In June 2024, Microsoft took action, fixing many issues its users noticed while using their programs and devices. These tech giants have been busy, from removing a specific default setting that had Windows business owners fearful for their company’s online safety to patching vulnerabilities. Below, we’ll delve further into Microsoft Patch Tuesday and its beneficial changes that increase safety and security.
Recall Snapshots as a Default Setting
In May 2024, Microsoft introduced Copilot+ PCs, an AI-enabled type of Microsoft Windows. Redmond’s flagship operating system is named “Recall” since the built-in AI assistant Copilot takes regular screenshots to add to its photographic memory. Tracking workers’ voice chats, web browsing, and other business tasks helps Copilot remember, reconstruct, or continue earlier activities.
Eradicating the Threat
However, many felt the name “Recall” was more fitting to its fate. The program only lasted a month as a default setting since many users were up in arms, worried about their privacy and safety. Although Microsoft claimed the screenshots were harmless and out of the hands of potential hackers since they remained within the user’s system, a former Microsoft threat analyst had something else to say.
Kevin Beaumont explained that because the screenshots are kept locally in the SQL server, anyone (even someone other than the owner and administrator of the device) could export data from Recall. Therefore, these versions of Windows that no one asked for have now taken a back seat. During a patch Tuesday update, Microsoft explained that while it is still available to users, it’s no longer a default.
Eliminating Vulnerabilities, Including One With a Critical Rating
Microsoft releases a patch on the first Tuesday of each month. Although Microsoft Patch Tuesday for June 2024 is relatively light, you can expect fixes for over 50 recently surfaced vulnerabilities. However, only one has earned the “critical” rating since it could install malware on your company devices without employee interaction.
Looking Toward the Future
While only one security flaw was publicly disclosed upon its release, none have undergone exploitation in the wild. Still, after this Microsoft Patch Tuesday, Outlook encourages users to update their operating systems and turn on automatic updates. Doing so is the only way to protect your business, employees, and customers from existing threats.
