Security News > 2022 > September > Microsoft bets on hardware-software duo for Windows 11 security

The changes in the latest release of the security configuration baseline touch on a range of areas, including hardware - which Microsoft has increasingly emphasized in recent years - drivers and printers as well as protections against credential theft and account lookout.

The feature is part of a larger push Microsoft has been making for several years to more tightly integrate hardware and software security capabilities.

In a lengthy report issued last year discussing security features in Windows 11 22H2 and updated this week to coincide with the release of the new version, Microsoft highlighted the work it has done with chipmakers and system makers to drive Windows 11 security in such areas as root-of-trust, silicon-assisted security, and Secured-core PCs. "Today's ever-evolving threats require strong alignment between hardware and software technologies to keep users, data, and devices protected," the report's authors wrote.

In a tweet, David Weston, vice president of enterprise and OS security at Microsoft, pointed to a number of security updates in the report, including the inclusion of Pluton, a security processor designed with chip makers that provides greater protection for encryption keys and is integrated onto the chip.

The Pluton chip is available with select Windows 11 PCs. A hardware and software approach to security is important for any company, but particularly Microsoft, according to Darryl MacLeod, vCISO at Lares Consulting.

"By offering both hardware and software security solutions, Microsoft can provide a more comprehensive level of protection for its customers by minimizing the overall attack surface."

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/09/27/microsoft_windows11_security_hardware/