Microsoft revealed its AI-optimized Copilot+ PCs on Monday, including a new feature that has raised concern among some security experts.<\/p>\n
The Copilot+ PCs will ship with a preview version of a feature called \u201cRecall,\u201d which Microsoft said is designed to feel like having a \u201cphotographic memory\u201d of everything you\u2019ve viewed on your PC.<\/p>\n
Recall takes \u201csnapshots\u201d of the user\u2019s active screen every few seconds and then enables the user to review their activity in a timeline or by search in order to locate webpages, apps or files they previously viewed.<\/p>\n
Microsoft\u2019s blog stated the feature will help users quickly find something they previously viewed without needing to dig through websites, files or \u201chundreds of emails\u201d to locate it.<\/p>\n
A demonstration of the feature during a Wall Street Journal interview of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella showed how the AI models built into the PCs can be used to search for content such as photos using natural language queries.<\/p>\n
Microsoft\u2019s FAQ about the Recall feature notes it \u201cdoes not perform content moderation\u201d and \u201cwill not hide information such as passwords or financial account numbers,\u201d raising concern by many that the sensitive data made readily available through snapshots could fall into the hands of threat actors.<\/p>\n
The feature has also been compared with \u201cspyware\u201d due to its constant monitoring of the user\u2019s computer activity.<\/p>\n
\u201cMicrosoft\u2019s Recall feature raises a few alarms, including security risks of potentially capturing and store detailed and sensitive information, as well as concerns surrounding invasion of privacy. The potential of sensitive information being stored without proper security protocols, puts your cybersecurity and even your identity risk,\u201d Patrick Tiquet, vice president of security & architecture at zero-trust cybersecurity provider Keeper Security told SC Media.<\/p>\n