(CTN News) – Microsoft intended “Recall,” its new Windows feature, to refer to AI-enabled, faultless device memory. Today, the unintentional definition of “recall,” which is a company’s recognition that a product is too unsafe or faulty to sell, is more accepted.
Microsoft announced many major adjustments to its Recall feature rollout on Friday. First, in Windows versions compatible with Copilot+, it will be an opt-in feature instead of enabled by default. Second, new security measures will strengthen data encryption and demand authentication to access Recall data.
Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Windows and devices, blogged,
“We are updating the set-up experience of Copilot+ PCs to give people a clearer choice to opt-in to saving snapshots using Recall.” “It will be off by default if you don’t actively choose to turn it on.”
As Recall has been described as unrequested, preinstalled spyware in new Windows machines, the security and privacy community has grown more critical. For AI analysis, Recall secretly stores a screenshot of user activity every five seconds.
In Recall preview versions, the user’s computer would have retained that snapshot data—including every bank login, password, and pornographic website visit—indefinitely.
Cybersecurity experts warn that even though the highly sensitive data is stored locally on the user’s computer rather than uploaded to the cloud, any hacker who gains even a brief foothold on a Recall-enabled device can take a panopticon view of the victim’s digital life.
Former NSA hacker and Immunity creator Dave Aitel told WIRED this week, “It makes your security very fragile.” The public does not want “Anyone with even a fleeting computer hacking attempt can access your entire history.”
Microsoft’s Davuluri writes that the business will make Recall an opt-in tool, Safeguard its data, and better supervise who can turn it on. Users must verify themselves every time they enable Recall or access its data, which may require a PIN or biometric (such a fingerprint or face scan). Davuluri says Recall data will be protected till authentication.
Jake Williams, a former NSA hacker and Hunter Strategy vice president of research and development, called that a “great improvement.” He says several clients have asked him to assess Recall’s security before adding Microsoft devices that use it to their networks. Even in its latest form, Williams thinks Recall is dangerous.
He said many customers will activate Recall due to Microsoft’s prominent push.
Even once they do, they’ll still have to deal with privacy issues like subpoenas or lawsuits demanding their historical data or domestic abusers demanding PINs.
Williams said Satya Nadella has “been out there talking about how this is a game changer and the solution to all problems.” Turning it on puts customers at risk of legal discovery. I cannot see a corporation legal team prepared to risk discovery of every user behavior.
Microsoft’s recall retraction follows a humiliating series of cybersecurity problems and breaches that have become a sticking point given its extremely close connection with the US government. Microsoft security errors allowed the leak of terabytes of customer data and the stunning penetration of government email accounts.
Last month, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a memo that security would always come first in commercial choices due to these controversies. Nadella wrote in his memo, “Your answer is clear: Do security if you’re faced with the trade-off between security and another priority” (emphasis added).
“In certain situations, this will entail putting security ahead of other things we do, like launching new features or continuing to support legacy systems.”
After today’s disclosure, Microsoft’s Recall deployment appears to be following Redmond’s usual pattern: promote a feature, face blowback for obvious security problems, and then scramble to mitigate the damage.
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