- Microsoft will strengthen Windows 11’s security levels
- A ‘Windows Baseline Security Mode’ will mean that only properly signed apps and drivers are allowed to run
- A permission system for apps will be adopted similar to what we see on smartphones now
Windows 11 is set to get tighter levels of security, with Microsoft proposing a stronger baseline level of defence, and an app-by-app permissions system with ‘allow access’ prompts that will be familiar to users of top Android phones and top iPhones.
Windows Latest highlighted that Microsoft has just published a blog post discussing the ways in which it will tighten up Windows 11 security-wise.
Microsoft describes the problem as follows: “[Windows 11] users are increasingly seeing apps override their settings, install additional software, or change core Windows experiences without their knowledge or consent.
“And your feedback is clear: Windows must both remain an open platform and be secure by default—protecting the integrity of your experience regardless of the apps you install. Our developers and ecosystem partners echo that need.”
There’s a fine line between convenience and security here, which Microsoft is actually looking to move a bit towards the latter. While it’s all well and good to not be bombarded with security messages, and to be able to install anything you want (anywhere) without interference from the operating system, the software giant clearly feels it has erred too far on this side of the equation, and wants to rebalance in favor of tighter defenses.
One of the central pillars of what Microsoft is doing is a ‘Windows Baseline Security Mode’ where various security measures will be enabled by default. The result is that Windows 11 only allows properly signed (certified by Microsoft) apps and drivers to run.
There will be ways around this protection – for example, if you have older apps that aren’t signed and you know they’re safe. However, by default, Windows 11 does not allow using unsigned apps to better protect users.
The other big step here is to improve user transparency and consent, meaning app permissions. As noted at the outset, Microsoft is gravitating towards a smartphone security model where apps need permission before accessing your camera or microphone, for example – you have to actively ‘allow’ this. The idea is to prevent apps from sneakily accessing your webcam or other hardware.
Similarly, if an app tries to stealthily install other software – something malicious or unwanted – user permission is required.
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While this isn’t a concrete vision for the future of security in Windows 11, the blog post makes it sound like all of this is happening, albeit it will take time and will “roll out through a phased approach.” Microsoft also emphasizes that it will take feedback into account as it moves forward to refine these concepts.
While more permission prompts on the Windows 11 desktop may sound a bit tiresome on the face of it, a tighter level of security is a good idea in many ways. Especially considering that with Windows being by far the most widely used desktop operating system, users are targeted by much of the malware out there. (Don’t make the mistake of thinking Macs are invulnerable to malware, mind you, especially these days).
However, there is something else going on as an undercurrent here, in my opinion, which is that it’s all about building trust in Windows 11 ahead of the release of AI agents in the operating system.
Confidence in Windows 11 is arguably at an all-time low as more and more bugs creep into the operating system – and Microsoft has promised to do better in this regard already (as well as addressing sluggish performance in some areas of the operating system).
How can Microsoft expect people to let AI agents loose on their files and trust those entities if Windows 11 can’t even be kept remotely bug-free with basic parts of the interface? This is a big issue, one that Microsoft needs to look at, and this security work is likely part of addressing these trust issues and restoring Windows 11’s reputation as a more robust and reliable platform.
Microsoft mentions AI agents in particular in the blog post, observing that: “Apps and AI agents will also be expected to meet higher transparency standards, giving both users and IT administrators better visibility into their behavior. These updates raise the bar for security and privacy on Windows, while giving you more control and confidence in how your system and data are accessed.”
I think that the mentioned reputation restoration is an important work to ensure that Windows 11 is on a good footing going forward, and at least it seems that Microsoft recognizes this – and takes it very seriously.
Ultimately, it will be in the implementation what that will look like, and while it is a good idea to ‘raise the bar’ in this way, as Microsoft describes it, to keep Windows 11 users more secure, the danger is that if the ‘bar’ gets in the way of a smooth computing experience in the operating system, it can end up being a source of frustration.
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