned debut in June. Recall will verify that a Copilot Plus PC has BitLocker, virtualization-based security enabled, measure boot and system guard secure launch protections, and kernel DMA protection.

Microsoft has also conducted a number of reviews on the upgraded Recall security. The Microsoft Offensive Research Security Engineering (MORSE) team has “conducted months of design reviews and penetration testing on Recall,” and a third-party security vendor “was engaged to perform an independent security design review” and testing, too.

Now that Microsoft has had more time to work on Recall, there are some additional changes to the settings to provide even more control over how the AI-powered tool works. You’ll now be able to filter out specific apps from Recall alongside the ability to block a custom list of websites from appearing in the database. Sensitive content filtering, which allows Recall to filter out things like passwords and credit cards, will also block health and financial websites from being stored. Microsoft is also adding the ability to delete a time range, all content from an app or website, or everything stored in Recall’s database.

Microsoft says it remains on track to preview Recall with Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs in October, meaning Recall won’t be shipping on these new laptops and PCs until it has been further tested by the Windows community.

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Servers computers

Supermicro’s H13 GPU Systems ft. @LinusTechTips

Published

6 mins ago

September 28, 2024

NewsAdmin

Supermicro’s H13 GPU Systems ft. @LinusTechTips

Linus goes face to face with the 8U uGPU system featuring 8x NVIDIA H100 GPUs, and the flexible 4U GPU systems offering maximum acceleration to tackle the most intensive HPC, AI, ML applications out there.

Supermicro H13 Website: https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/aplus
H13 Jumpstart Program: https://www.supermicro.com/jumpstart/h13
AMD EPYC™ Website: https://www.amd.com/en/processors/epyc-server-cpu-family

Learn more
Supermicro H13 Website: https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/aplus
H13 Jumpstart Program: https://www.supermicro.com/jumpstart/h13
AMD EPYC™ Website: https://www.amd.com/en/processors/epyc-server-cpu-family

Subscribe to Supermicro
Newsletter: https://www.supermicro.com/en/news/newsletter-sign-up
YouTube: http://bit.ly/2eIqOCu

Follow Supermicro
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/supermicro
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Supermicro_SMCI
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Supermicro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supermicro_SMCI

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Technology

Tech Life: Mapping a changing world

Published

9 mins ago

September 28, 2024

NewsAdmin

How live updating of online maps is helping humanitarian work around the world.

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Technology

Artificial flavours released by cooking aim to improve lab-grown meat

Published

30 mins ago

September 27, 2024

NewsAdmin

Artificial flavours released by cooking aim to improve lab-grown meat

Cultured meat, with added flavour
Yonsei University

Lab-grown meat could get a flavour boost thanks to aromatic chemicals that activate when cooked, releasing a meaty smell – or if you prefer, that of coffee or potatoes.

Meat grown from cultured cells can already be created in various forms that resemble slaughtered meat, including steak and meatballs, but matching the taste has proven more challenging. Traditional meat flavours are extremely complex and volatile and don’t survive the lengthy laboratory process.

One key component of the taste of cooked meat is the Maillard reaction, named after a French chemist who discovered that unique flavours are created in cooked food at between 140 and 165°C (280 to 330 °F). Jinkee Hong at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, and his colleagues say they have worked out a way to simulate the Maillard reaction by adding “switchable flavour compounds” (SFCs) into a 3D gelatine-based hydrogel, called a scaffold, that remain stable while the meat is cultured.

Once heated to 150°C, the chemicals “switch on” and release their flavours, improving the cultured protein’s palatability. “We actually smelled the meaty flavour upon heating the SFCs,” says Hong, though he wouldn’t confirm whether the team had actually eaten the meat.

These SFCs can also be used to create different flavour profiles. For example, the researchers tested three compounds and say they produced flavours simulating roasted meat, coffee, roasted nuts, onions and potatoes. “We can diversify and customise the flavour compounds released from the SFC,” says Hong.

One big issue is that the chemicals involved aren’t currently seen as safe for human consumption. “Because the materials and culture medium are not approved as edible materials, we cannot ensure the safety of it,” Hong says. “However, we think that our strategy can also be applied to conventional edible materials, which would be safer than the materials used in this study.”

Johannes le Coutre at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, says he is sceptical of the work for numerous reasons, including that the flavour tests predominantly used an electronic nose to assess the chemicals being released, rather than human judgement of whether they smelled appetising.

“You cannot nourish human beings with this type of material,” says le Coutre. “While cell-based meat is a promising technology concept, this particular way of adding flavour will never provide safe and sustainable protein for low and middle-income communities that need food.”

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Servers computers

Cara Merakit Rack Server 42U Perforated Door

Published

37 mins ago

September 27, 2024

NewsAdmin

Cara Merakit Rack Server 42U Perforated Door

https://tokopedia.link/BOdpxiBQyib

WhatsApp wa/me8973379900

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Technology

GTA V for PlayStation 5 is only $20 today — normally $40

Published

52 mins ago

September 27, 2024

NewsAdmin

GTA V for PlayStation 5 is only $20 today — normally $40

Best Buy has cut the price of Grand Theft Auto V by 50% and if you don’t already own it, you really need to buy it right now.

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Servers computers

Slimming down to 2U! SFF Rackmount Gaming PC

Published

1 hour ago

September 27, 2024

NewsAdmin

Slimming down to 2U! SFF Rackmount Gaming PC

HUGE thanks to Micro Center for sponsoring this build! Here are links for their offer:

New Customer Exclusive – $25 Off ALL CPU’s: https://micro.center/yww
Shop Micro Center’s February BYO Deals: https://micro.center/fbi
Check out Micro Center’s Custom PC Builder: https://micro.center/b9o
Submit your build to Micro Center’s Build Showcase: https://micro.center/0jn

Parts used in this build (some links are affiliate links):

– MyElectronics’ 2U Mini ITX case: https://www.myelectronics.nl/us/19-inch-2u-mini-itx-case-short-depth.html
– Intel i5-13400 CPU: https://amzn.to/3K5bgJ1
– ASRock Z790M-ITX WiFi Motherboard: https://amzn.to/3YOnLwF
– CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5-5200 RAM with XMP: https://amzn.to/3lDqzi3
– LIAN LI SP 750 SFX PSU: https://amzn.to/3lGtUg4
– PNY Nvidia RTX A2000 12GB graphics card: https://amzn.to/3YobvmV
– be quiet! Pure Wings 80mm BL044 Case fans: https://amzn.to/3S23mCd
– Noctua NH-L9i-17xx Low-Profile CPU cooler: https://amzn.to/3EaWKMi
– 3.5mm Keystone Audio Jack: https://amzn.to/3YRPIUA
– Nanxudyj 3.5mm 1ft Audio Cable: https://amzn.to/3Ea26HD
– KIOXIA XG8 NVMe SSD: https://americas.kioxia.com/en-us/business/ssd/client-ssd/xg8.html

And here’s a link to the build from Micro Center (excluding the things I bought separate): https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder-intel.aspx?load=fe3f5ada-d5a2-4773-a2f3-28a25a21f8c5

Also mentioned in this video:

– LTT Personal Rig Update (Late 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgRXE9mUHJc
– LTT Heating my pool with computers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ozYlgOuYis
– It BROKE! LTT Screwdriver 6-month review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwoc6c4PMfU

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy
Sponsor me on GitHub: https://github.com/sponsors/geerlingguy
Merch: https://redshirtjeff.com
2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GeerlingEngineering

#Sponsored #MicroCenter #Homelab

Contents:

00:00 – Too much power?
00:48 – Short-depth 2U rackmount case
01:19 – Micro Center!
01:58 – SFF ask the expert
04:07 – Case closed… and opened!
05:08 – Assembling the motherboard
08:37 – I actually showed the thing!
09:00 – It’s coming together
10:35 – Front panel USB and a GPU to see
12:43 – It’s a lot heavier for its first boot
13:46 – No case is perfect
14:52 – Quieter AND faster!
15:34 – Gaming at 1080p
16:20 – Other SFF options and another build .

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