Microsoft tightens the screws on Recall security before the controversial feature returns

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Microsoft is not giving up. After suspending the Recall function just before the first Copilot+PC last June, the publisher is preparing the ground for its official launch scheduled for next month. And this time, it’s about showing a credential on security.

Recall is not a bad idea on paper: this function very regularly takes screenshots of what is happening on the PC, which allows the user to find information by going back in a timeline or by using a search engine. research.

All Recall data will be encrypted

Unfortunately for Microsoftit was quickly demonstrated that Recall was very poorly securedwhich pushed the publisher to postpone the launch at the last minute: the tool was in fact to be delivered at the same time as the first Copilot compatible PCs, in June.

Recall will do his return in October from members of the Windows Insiders program. And just to demonstrate that serious security work has been done, Microsoft has detailed the changes made to the function – and above all, announced that it will indeed be possible to uninstall it completely. There had been as a doubt about this a few weeks ago.

Recall Microsoft Windows Copilot 2 — ©Microsoft

Microsoft assures that Recall will not be active by default. You will have to activate it yourself in the settings, which is the least you can do. The publisher says that Recall’s database, including screenshots, will be encrypted. A relief, because that was not the case when the function was discovered in the spring…

All sensitive operations, including the management of screenshots, are done in a sort of secure virtual machine, separated from the rest of the system. The Recall application itself cannot directly access raw screenshots or the database without user authentication via Windows Hello (so they must be physically present in front of the computer). Once the session ends, all data in memory is immediately deleted.

Recall Microsoft Windows Copilot — ©Microsoft

This is to make it more difficult for malware to access data. In addition, additional settings will allow you to exclude software and websites from Recall’s automatic backup; this will prevent it from capturing sensitive information such as passwords or bank account credentials. A time slot can also be defined to prevent Recall from doing its job.

It probably would have been a good idea to incorporate all of these security measures before (attempting to) launch Recall in June. Microsoft would have spared itself a lot of controversy, while the company has made security its number one priority.